Styrax officinalis is an E-Mediterranean scrub that is widespread from the southern Balkans to the Turkey and Middle East and that exhibits three relic populations in Peninsular Italy. Two of these populations, located in the Campania administrative region, have only recently been recorded and are both composed of a low number of individuals. The third population, located in the eastern sector of the Rome countryside has long been known and covers a considerably larger area than the afore-menitioned two Campanian populations which comprises the Cornicolani, Lucretili and Tiburtini Mountains and a small part of the Colli Albani volcanic hills. The membership of Styrax officinalis to the Italian flora s still a matter of debate. In fact some botanists have considered it as an alien invasive species directly imported by the Romans under Adriano emperor about two thousand years ago. Other consider it as a native species and this assertion is based on the assumption that the Styrax officinalis communities are characterized by the simultaneous presence and abundance of other SE-European species such as Carpinus orientalis, Piatacia terebinthus, Paliurus spina-christi, and Cercis siliquastrum that are typical of the Balkan thermophilous deciduous scrub formations. The most interesting thing, however, is that in this area Styrax officinalis is not only dominant in the shrubland formations, but also exhibits very high frequency and cover values in various forest communities. The majority of these communities are dominated by Quercus cerris and have been here classified as Rubio peregrinae-Quercetum cerridis carpinetosum orientalis, Moreover Styrax officinalis occurs in the Quercus frainetto and Quercus cerris mixed woods of the sandy and partially volcanic substates of the flat areas (Echinopo siculi-Quercetum frainetto) and in the Quercus pubescens woods of the shallow limestone soils (Pistacio terebinthi-Quercetum pubescentis carpinetosum orientalis), while it occurs less frequently in the Quercus ilex woods (Fraxino orni-Quercetum ilicis). The over-exploiting and/or the complete destruction of these potential forest types led to their substitution with microwoods dominated by Carpinus orientalis, Styrax officinalis, Acer monspessulanum, and Pistacia terebinthus provisionally classified in the Phillyreo latifoliae-Carpinetum orientalis (originally described for some Macedonian areas). Moving to a lower structural woody level Pistacia terebinthus and Styrax officinalis give rise also to a typical scrub community here proposed as a new association named Pistacio terebinthi-Styracetum officinalis.

Coenological features and syntaxonomical classification of Styrax officinalis in Italy / DI PIETRO, Romeo; Germani, Diego; Fortini, Paola. - STAMPA. - (2017), pp. 40-40. (Intervento presentato al convegno Diversity patterns across communities in the frame of global change: conservation challenges. tenutosi a BIZKAIA ARETOA OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY).

Coenological features and syntaxonomical classification of Styrax officinalis in Italy

Romeo Di Pietro
Primo
Writing – Review & Editing
;
2017

Abstract

Styrax officinalis is an E-Mediterranean scrub that is widespread from the southern Balkans to the Turkey and Middle East and that exhibits three relic populations in Peninsular Italy. Two of these populations, located in the Campania administrative region, have only recently been recorded and are both composed of a low number of individuals. The third population, located in the eastern sector of the Rome countryside has long been known and covers a considerably larger area than the afore-menitioned two Campanian populations which comprises the Cornicolani, Lucretili and Tiburtini Mountains and a small part of the Colli Albani volcanic hills. The membership of Styrax officinalis to the Italian flora s still a matter of debate. In fact some botanists have considered it as an alien invasive species directly imported by the Romans under Adriano emperor about two thousand years ago. Other consider it as a native species and this assertion is based on the assumption that the Styrax officinalis communities are characterized by the simultaneous presence and abundance of other SE-European species such as Carpinus orientalis, Piatacia terebinthus, Paliurus spina-christi, and Cercis siliquastrum that are typical of the Balkan thermophilous deciduous scrub formations. The most interesting thing, however, is that in this area Styrax officinalis is not only dominant in the shrubland formations, but also exhibits very high frequency and cover values in various forest communities. The majority of these communities are dominated by Quercus cerris and have been here classified as Rubio peregrinae-Quercetum cerridis carpinetosum orientalis, Moreover Styrax officinalis occurs in the Quercus frainetto and Quercus cerris mixed woods of the sandy and partially volcanic substates of the flat areas (Echinopo siculi-Quercetum frainetto) and in the Quercus pubescens woods of the shallow limestone soils (Pistacio terebinthi-Quercetum pubescentis carpinetosum orientalis), while it occurs less frequently in the Quercus ilex woods (Fraxino orni-Quercetum ilicis). The over-exploiting and/or the complete destruction of these potential forest types led to their substitution with microwoods dominated by Carpinus orientalis, Styrax officinalis, Acer monspessulanum, and Pistacia terebinthus provisionally classified in the Phillyreo latifoliae-Carpinetum orientalis (originally described for some Macedonian areas). Moving to a lower structural woody level Pistacia terebinthus and Styrax officinalis give rise also to a typical scrub community here proposed as a new association named Pistacio terebinthi-Styracetum officinalis.
2017
Diversity patterns across communities in the frame of global change: conservation challenges.
04 Pubblicazione in atti di convegno::04d Abstract in atti di convegno
Coenological features and syntaxonomical classification of Styrax officinalis in Italy / DI PIETRO, Romeo; Germani, Diego; Fortini, Paola. - STAMPA. - (2017), pp. 40-40. (Intervento presentato al convegno Diversity patterns across communities in the frame of global change: conservation challenges. tenutosi a BIZKAIA ARETOA OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1131432
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