This article was downloaded by: [Luca Giupponi] On: 11 August 2014, At: 08:01 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology: Official Journal of the Societa Botanica Italiana Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tplb20 The vegetation of the Borgotrebbia landfill (Piacenza, Italy): Phytosociological and ecological characteristics L. Giupponia, C. Cortia & P. Manfredib a Istituto di Agronomia, Genetica e Coltivazioni Erbacee, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza Site, Italy b M.C.M. Ecosistemi s.r.l., Località Faggiola s.n.c., 29027 Gariga di Podenzano (PC), Italy Accepted author version posted online: 05 Aug 2014.Published online: 08 Aug 2014. To cite this article: L. Giupponi, C. Corti & P. Manfredi (2014): The vegetation of the Borgotrebbia landfill (Piacenza, Italy): Phytosociological and ecological characteristics, Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology: Official Journal of the Societa Botanica Italiana, DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2014.945507 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2014.945507 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. 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MANFREDI2,*** 1Istituto di Agronomia, Genetica e Coltivazioni Erbacee, Universita` Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza Site, Italy and 2M.C.M. Ecosistemi s.r.l., Localita` Faggiola s.n.c., 29027 Gariga di Podenzano (PC), Italy Abstract Our study aimed to analyse the vegetation of the Borgotrebbia landfill in phytosociological and ecological terms, in order to contribute to the current knowledge of the landfill’s vegetation, and to better understand the environmental characteristics of the area, with a view to its restoration. Five vegetation types were identified, all classified into the Stellarietea mediae class that includes annual ruderal communities. Ellenberg’s and Landolt’s indices shed light on the ecological characteristics of all the vegetation and five typologies. The vegetation of the study area indicates a moderately basic, semi-dry soil, rich in nutrients, low in humus and badly aerated. The high therophyte percentage indicates a stressed environment, the main cause of this stress being a marked edaphic aridity during the dry summer months. In these conditions, annual plants, which complete their life cycle in a short time after the spring precipitations, are favoured. Finally, the species variety within the various typologies of vegetation increases with a decrease in the percentage of species tolerating salts and heavy metals in the soil. As a consequence, this suggests a possible contamination of the soil in some of the areas. Keywords: Cover soil, ecological indices, heavy metals, landfill vegetation, phytosociology Nowadays environmental restoration of the landfill ecological characteristics of a particular habitat. top cover is one of the most interesting issues for the Phytosociology is a discipline that studies plant landfill managers and the local authorities. Restor- communities, classifying them into a hierarchical ation of degraded areas necessitates the gathering of system of units (syntaxa) whose ecological meaning information regarding environmental characteristics, become more detailed from the highest rank (the such as climatic conditions, soil properties and any class) to the association level (Braun-Blanquet 1979; Downloaded by [Luca Giupponi] at 08:01 11 August 2014 disturbances (biotic and abiotic) affecting them, as Loidi 2004; Biondi 2011; Blasi & Frondoni 2011; these properties can influence the growth and the Pott 2011; Yilmaz 2011). Assigning a syntaxonomi- survival of vegetation. Setting the chemical and cal meaning to a phytocoenosis and performing the physical characteristics of the cover soils of the phytosociological releve´s by the ecological indicator landfill is a fundamental activity that requires values will give a picture of landfill sites in terms of expensive analysis whose results are often unsatisfac- environmental conditions and substrate character- tory due to the high spatial variability of these istics. Until now, these techniques of plant ecology properties. For this reason, the study of the have been little applied to the monitoring and vegetation represents a valid alternative method, rehabilitation of landfills, although the results of being quicker, practical and economical. some recently published works (Huber-Humer & Each plant has its own ecological requirements Klug-Pu¨mpel 2004; Klug et al. 2008; Tintner et al. that play a crucial role for its survival and spread. 2008; Tintner & Klug 2011) suggest positive Plants with similar requirements are associated in prospects for the future. communities which repeat themselves where eco- This study aims to identify the different types of logical conditions are the same. As a consequence, vegetation occurring on the Borgotrebbia landfill plant communities provide useful information about (Piacenza, Italy) and to define them in phytosocio- Correspondence: L. Giupponi, Istituto di Agronomia, Genetica e Coltivazioni Erbacee, Universita` Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza Site, Italy, Tel. þ347 9069751. Email: [email protected] q 2014 Societa` Botanica Italiana 2 L. Giupponi et al. Figure 1. Study area. logical and ecological terms, in order to obtain Emilia-Romagna is phytogeographically localized information as complete as possible on the environ- between the Middle-European Region and the mental conditions of the site in view of a future Mediterranean Region (Tomaselli 1970; Pignatti restoration (Life þ 10 ENV/IT/0400 New Life; 1979); the study area lies at the southern limit of the http://www.lifeplusecosistemi.eu). Ellenberg’s Middle-European Region in temperate continental (1979) indices, readapted from Pignatti (2005), bioclimatic zone (Rivas-Martı´nez 2004). The poten- together with Landolt’s (1977) indices updated by tial vegetation would be riparian forests of Populetalia Landolt et al. (2010), were used. These indicator albae Br.-Bl., 1935 in contact with oak-hornbeam values are commonly used to describe environmental woodlands (Ferrari 1997; Puppi et al. 2010), but the conditions (Diekmann 2003; Kollmann & Fischer natural vegetation has almost completely disap- 2003) even though the mathematical treatment of peared due to the intense anthropic activities. their ordinal scale reveals some problems. We also The landfill was active from 1972 to 1985 and intend to contribute to the current knowledge of the was then covered with a layer of soil of various types, vegetation of landfills and for this reason richness in about 50 cm thick. Projects aimed to restore forest species, biodiversity and evenness were calculated for vegetation were realized since 2005, but they had Downloaded by [Luca Giupponi] at 08:01 11 August 2014 each type of vegetation identified, as they are little success and involved only a small part of the considered important parameters that describe the landfill (localized in the south-western portion). ecological value of a unit of vegetation. Now most of the area is covered by grassland which is occasionally mown or grazed by sheep. Materials and methods Study area The studied closed landfill is made of municipal solid waste and lies within the administration area of Piacenza city (Emilia-Romagna, Italy) at Borgotreb- bia (coordinates: 458030580 N, 0983900600E; altitude: 60 m; Figure 1). It lies along the hydrographic right bank of the Trebbia River in proximity to its confluence with the Po River and covers an area of about 20 ha. The average annual temperature is 13.38C, and the average annual precipitation amounts to 778 mm. Most of the rain falls during Figure 2. Ombrothermic diagram of Walter and Lieth (1960). the spring and autumn, while there is a water deficit Data