11 2 1593 the journal of biodiversity data February 2015 Check List LISTS OF SPECIES Check List 11(2): 1593, February 2015 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/11.2.1593 ISSN 1809-127X © 2015 Check List and Authors Vascular flora of eight water reservoir areas in southern Italy Antonio Croce Second University of Naples, Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Via Vivaldi, 43, 8100 Caserta, Italy E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: Artificial lakes play an important role in Although many authors have reported the negative maintaining the valuable biodiversity linked to water impact of dams on rivers and their ecosystems (e.g., bodies and related habitats. The vascular plant diversity McAllister et al. 2001; Nilsson et al. 2005), dams are of eight reservoirs and surrounding areas in southern very important for wildlife, such as birds (Mancuso Italy was inventoried and further analysed in terms of 2010). Artificial lakes fulfill an important role as water biodiversity. A total of 730 specific and subspecific taxa reservoirs for agricultural irrigation; however, their were recorded, with 179 taxa in the poorest area and 303 other functions, such as recreation, fishing, and bio- in the richest one. The results indicate a good richness diversity conservation, should not be overlooked. The of the habitats surrounding the water basins, with some Italian National Institute for Economic Agriculture species of nature conservation interest and only a few (INEA) launched the project “Azione 7” (Romano and alien species. Costantini 2010) to assess the suitability of reservoirs in southern Italy for nature conservation purposes. Nine Key words: vascular plants, reservoirs, southern Italy, basins were chosen as a case study that would imple- wetlands, flora ment aspects of the researches concerning landscape features, aquatic biology, vascular plants, and birds. The present work is based on a botanic survey carried out in INTRODUCTION 2007 for the above-mentioned project (Croce 2010). The Wetlands are increasingly contracting under the aims of this study were to explore the floristic diversity influence of anthropogenic pressures (Egertson et al. of the reservoir areas, and to define their importance for 2004). Indications of biodiversity loss and habitat loss plant conservation. have been recorded worldwide (Moyle and Leidy 1992; Croce et al. 2012; Kozlowski and Bondallaz 2012; Azzella MATERIALS AND METHODS et al. 2013). Even small ponds and lakes (Semlitsch and Study areas Bodie 1998; Williams et al. 2004) can be of strategic Eight reservoirs located in six regions in southern Italy importance for freshwater biodiversity at a regional were selected for the present study (Figure 1 and Table scale (Gibbs 2000). 1). These reservoirs were the focus of an INEA “Azione In large parts of the Mediterranean basin, reservoirs 7” project (Romano and Costantini 2010). The Marsico are the most important water bodies. There are 70 arti- Nuovo area was excluded because the maximum water ficial lakes of varying size and shape in southern Italy, level was always under the operating level, resulting in accounting for approximately 4 billion cubic metres of the widespread emergence of artificial shores. According water (Romano and Costantini 2010). Construction of to the European Environment Agency (EEA 2011), all of these water reservoirs led to the inundation of farm land the sites are located in the Mediterranean Biogeographic and rural areas in the valley bottoms. Shores were often Region, with the exception of Penne Lake, which is locat- reforested and protected by enclosures and other protec- ed in the Continental Biogeographic Region. Altitudes tive measures. The succession of secondary vegetation in range from 43 –434 m above sea level (a.s.l.). the abandoned areas led to the establishment of natural A 500-m buffer zone was established around the lake and seminatural habitats, while the disturbance of the perimeters. Within these zones, the land use and floris- existing natural habitats decreased. Thus, the areas sur- tic composition were described. The following land use rounding the reservoirs evolved into isolated patches of categories were applied to the various landscapes of the nature in an agriculturally dominated landscape. basins: Check List | www.biotaxa.org/cl 1 Volume 11 | Number 2 | Article 1593 Croce | Vascular flora of eight water reservoir areas in southern Italy 1) Reforestations: artificial woodlands, dominated by conifers (Cupressus sempervirens L. and Pinus spp.), sometimes with additions of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. 2) Grasslands: secondary communities dominated by herbs; 3) Shrublands and transitional woodlands or shrub- lands, including maquis and garrigues; 4) Broad-leaved forests dominated by deciduous trees (e.g., Carpinus spp., Ostrya carpinifolia Scop., Quercus pubescens s.l., etc.) or evergreen sclero- phyllous trees (Quercus ilex L. and Q. suber L.). They include hygrophilous forests with Salix spp., Populus spp., Alnus glutinosa L. Gaertn.; 5) Open spaces with little or no vegetation (rocks, bad- lands, sandy shores, etc.); 6) Artificial or agricultural areas (farming, buildings, etc.). The land cover composition of the eight areas is shown in Figure 2. Cartographic analyses were realised with the soft- Figure 1. Location of the eight analysed basins. Biogeographic regions ware Qgis 1.8.0 (Quantum GIS Development Team 2013). after EEA (2011). See Table 1 for the names and features of each basin. Floristic procedures The database built for the botanic survey of the INEA project was used to analyse the floristic diversity. Each basin was explored during the spring, summer, and autumn of 2007 to compile an inventory of the vascular flora that was as complete as possible. For each habitat, random plots were established for floristic sampling, and a random exploration of the shores and the adja- cent habitats was carried out. Species were identified in the field, or they were collected (with the exclusion of protected species) and identified by usingFlora d’Italia (Pignatti 1982) and Flora Europaea (Tutin et al. 1964– Figure 2. Land cover of the 500-m buffer surrounding the studied reser- 1980, 1993). All specimens were stored in the herbarium voirs. of the Department of Environmental, Biological, and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies of the Sec- dalechampii Ten., Q. amplifolia Guss, etc.) has been used. ond University of Naples (Caserta). The systematic scheme used in this study follows Peruzzi Nomenclature of the inventoried flora mainly follows (2010), but families, genera, and intraspecific taxa are Conti et al. (2005, 2007), but the Index Plantarum Florae listed in alphabetical order. The plant life form, accord- Italicae (IPFI) (Acta Plantarum 2013) was also consulted. ing to Raunkiaer (1934) and modified by Pignatti (1982), For the Orchidaceae family, the nomenclature of GIROS was assigned to each taxon as follows: (2009) was used. For the European white oak the name P Phanerophytes. Woody perennials (trees, shrubs), Quercus pubescens s.l. (including Q. virgiliana Ten., Q. including Epiphytes (EP). Table 1. Information about the eight reservoirs analysed. Basin Number (Figure 1) Region Biogeographical region Area (ha) Altitude (m a.s.l.) Latitude Longitude Penne 1 Abruzzo Continental 57 256 42°26’ N 013°54’ E Ponte Liscione 2 Molise Mediterranean 534 248 41°48’ N 014°49’ E Conza 3 Campania Mediterranean 179 434 40°52’ N 015°18’ E Locone 4 Puglia Mediterranean 173 170 41°05’ N 015°59’ E Alento 5 Campania Mediterranean 146 118 40°19’ N 015°07’ E S. Giuliano 6 Basilicata Mediterranean 910 100 40°36’ N 016°30’ E Monte Cotugno 7 Basilicata Mediterranean 1550 252 40°09’ N 016°19’ E Angitola 8 Calabria Mediterranean 173 43 38°44’ N 016°14’ E Check List | www.biotaxa.org/cl 2 Volume 11 | Number 2 | Article 1593 Croce | Vascular flora of eight water reservoir areas in southern Italy Table 2. Protected areas established in the studied areas (SCI = Site of Community importance; SPA = Special Protection Area). Basin Protected area Penne Regional Natural Reserve WWF Oasis Ponte Liscione SCI IT7222249 “Lago di Guardialfiera - M. Peloso” Conza SCI/SPA IT8040007 “Lago di Conza della Campania” WWF Oasis Locone No protected area Alento SCI IT8050012 “Fiume Alento” San Giuliano SCI/SPZ IT9220144 “Lago di S. Giuliano e Timmari” Natural Oriented Reserve “Lago S. Giuliano e Timmari” Monte Cotugno SPA IT9210275 “Massiccio del Monte Pollino e Monte Alpi” Angitola Wetland of International Importance (RAMSAR) WWF Oasis Figure 3. Linear regression between the areas (log) and the number of taxa/area ratio (log). Ch Chamaephytes. Woody plants with buds less than 25 cm from the ground. matrix of the geographic distances. A Mantel Test with G Geophytes. Perennial plants with buds below the 10,000 permutations was carried out. Mantel tests ground, and with rhizomes, bulbs, etc. were performed with the use of zt (Bonnet and Van de H Hemicryptophytes. Perennial herbs with buds very Peer 2002). Principal component analysis (PCA) was close to the ground or at ground level. performed on both the life form and chorotype compo- He Helophytes. Perennial herbs with buds resting in sitions. The eigenvalues of the two main components marshlands. They are included in the Hemicrypto- were used as factors to test for a correlation (Spearman phytes type because of their very low numbers. rs) with altitude, latitude, longitude, distance from sea, I Hydrophytes. Perennial plants with subaquatic and land cover types. PCA and the correlation test were buds. performed in PAST (Hammer et al. 2001). T Therophytes. Annual plants (herbs) surviving the winter season as seeds. RESULTS A total of 730 specific and subspecific taxa were Chorological types were assigned to each taxon according recorded for the studied habitats surrounding the lakes to the following nine main categories (after Pignatti 1982): (Table 3). The flora of the basins represented 9.5% of EN Endemic the Italian flora (Conti et al. 2005). The richness varied SM Steno-Mediterranean from 179 taxa for the Locone basin to 303 taxa for Monte EM Euri-Mediterranean Cotugno.