abstract

Contribution to the syntaxonomical and syndinamical assessment of the mantle communities in the hilly-submontain belt in the central Apennine (central Italy). The aim of this paper is a phytosociological study of the mantle communities occurring in the hilly-submontain belt in the Central Apennine (central Italy). This vegetation types are included within the alliance Cytision sessilifolii Biondi in Biondi, Allegrezza, Guitian 1988 (endemic for the Italian peninsula). It was first established in the Adriatic side of central Apennine, ranking Cytisophyllum sessilifolium and Spartium junceum communities, dynamically related to the Quercus pubescens, Q. cerris, Ostrya carpinifolia, Carpinus orientalis and Fraxinus ornus woods.
The syntaxa are usually characterized by a significant percentage of Eurimediterranean and Eastern species, showing a good authonomy compared to Central European communities.
Compared to other Central Apennine srubby vegetation described in the phytosociological literature, it is possible to emphasize a good coenological autonomy, that stresses the need for Prunetalia spinosae Tüxen 1952 syntaxonomical review, for interpretation of the South and East European scrub. Several communities grow up within the Apennine area. The new hilly tirrenic belt association Chamaecytiso spinescentis-Cytisophylletum sessilifolii, dinamically linked to thermophylous woods (Ostryo-Carpinion orientalis Horvat (1958 n.n.) 1959), a new subassociation characterized by Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus belonging to Spartio-Cytisetum sessilifolii Biondi, Allegrezza, Guitian, 1988, and fragments of communities belonging to Berberidion vulgaris Br.Bl. 1950 alliance, are presented.

keywords

Central Apennine, Cytision sessilifolii, mantle vegetation, syntaxonomy