Feddes Repertorium 116 (2005) 3–4, 243–276 DOI: 10.1002/fedr.200411072 Weinheim, August 2005 Università di Catania, Dipartimento di Botanica, Catania Università di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Scienze Botaniche, Cagliari Università di Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Siena C. ANGIOLINI; G. BACCHETTA; S. BRULLO; M. CASTI; G. GIUSSO DEL GALDO & R. GUARINO The vegetation of mining dumps in SW-Sardinia With one Map, 4 Figures and 13 Tables Summary Zusammenfassung The vegetation of mining dumps of SW-Sardinia in- Zur Vegetation auf Bergbauhalden in Südwest- cludes several endemic or rare species, that have sardinien been confined to such artificial habitats by a millen- nial mining activity. The extreme edaphic specializa- Die Vegetation auf Bergbauhalden in Südwestsar- tion of these species reflects with unusual fidelity the dinien beheimatet einige endemische oder seltene heterogeneity of substrata, therefore creating a sys- Pflanzenarten, die sich auf diesen künstlichen Le- tem of plant communities that largely contributes to bensräumen, geschaffen durch einen tausendjährigen the environmental diversity of this part of the island. Bergbau, spezialisiert haben. Bedingt durch die An- The phytosociological study presented in this paper passung an die extremen Bodenverhältnisse, reflek- recognized eight associations, distinguished by the tieren diese Arten mit außergewöhnlicher Konstanz cluster analysis in two main groups, the first includ- die heterogenen Bodentypen, welche ein System von ing hemicrypto-chamaephytic vegetation, the second Pflanzengesellschaften hervorbringen, die wesentlich including nanophanerophytic garigues. zu der Vielfalt der Lebensräume dieser Region bei- Six associations are belonging to the first group, tragen. Die hier präsentierte pflanzensoziologische five of which newly described: Helichryso tyr- Studie beschreibt acht Pflanzengesellschaften, die rhenici-Dianthetum sardoi ass. nova occurring on sich mittels „Cluster Analysis“ in zwei Hauptgrup- gross-grained, hard-sloping dumps deriving from the pen aufspalten lassen. Die erste Gruppe umfasst die geologic unit of Gonnesa; Coincyo recurvatae- hemikryptophytische Vegetation, während die zwei- Helichrysetum tyrrhenici ass. nova colonizing te Gruppe die nanophanerophytischen Garigues zu- dumps made of metamorphitic flakes and finer parti- sammenführt. cles; Resedo luteolae-Limonietum merxmuelleri In der ersten Gruppe lassen sich sechs Pflanzen- ass. nova colonizing small-grained mining dumps gesellschaften abgrenzen, fünf davon werden neu be- with high concentrations in sulphides and heavy schrieben: Helichryso tyrrhenici-Dianthetum sar- metals; Ptilostemono casabonae-Iberidetum inte- doi ass. nova auf grobkörnigen und steil abfallenden gerrimae ass. nova replacing the previous one on Halden des Gonnesa-Abraums; Coincyo recurva- older and more consolidated dumps, where the con- tae-Helichrysetum tyrrhenici ass. nova kolonisiert centration of phytotoxic elements was reduced by die Abraumhalden aus grobkörnigen metamorphen the meteoric agents; Epipactidetum tremolsii ass. Gesteinen und feineren Partikeln; Resedo luteolae- nova colonizing muddy deposits originating from Limonietum merxmuelleri ass. nova bewächst ferrous clay; Euphorbio cupanii-Santolinetum insu- feinkörnigen Abraum mit hoher Konzentration an laris ANGIOLINI & BACCHETTA 2003, occurring on Sulfiden und Schwermetallen; Ptilostemono casa- very old, stabilized dumps. All these associations bonae-Iberidetum integerrimae ass. nova ersetzt can be ascribed to the class Scrophulario-Helichry- die vorhergehende Gesellschaft auf älteren und ver- setea BRULLO, SCELSI & SPAMPINATO 1998. Within festigteren Abraumhalden, in denen die phytotoxi- this class, a new Sardo-Corsican alliance, Ptiloste- schen Substanzen stärker ausgewaschen sind; Epi- mono casabonae-Euphorbion cupanii all. nov. is pactidetum tremolsii ass. nova wächst auf schlam- here proposed, differentiated by a pool of rare or migen Sedimenten, die von eisenhaltigen Lehmen endemic species. In addition to the above-mentioned abstammen; Euphorbio cupanii-Santolinetum insula- © 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim 0014-8962/05/3-408-0243 2051088 Feddes Repertorium 3-4/2005 FED0717u.doc VM2: Kraus/Pfü. Beitrag: 11/Angiolini Diskettenartikel 244 Feddes Repert., Berlin 116 (2005) 3–4 associations, it is proposed, as well, to include into ris ANGIOLINI & BACCHETTA 2003 kommt auf alten, the new alliance the Polygono scoparii-Helichryse- stabilisierten Abraumhalden vor. tum tyrrhenici BIONDI, VAGGE, FOGU & MOSSA 1996 Alle diese Pflanzengesellschaften können in corr., that was described for the gravelly riverbeds of die Klasse der Scrophulario-Helichrysetea BRULLO, Central-Southern Sardinia. SCELSI & SPAMPINATO 1998 eingeordnet werden. In- As concerns the second group, two new associa- nerhalb dieser Klasse wird hier eine neue sardo- tion have been recognized: Dorycnio suffruticosi- korsische Allianz, das Ptilostemono casabonae- Genistetum corsicae ass. nova, found on aban- Euphorbion cupanii all. nov., benannt, welche sich doned, well consolidated mining dumps, with an up- durch eine Vielzahl von endemischen Pflanzenarten per layer altered by pedogenetic processes; Polygalo auszeichnet. Neben den oben genannten Pflanzenge- sardoae-Linetum muelleri ass. nova, occurring in sellschaften wird hier vorgeschlagen, das Polygono the vicinities of the mines on steep rocky slopes scoparii-Helichrysetum tyrrhenici BIONDI, VAGGE, made of Paleozoic metalliferous limestones. Both of FOGU & MOSSA 1996 corr., das auf Geröll-Fluss- them can be ascribed to the alliance Teucrion mari betten im zentralen Südsardinien beschrieben wurde, GAMISANS & MURACCIOLE 1985, grouping the in die neue Allianz mit einzugliedern. Sardo-Corsican aspects of Cisto-Lavanduletea BR.- In der zweiten Gruppe konnten zwei neue Pflan- BL. in BR.-BL., MOLINIER & WAGNER 1940. zengesellschaften abgetrennt werden: das Dorycnio Two taxa are new for science: Dianthus sardous suffruticosi-Genistetum corsicae ass. nova, welche BACCHETTA, BRULLO, CASTI & GIUSSO, sp. nova and auf aufgelassenen, gut verfestigten Abraumhalden Helichrysum microphyllum (WILLD.) CAMB. subsp. mit beginnender Bodenbildung zu finden ist, und das tyrrhenicum BACCHETTA, BRULLO & GIUSSO, subsp. Polygalo sardoae-Linetum muelleri ass. Nova, das nova. auf steilen Felsabhängen aus paläozoischen metall- haltigen Kalken in der direkten Nachbarschaft der Abraumhalden vorkommt. Beide Pflanzengesellschaf- ten können in den Verband Teucrion mari GAMISANS & MURACCIOLE 1985 eingegliedert werden, welcher die sardo-korsischen Elemente der Cisto-Lavandu- letea BR.-BL. in BR.-BL., MOLINIER & WAGNER 1940 umfasst. Es werden zwei neue Arten beschrieben: Di- anthus sardous BACCHETTA, BRULLO, CASTI & GIUSSO, sp. nova und Helichrysum microphyllum (WILLD.) CAMB. subsp. tyrrhenicum BACCHETTA, BRULLO & GIUSSO, subsp. nova. 1. Introduction Mining dumps of SW-Sardinia are quite a critical habitat for plant life, as high concentra- Mines represent a main feature of the Sardinian tions of exchangeable heavy metals and an ex- landscape, and particularly of Sulcis-Iglesiente treme acidification of substrata derive from the (SW-Sardinia). This area includes the oldest oxidation of sulphides and other minerals (DI geologic units of the island (CARMIGNANI GREGORIO & MASSOLI-NOVELLI 1988; CIDU 2001), whose richness in metalliferous layers et al. 2001). Nevertheless, many plants, includ- is well known since ancient times. The mining ing several endemic or rare species, can stand activity started about 3800 yrs b. p., and be- such environmental conditions. Many papers came a profitable industry in the last two focussed on the taxonomic and phytogeogra- centuries, before getting exhausted around phic interest of these species (ARRIGONI 1980; 1990 (MEZZOLANI & SIMONCINI 2001). At ERBEN 1980; VALSECCHI 1986; BACCHETTA the end of the industrial activity, the mining et al. 2000; ANGIOLINI & BACCHETTA 2003), districts have been abandoned without taking but still a phytosociological study on the pio- care of any reclaim or mitigation, so that neer plant communities that colonize the min- dumps and racking basins became soon a seri- ing dumps was missing. Aim of this paper is to ous source of pollution for the neighbouring describe such vegetation and to highlight the territories. ecological behaviour and syndynamic role of its character species. © 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim C. ANGIOLINI et al.: Vegetation of mining dumps in SW-Sardina 245 Fig.1 0 15 km Map 1 Map of the Sardinian investigated mines (black dots) 2. Study area bedded in Cambrian metalimestones and meta- dolostones, belonging to the Gonnesa Forma- The studied sites are located in Sulcis-Iglesien- tion, also called “Metallifero”. te (Map 1): a geologic complex that is separa- The ombrothermic diagrams of Flumini- ted from the rest of the island by the Grabens maggiore, Iglesias, St. Giovanni (Domusnovas) of Campidano. From the administrative view- and Rosas (Narcao) are reported in Fig. 1. With point, the surveyed areas belong to the province reference to the Rivas-Martínez’ bioclimatic of Cagliari and to the municipalities of Iglesias classification (RIVAS-MARTÍNEZ et al. 1999, (Mines of Monteponi, Agruxiau, Acquaresi), 2002) and basing on the termopluviometric Fluminimaggiore (Arenas-P.ta Pitzianti, Tinnì, data processed by BACCHETTA (2000), the Baueddu), Domusnovas (Barraxiutta, St. Gio- whole study area is characterized by a Mediter- vanni, Sa Duchessa), Buggerru (Pranu