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AbstractThe study of the holm oak forests of the lower and upper mesomediterranean of the south of the Iberian Peninsula, and new syntaxons of holm oak forests not assigned until now are contributed. The plant dynamics is provided and completed, and the importance of the learning of plant description and dynamics by university students, future environmental managers, is specified. Taking into account the strong anthropic action with the consequent destruction of holm oak forests, it is necessary to enhance the knowledge of plant dynamics to decipher the potential vegetation, and to be able to apply the vegetation series as a basis for agronomic and forestry management. In this work, we propose a new vegetation series. We propose the association Aristolochio baeticae-Quercetum rotundifoliae nova for the biogeographic sector Granadino-Almijarense (Montes de Málaga) and as a first dynamic stage of the microforest of Olea europea var. sylvestris obtained by deforestation. The study of the Iberian olive groves allows us to propose two new associations Aristolochio baeticae-Oleetum sylvestris and Ephedro fragilis-Oleetum sylvestris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrophilous communities dominated by Glebionis coronaria and Glebionis discolor in the European Mediterranean area were studied. The nomenclature was corrected according to the current taxonomy, following the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). The statistical analysis revealed six new associations and one subassociation, with four in Spain, one in Greece, and one in Italy. Additionally, a subassociation of high relevance due to its endemic character was identified. These grasslands exhibit requirements for organic matter and other edaphic nutrients that are closer to those of Malva neglecta communities than to those of Hordeum murinum subsp. leporinum . We confirmed the published syntaxon with the rank of Resedo albae-Glebionenion coronariae suballiance and its subordination to the Malvion neglectae alliance, and we established the type association for this suballiance. Sisimbrietalia officinalis J. Tüxen in Lohmeyer et al. 1962 em. Rivas-Martínez, Báscones, T. E. Díaz, Fernández-González & Loidi 1991. Stellarietea mediae Tüxen, Lohmeyer & Preising ex von Rochow 1951.

Knowledge on alien species is needed nowadays to protect natural habitats and prevent ecological damage. The presence of new alien plant species in Italy is increasing every day. Calabria, its southernmost region, is not yet well known with regard to this aspect. Thanks to fieldwork, sampling, and observing many exotic plants in Calabria, here, we report new data on 34 alien taxa. In particular, we found three new taxa for Europe ( Cascabela thevetia , Ipomoea setosa subsp. pavonii , and Tecoma stans ), three new for Italy ( Brugmansia aurea , Narcissus ' Cotinga ', and Narcissus ' Erlicheer '), one new one for the Italian Peninsula ( Luffa aegyptiaca ), and 21 new taxa for Calabria ( Allium cepa , Asparagus setaceus , Bassia scoparia , Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris , Bidens formosa , Casuarina equisetifolia , Cedrus atlantica , Chlorophytum comosum , Cucurbita maxima subsp. maxima , Dolichandra unguis-cati , Fagopyrum esculentum , Freesia alba , Juglans regia , Kalanchoë delagoënsis , Passiflora caerulea , Portulaca grandiflora , Prunus armeniaca , Prunus dulcis , Solanum tuberosum , Tradescantia sillamontana , and Washingtonia filifera ). Furthermore, we provide the first geolocalized record of Araujia sericifera , the confirmation of Oxalis stricta , and propose a change of status for four taxa ( Cenchrus setaceus , Salpichroa origanifolia , Sesbania punicea , and Nothoscordum gracile ) for Calabria. The updated knowledge on the presence of new alien species in Calabria, in Italy and in Europe could allow for the prevention of other new entries and to eliminate this potential ecological threat to natural habitats.

The study of the forest in rainy environments of the Dominican Republic reveals the presence of four types of vegetation formations, clearly differentiated from each other in terms of their floristic and biogeographical composition, and also significantly different from the rainforests of Cuba. This leads us to propose two new alliances and four plant associations located in northern mountain areas exposed to moisture-laden winds from the Atlantic: All. Rondeletio ochraceae - Clusion roseae (Ass. Cyatheo furfuracei - Prestoetum motanae ; Ass. Ormosio krugii - Prestoetum montanae ); and All. Rondeletio ochraceae - Didymopanion tremuli (Ass. Hyeronimo montanae - Magnolietum pallescentis ; Hyeronimo dominguensis - Magnolietum hamorii ). We pay special attention to the description of cloud forest types, since they have a high rate of endemic species, and therefore there are endemic habitats, which need special protective actions. Therefore, we apply the Shannon diversity index to characteristic, companion, non-endemic, and endemic species. As result, the association Ormosio krugii - Prestoetum montanae has a Shannon_T = 2.4 and a value of Shannon_E = 0, whereas the other 3 associations have a better conservation status with Shannon values in all cases > 0: This is due to a worse conservation status of the Eastern Cordillera, in comparison with the Central Cordillera and Sierra de Bhaoruco. Due to human activity, some areas are very poorly conserved, as evidenced by the diversity index and the presence of endemic tree and plant elements. The worst conserved in terms of the relationship between characteristic plants vegetation (cloud forest) in areas with high rainfall are in the Dominican Republic, along with its floristic diversity and state of conservation. This study has made it possible to significantly increase the botanical knowledge of this important habitat.