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The present work is aimed at presenting the data, methods and criteria that are being used for the assessment of ecosystem collapse risk in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this paper are to describe the state of the environmental knowledge of the terrestrial National Parks (NPs) in Italy and to assess their conservation status and their efficacy to deal with the pressures of land changes. We collected and analysed data regarding land units, vegetation series, old-growth forests, Important Plant Areas (IPAs) and changes in landscape conservation status, to provide a systemic overview of the condition of the NPs and to verify their effectiveness against pressures and impacts induced by human activities. Moreover, NPs were organised according to the ecoregional setting for a multi-scale interpretation of biodiversity baselines and indicators. The results highlight the essential role of NP system for biodiversity conservation in Italy. The long-term protection regime proved to be particularly effective as a means of conserving ageing forest communities, threatened vascular plants and contrasting threats posed by human-induced changes. However, this work points out the need for more detailed scientific data for a comprehensive assessment of the representativeness and effectiveness of the NP system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we discuss the relationships between plant sociology and ecology and highlight the potential of plant sociology for ecological modelling and environmental assessment. The classification criteria for plant communities (characteristic combination of species, specific relationships with the physical environment, particular chorological and dynamical features) assign strong indicator value to phytosociological units. Moreover, the modern approach of plant sociology, which spans from individual communities to vegetation series and geosigmeta, offers the opportunity to interact under a landscape ecological perspective. Within this general context, we particularly refer to the field of ecological land classification and present a research project on the ecoregions of Italy, which is based on the National Map of Vegetation Series and on bioclimatic, biogeographical, lithological, and geomorphological data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract This paper aims to discuss the role of plant sociology in the framework of ecology and biodiversity conservation, and to present an experimental approach that promotes the integration of vegetation science with landscape ecology. A new model of deductive plant sociology at the landscape level is proposed, which is rooted in the traditional approach but relates to the landscape ecology of the ‘European school’ for its emphasis on landscape classification. Using the case study of the Municipality of Rome, a methodological process for defining and mapping vegetation series, geosigmeta and landscape units is proposed, based on the overlay of climatic, lithomorphological, floristic and vegetation information, the latter in its syntaxonomical and dynamical aspects. At the landscape level plant sociology can significantly contribute to formalize ecological models based on complex isofunctional units and helpful in environmental management and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]