abstract

We here present a phytosociological study of the plant biodiversity of the coastal environments of an area of the Italian peninsula (the Salento peninsula – Apulia), in relation to the variations of the geomorphological characteristics. In particular, the low sandy coast environments were examined, with an analysis of the populations making up the vegetation successions of the xeroseres and hygroseres, the sandy coasts plated on hard calcarenitic rocks, the low calcarenitic cliffs and the limestone cliffs. This study has allowed the recognition of a high number of plant communities that are in chain contact on the same geomorphological context, and that determine the psammophilous, halophilous and subhalophilous chain successions characterizing the different coastal plant landscapes. This knowledge on succession will be important in the reconstruction of the coastal environments that have been strongly degraded by the human impact.

keywords

Apulia, coastal vegetation, geomorphology, Italy, Mediterranean vegetation, phytosociology