abstract

Vegetation and plant landscape of Cingoli ridge (Central Apennines, Marche ridge). The results of the study of the calcareous Cingoli ridge vegetation (central Apennines, Adriatic side) are here presented. The analysis carried out on vegetation, allowed the identification of the vegetational typologies present in the territory, while the interpretation of the dynamic relationships between single communities allowed the description of the principal vegetation series. The integration of the most important factors playing an important role in the formation of the plant landscape of the territory (vegetational, geomorphological, pedologic and climate characteristics) has at last highlighted the complexity of the environmental mosaic allowing the identification of the most significant landscape systems.
The territory presents a remarkable diversity of environments in spite of the uniformity of its geological substratum and the modest heights. In fact, the morphology of the ridge and the influence of the Mediterranean bioclimate, particularly in the coldest sides, support particular microclimatic conditions allowing the presence of mesophilous vegetational typologies with an Apennines character close to more clearly Mediterranean vegetation. Several plant associations, already described for the Umbria-Marche Apennines, have been found, presenting here a general impoverishment of the more mesophilous species and an increase of xerophilous ones.
Four new associations have been described: Rubo hirti-Laburnetum anagyroidis, Phillyreo mediae-Ericetum arboreae, Sileno italicae-Hieracetum virgaureae, Fumano procumbentis-Stipetum appenninicolae. In addition, a new subassociation, staphyletosum pinnatae, of the Lathyro veneti-Fagetum sylvaticae association, has been described.
The study of the dynamic relationships among different vegetational typologies has allowed the identification of the vegetational series into the principal geosigmeta (Geosigmetum of Calcare Massiccio and Maiolica, Geosigmetum of Scaglia Rossa and Bianca, Geosigmetum of Marne a Fucoidi and Geosigmetum of the little valleys with a flat bottom of calcareous substrata) and microgeosigmeta (Microgeosigmetum of limestone gorges and Microgeosigmetum of sandstone dripping cliffs).

keywords

phytosociology, plant landscape, sinphytosociology, geomorphology, landscape systems, Cingoli ridge, central Apennines