E. Biondi, L. Gubellini, M. Pinzi & S. Casavecchia the Vascular Flora Of
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Fl. Medit. 22: 67-167 doi: 10.7320/FlMedit22.067 Version of Record published online on 28 December 2012 E. Biondi, L. Gubellini, M. Pinzi & S. Casavecchia The vascular flora of Conero Regional Nature Park (Marche, Central Italy) To Aldo J. B. Brilli-Cattarini, eminent botanist and expert resear- cher on the Marche region flora and par- ticularly on the Conero flora. He was the founder of the “Centro Ricerche Floristiche Marche” of Pesaro and Urbino Province. He has been a master for all of us even in the preparation of this work, with great gene rosity, he offered us his unique experience with enthusiasm. Abstract Biondi E., Gubellini L., Pinzi M. & Casavecchia, S.: The vascular flora of Conero Regional Nature Park (Marche, Central Italy). — Fl. Medit. 22: 67-167. 2012. — ISSN: 1120-4052 print- ed, 2240-4538 online. It is presented the vascular flora of Conero Regional Park. The paper starts with a brief presen- tation of the park territory (geography, geomorphology and bioclimate) that arises in the cen- tral Adriatic side of the Italian peninsula. The vegetation is briefly described thanks to the detailed phytosociological analysis carried out in the territory and to detailed maps on different scales. The description of vegetation allows indicating, for most of the species listed, their par- ticipation in the plant communities present in the area. The floristic list comprises 1169 entities, of specific and sub specific levels, that belong to 101 families and 507 genera. It also includes 64 species currently disappeared or not recently found in the study area, indicated by NP acronym (not present). The life form spectrum of the flora highlines the prevalence of terophytes (37.8%) and hemicryptophytes (31.10%). These are fol- lowed by geophytes (11.9%) and phanerophytes (10.6%). The chorological spectrum highlines the prevalence of Mediterranenan species among which the Eurimediterranean are very fre- quent (26%) but also the Stenomediterraneans form a considerable contingent (13% ), con- firming that the area is on the northern limit of diffusion of Mediterranenan macrobioclime in the Italian Adriatic side. The total value of Euroasiatic species is very high (29%) and they are linked to the paleogeographyc history of Italian peninsula flora. Moreover, the presence of a large number of species having a wide diffusion is significant (12%) because they testify the high anthropization of Park areas where there are towns, touristic structures and large cultivat- ed zones. The elevate presence of non-native species (9,5%) is linked to this condition of strong anthropization even if they are represented by a percentage value that is lower than in the rest of Marche (12,57%) and of Italy (13,4%). In the territory of the Park, Natura 2000 network includes three Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and one Special Protected Area (SPA); overall 18 habitats of Community interest have been recognized, 7 of which are “priority”. The only species indicated in Annex II of Habitats Directive and present in Conero Park is Himantoglossum adriaticum that currently is known only in one locality for Conero Park while as regards Annex V, the only species included is Ruscus aculeatus, common in the forests of the area. 68 Biondi & al.: The vascular flora of Conero Regional Nature Park (Marche ... Finally, a survey of the threatened species having a high extinction risk at the regional level, mainly because of the transformations of habitats such as psammophilous and hygrophilous species, is carried out. Key words: Plant biodiversity, Geobotany, Central Italy, Exotic plants, Vegetation, Conservation. Introduction The aim of the paper is to present and comment up on the list of the vascular entities found in the area belonging to the Regional Nature Park of Conero. The protected area is situated in the central-eastern part of the Italian peninsula where it covers an area of about 6,000 hectares (Fig. 1). The protected area extends in a north-south direction for a distance of about 20 kilometres, reaching a maximum width corresponding to Conero Mountain (about 7 kilometres) and narrowing towards its northern extremity. The wide floristic and biocoenotic diversity which characterises the area is deter- mined by its central position with respect to the basin of the Adriatic Sea, by the height of the Conero promontory (Fig. 1), which with its height of 572 metres greatly surpass- es the average of the Italian Adriatic coast, and by the diversity of the geological, geo- morphological and climatic conditions of the territory enclosed by the Nature Park (Brilli-Cattarini 1967; Biondi 1986). The agricultural, timbering and shepherding activities that were very developed in the past have contributed in part to the increase in the biodiversity of the territory, determin- ing a high diversification of the plant landscape and favouring the development of ecoton- al areas. The abandonment of the agricultural activities in large areas that followed, and of the timbering and shepherding activities in almost all of the territory, has determined the development of the natural dynamic processes of the recovery of vegetation. Geology and geomorphology Structurally, the area is composed of a dome-shaped anticline, with numerous faults of Appenine-antiAppenine orientation, attributable to different tectonic phases (the Pliocene, Pliopleistocene, Pleistocene phases). The outcrops belong to the Umbria/Marche series Formations from the Cretaceous to the Pliocene (Coltorti & al. 1991; Coccioni & al. 1994). For the Park’s territory a detailed geo-lithological map on a scale of 1:20,000 has been car- ried out (Coccioni & al. 1997). In the Park area, four main geographical/morphological zones can be individuated (Cello & Coppola 1983; Montanari & Sandroni 1995) (Fig. 2). The first of these is represented by the coastal belt that appears very indented with little bays, and is composed of various lithological and structural typologies. In particular, between Ancona and Portonovo and between Sirolo and Numana the coastal cliffs are of the marly- arenaceous type, of the formations of Schlier, while between Portonovo and the Sassi Neri they are calcareous with the lithotypes of Maiolica and of the Scaglia Bianca and Rosata. South of Numana, the coast is instead low-lying, of the sedimentary type. Flora Mediterranea 22 — 2012 69 Fig. 1. Map of Conero Nature Park with the main resorts of the protected area and of neighboring zones. 70 Biondi & al.: The vascular flora of Conero Regional Nature Park (Marche ... Fig. 2. Geological cross-section of the Conero Mountain area: (redrawn from Cello & Coppola 1983). 1: Alluvium, 2: Marl and sand, 3: Colombacci marl, 4: Schlier, 5: Bisciaro, 6: Scaglia Cinerea, 7: Scaglia Rosata, 8: Scaglia Bianca, 9: Fucoid marls, 10: Maiolica. The second zone consists of a hilly inland area where the pelitic-arenaceous and marly deposits from the Miocene-Pliocene age are exposed. The lithological substratum of the hills mainly comprises very fine deposits: pelites of the plio-Pleistocene rich in argilla- ceous minerals interspersed with pelitic-arenaceous, arenaceous-pelitic and sandy-con- glomerate bodies. The main peaks are: Massignano (268 metres), Mount Zoia (262 metres), Mount Larciano (236 metres) and Mount Colombo (253 metres). The third zone comprises Conero Mountain, characterised by calcareous rocks with a complex pattern of folds and fractures. This massif is of a large ellipsoid shape, with an asymmetric structure: indeed, the sea aspects are very steep, almost vertical, while on the western side they are rounded. Finally, the fourth zone comprises the plains constituted by pebble and pebble-sand allu- vial deposits, and by lenticular formations of various extents of fine silt-sand and silt-clay deposits of a few metres in depth (Nanni 1997; Calandra & Leccese 2007). In the Park territory there are few water courses, which are mainly seasonal in character. Other hydrographic elements of relevant environmental interest are “Lago Grande” (Big Lake) and “Lago Profondo” (Deep Lake), two small brackish waters in the Portonovo area. Bioclimatology On the basis of the bioclimatic indices of Rivas-Martinez & al. (1999), the Conero ter- ritory belongs to the Mediterranean macrobioclimate, with an oceanic pluviseasonal bio- climate, upper mesoMediterranean thermotype, the low subhumid ombrotype (Fig. 3). It is anyway evident that the vegetation is influenced above all by meso and micro climatic con- ditions, linked to the geomorphological characteristics of the locations. Flora Mediterranea 22 — 2012 71 Fig. 3. Bioclimatic diagram and classification. Vegetation chraracteristics of the Conero Nature Park The Regional Nature Park of Conero has been object of various vegetational researches on the phytosociological point of view following the syndynamic and geosyndynamic method (Allegrezza & al. 1997; Biondi 1986, 1989, 2008; Biondi & al. 2001, 2002a, 2002b; Pesaresi & al. 2007; Biondi 2011; Pott 2011; Lancioni & Taffetani 2012). Moreover, a phytosociologi- cal map on a scale of 1:10,000 has been realized; it is available in digital form on the website of Marche Region (www.regione.marche.it) and of the Botanic Garden of Marche Polytechnic University one (www.ortobotanico.univpm.it/cartografia). On the basis of the results of these researches, a brief list of the plant communities found (associations) is presented. For each association the basic characteristics are indi- cated with the addition of a reference acronym that is also associated to the most