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An overview of the salt marsh vegetation of southeastern Sicily is here presented. On the basis of a total of 241 relevés, 8 classes and 32 plant communities have been identified, following the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological method. The salt marsh vegetation of southeastern Sicily is represented by aquatic communities of Ruppietea and Potamogetonetea, by helophytic communities of Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, by hygrophylous communities of Juncetea maritimi, by halophylous communities of Salicornietea fruticosae, by annual halo-nitrophylous communities of Saginetea maritimae, and finally by halophylous annual communities of Thero-Suaedetea splendentis. The plant communities belonging to Salicornietea fruticosae and Juncetea maritimi classes, were analysed through a numerical analysis (hierarchical clustering). The study also describes two new associations belonging to the Tamaricion africanae (Limbardo crithmoidis-Tamaricetum africanae) and Frankenion pulverulentae (Brizo minoris-Isolepidetum cernui) alliances.

In 2019 the 4th Report ex-Art. 17 on the conservation status (CS) of Annex I Habitats of the 92/43/EEC Directive was expected by every EU/28 country, with reference to the period 2013-18. In Italy, the process was in charge to the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), on behalf of the Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection (MATTM), with the scientific support of the Italian Botanical Society (SBI). A large group of thematic and territorial experts elaborated the available data concerning the 124 types of terrestrial and inland water Habitats present in Italy, 39 of which are represented by Forest Habitats (Group 9),. The main aim of the work was the evaluation of the overall CS of each Habitat by Biogeographic Region (Mediterranean, Continental and Alpine), for a total amount of 294 assessments. A high proportion of these (92, corresponding to 31% of the total) referred to Forest Habitats, including 20 marginal types for which the CS was not requested. The analysis was carried out at different scales: a) administrative territory, through the data contained in the ISPRA database, whose compilation was in charge to the Regions and Autonomous Provinces; b) Natura 2000 site, with the latest updates available (Standard Data Forms updated to 2018); c) national scale, implementing the distribution maps for each Habitat based on the European grid ETRS89-LAEA5210 (10x10 km2 mesh); d) Biogeographic Region, scale of the final assessment. Cartographic outcomes, associated databases and additional data used for the assessments will be available online on the ISPRA Portal as soon as the validation process by the European Commission will be completed. A dedicated archive named "HAB_IT" has been created in the national database "VegItaly" (1), managed by the Italian Society of Vegetation Science, where the phytosociological relevés representative of the various Annex I Habitats in Italy will be archived and freely accessible. An overview of the results regarding the Forest habitats is here provided, including a comparison with the outcomes of the former reporting cycle, the 3rd Report ex-Art. 17 (2). In several cases (e.g. 9120, 91L0), the distribution maps have been remarkably improved due to better knowledge and more fitful interpretation. The conservation status resulted as Favourable (FV) for 6,7%, Inadequate (U1) for 58,7% and Bad (U1) for 32,0% of the 72 assessed forest Habitat types. In no case there was an improvement of the conservation status, while in 6 cases a worsening of the conditions resulted from the data analysis, pointing out the Habitats types with a higher need of action. Similarly to other projects carried out as a team by the network of Annex I Habitat experts of the Italian Botanical Society and the Italian Society for Vegetation Science (e.g. 3, 4), this is another step in the direction of supporting the implementation of the 92/43/EEC "Habitat" Directive in Italy and Europe. On this ground, the high biodiversity of the Italian forest Habitats could be emphasized, however results pointed out that some rare or endemic types (e.g. Alnus cordata or Betula aetnensis-dominated forests) are still scarcely acknowledged by the most prominent EU conservation tools such as the Annex I to the "Habitat" Directive. 1) F. Landucci et al. (2012) Plant Biosyst., 146(4), 756-763 2) P. Genovesi et al. (2014) ISPRA, Serie Rapporti, 194/2014 3) E. Biondi et al. (2009) Società Botanica Italiana, MATTM, D.P.N., http://vnr.unipg.it/habitat/ 4) D. Gigante et al. (2016) Plant Sociology, 53(2), 77-87

As part of researches undertaken on the aquatic and marsh vegetation of southern Italy, a study on the Aquila Lake, a small lake basin in southern Calabria near Rosarno (RC), is here presented. Overall, 86 phytosociological relevés were carried out. The phytosociological study allowed the identification of several aquatic and marsh phytocoenoses, many of which not yet known for the region. They are referable to the following 8 classes: Lemnetea minoris R. Tx. ex O. Bolòs & Masclans 1955, Potametea pectinati R.Tx. & Preising 1942, Phragmito australis-Magnocaricetea elatae Klika in Klika & Novák 1941, Agrostietea stoloniferae Oberdorfer 1983, Galio aparines-Urticetea dioicae Passarge ex Kopecký 1969, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tüxen 1937, Salici purpureae-Populetea nigrae Rivas-Martínez & Cantó ex Rivas-Martínez et al. 2001, Querco roboris-Fagetea sylvaticae Br.-Bl. & Vlieger in Vlieger 1937. A peculiar marsh vegetation is the Cladietum marisci Allorge 1922 ex Zobrist 1935 (habitat of Community interest, according to the EEC directive 43/92 - 7210 *Calcareous ferns with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae"). In the Aquila Lake, some rare aquatic plant communities highlight the importance of this biotope for biodiversity conservation. In particular, we found the pleustophytic associations Lemno-Spirodeletum polyrhizae Koch 1954, Lemno minoris-Hydrocharitetum morsus-ranae Passarge 1978 and the aquatic rooted vegetation of Nymphaeetum albae Vollm. 1947. Despite the heavy pressures on this area, the biotope harbours a well-differentiated and structured aquatic and marsh vegetation that allows the presence of a rich bird life, both sedentary and migratory. The area, privately owned, is not protected; hunting and fishing are practiced and water is pumped for irrigation with negative consequences on the integrity of the entire aquatic ecosystem. Because of its naturalistic peculiarities and its remarkable biodiversity, this biotope certainly deserves more attention and should be proposed as a protected area.

La classe Saginetea maritimae Westhoff, Leeuwen & Adriani 1962 include vegetazione pioniera caratterizzata da terofite, anche di piccola taglia, sub-alofile ed alo-nitrofile, a ciclo invernale-primaverile, di ambienti salmastri del litorale ma anche di aree calanchive interne, su substrati da sabbioso a limoso-sabbiosi ad argillosi. Negli ambienti litoranei questa vegetazione colonizza sia coste sabbiose, in particolare aree periodicamente inondate tipiche dei pantani costieri e di habitat retrodunali, sia coste rocciose, in corrispondenza di vaschette di corrosione o di micro-terrazzamenti. La classe comprende due ordini: Saginetalia maritimae Westhoff, Leeuwen & Adriani 1962, con areale che spazia dalle coste dell'Atlantico al bacino del Mediterraneo e legata ai macrobioclimi temperato e mediterraneo, e Frankenietalia pulverulentae Rivas-Mart. ex Castroviejo et Porta 1976, distribuita in Mediterraneo e Macaronesia e di macrobioclima mediterraneo. Ai sensi dell'Allegato I della Direttiva Europea 92/43/EEC (Direttiva "Habitat"), buona parte di queste queste comunità rientrano nell'habitat di interesse comunitario "Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand" (Natura 2000 code 1310). L'approccio fitosociologico ha un ruolo importante in termini di gestione ambientale e conservazione della biodiversità degli habitat in quanto, oltre alla possibilità di utilizzare i rilievi fitosociologici come fonte di informazione per la valutazione della diversità vegetale a diverse scale, va evidenziato che i principali sistemi di classificazione di habitat utilizzati in Unione Europea (EUNIS, Allegato I della Direttiva "Habitat") individuano la tassonomia fitosociologica come strumento diagnostico di riferimento per gli habitat stessi. La vegetazione della classe Saginetea maritimae della Puglia è stata in passato oggetto di indagini fitosociologiche da parte di alcuni autori anche se, ad oggi, manca un contributo unitario ed aggiornato per la regione. I rilievi di letteratura, insieme a nuovi dati recentemente acquisiti in campo, sono stati organizzati in un'unica matrice e quindi sottoposti ad analisi statistica multivariata, per mettere in evidenza le affinità e le differenze tra le diverse comunità e le correlazioni tra queste e i principali fattori ecologici che le interessano. Il presente contributo ha come obiettivo quello di fornire un quadro aggiornato sulla distribuzione delle diverse comunità vegetali individuate nella regione Puglia e sul loro inquadramento sintassonomico. Biondi E., Blasi C., Allegrezza M., Anzellotti I., Azzella M.M., Carli E., Casavecchia S., Copiz R., Del Vico E., Facioni L., Galdenzi D., Gasparri R., Lasen C., Pesaresi S., Poldini L., Sburlino G., Taffetani F., Vagge I., Zitti S., Zivkovic L., 2014. Plant communities of Italy: The Vegetation Prodrome. Plant Biosystems 148, 728-814. Brullo S., 1988. Le associazioni della classe Frankenietea pulverulentae nel Mediterraneo centrale. Acta Bot. Barc. 37: 45-57. Brullo S., Giusso G., 2003. La classe Saginetea maritimae in Italia. Fitosociologia, 40(2): 29-41. Mucina L., Bültmann H., Dierßen K., Theurillat J. P., Raus T., ?arni A., ?umberová K., Willner W., Dengler J., Gavilán García R., Chytrý M., Hájek M., Di Pietro R., Iakushenko D., Pallas J., Daniëls F.J.A., Bergmeier E., Santos Guerra A., Ermakov N., Valachovi? M., Schaminée J.H.J., Lysenko T., Didukh Y.P., Pignatti S., Rodwell J.S., Capelo J., Weber H.E., Solomeshch A., Dimopoulos P., Aguiar C., Hennekens S.M., Tichý L., 2016. Vegetation of Europe: hierarchical floristic classification system of vascular plant, bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities. Applied Vegetation Science 19 (S1), 3-264.

The richness and uniqueness of the flora growing on gypsum substrates in Italy is known since the XIX century (Macchiati, 1888). Furthermore, the concept of plant gypsophily can be defined as the exclusiveness (or virtually exclusiveness) for living in gypsum outcropping rocks. Thus only those plant species, which show preference – or even exclusivity - for gypsum substrates, would be classified as gipsophilous (Mota et al., 2011). The main aim of this research has been the elaboration of a checklist of the Italian gypsophilous flora. The study was made possible through international collaboration between the "Mediterranea" University of Reggio Calabria (Italy) and the University of Almería (Spain). During the first step, an extensive literature review has been carried out in order to collect all available information about gypsophilous flora and to compile a preliminary list. Afterwards 18 regional botanists experts on Italian gypsum flora have been asked to rank the preference of these species for gypsum soils. Following the methodology proposed by Mota et al. (2009), the gypsophilous character of more than 100 plant species has been thus ranked on a scale ranging from 1 to 5 (with 5 representing for a total dependence on gypsum substrates). According to the obtained values, all the plant species, ranking between absolute or preferent gypsophytes, will figure in the final checklist of the gypsophytes of the whole Italian territory.

A syntaxonomical revision of the class Querco-Fagetea sylvaticae in Sicily, based on literature data and unpublished relevés, is presented. This class groups the mesophilous woods characterized by the dominance of deciduous trees (e.g. Fagus sylvatica, Quercus sp. pl., Acer sp. pl.), and more rarely by conifers (Taxus baccata, Pinus nigra subsp. calabrica), as well as by other broadleaved trees, such as Betula aetnensis, Populus tremula, Castanea sativa. In Sicily, these woody communities are widespread in the northern and north-eastern districts of the island, chiefly on the highest peaks (Madonie, Nebrodi, Peloritani, and Etna). This class is represented in Sicily by two, both floristically and ecologically well differentiated orders: Fagetalia sylvaticae, with the sole alliance Geranio versicoloris-Fagion sylvaticae, and Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae, with the endemic alliance Pino calabricae-Quercion congestae. On the whole, 22 associations have been recognized within the class Querco-Fagetea and for each of them nomenclature, floristic assessment, ecology, syndinamic relationships, and chorology are examined.

This article illustrates the vegetation map of the SCI "Zone umide della Capitanata" (IT 9110005) a wetland area of South Italy (Apulia Region). The SCI "Zone Umide della Capitanata" is one of the most important Italian coastal wetlands and it covers about 14.000 ha, part of which is exploited for marine salt production. The site is characterized by a wetlands complex in coastal environment, with highly fragmented landscape because of anthropogenic activities (mainly herbaceous crops). This study aims at assessing presence and distribution of vegetation types that, despite strong human pressure, still maintain good natural habitat conditions. Thematic maps were digitized in ArcGis 10.2 from recent orthophotos in ombination with topographical maps (1:5.000). In case of fragmented areas, vegetation mosaics were adopted. The extent of complex vegetation mosaics is wider in those areas where anthropogenic activities are stronger.

A vegetation survey of the SCI IT9140002 - "Litorale Brindisino" (Apulia Region, Italy), with a focus on the coastal environments, along with vegetation and habitat maps, are here presented. The SCI is a coastal site characterized by dunes and salt marshes and, landwards, by garrigues, maquis and grasslands. The coastal belt is characterized by a highly fragmented landscape, because of anthropogenic pressures and coastal erosion. The vegetation was studied according to the phytosociological method and the survey led to the identification of 22 plant communities belonging to 11 syntaxonomic classes. Vegetation and habitat maps were digitized in ArcGis 10.2 from recent orthophotos in combination with topographical maps, at a scale of 1:5,000. The presence of several complex vegetation mosaics was highlighted.

Aim: Object of this work was to compare different habitat and land cover classification schemes, applied to a specific coastal wetland landscape, with a defined thematic resolution level. Location and Methods: Study area is the SCI IT9110005, one of the most extensive wetlands of the Italian peninsula and one of the largest components of the Mediterranean wetland system, located in the Northeastern part of the Puglia Region (Southern Italy). The natural vegetation is represented mostly by halophytic scrub, reed thickets and by annual pioneer salt marsh communities. Natural and semi-natural landscape elements were described as phytosociological units and represented on a vegetation map at a 1:5,000 scale. Vegetation units were then reclassified in habitat types according to Annex I of the EEC 92/43 Directive and EUNIS habitat classification schemes and in land cover types according to different land cover schemes. For each scheme a thematic map was produced and, for each map, various landscape metrics were calculated. Results and Conclusions: The selection of a specific class scheme affects the spatial pattern of the derived landscapes and consequently the landscape metrics, especially at class level. The presence of various vegetation types and mosaics increases the complexity of the spatial pattern, which varies greatly according to the classification system considered, based on how the different types are aggregated. Our results confirm that the choice of specific classification schemes produces important effects on the spatial composition of the derived patch-mosaic landscape, and therefore can significantly affect the derived landscape metrics values.

Il Sito di Importanza Comunitaria (SIC IT9140002) "Litorale Brindisino" si estende tra i territori di Ostuni e Fasano (BR) per un totale di 7256 ettari, includendo area terrestre ed area marina. La fascia costiera è caratterizzata da un esteso cordone dunale e da un vasto sistema di aree umide retrostanti. L'entroterra è caratterizzato da oliveti plurisecolari e seminativi, e da incisioni perpendicolari alla linea di costa localmente dette "lame". L'area del SIC "Litorale Brindisino" è stata oggetto di approfonditi studi floristici (Mele et al., 2007) che hanno la presenza di 621 taxa subgenerici, nonché la presenza di numerose specie endemiche, rare o minacciate. Nel periodo compreso tra il 2007 ed il 2013 sono stati effettuati numerosi sopralluoghi in campo e rilievi fitosociologici (georeferiti con gps), per l'identificazione delle associazioni vegetali secondo il metodo di Zurigo-Montpellier. Le indagini hanno permesso di individuare diverse associazioni, molte delle quali ben differenziate sotto il profilo floristico e fisionomico-strutturale e riferibili alle classi: Potametea pectinati, Crithmo maritimi-Staticetea, Sarcocornietea fruticosae, Thero-Suadetea splendentis, Juncetea maritimi, Phragmito australis-Magnocaricetea elatae, Cakiletea maritimae, Euphorbio paraliae-Ammophiletea australis, Quercetea ilicis, Cisto cretici-Micromerietea julianae, Lygeo sparti-Stipetea tenacissimae, Tuberarietea guttatae, Asplenietea trichomanis. Per l'analisi territoriale sono state usate ortofoto georeferite e la Nuova Carta Tecnica Regionale (CTR) 1:5000 della Regione Puglia (SIT-Puglia, http://www.sit.puglia.it/), sulla base delle quali è stato implementato un GIS (con software ArcGis 10.2). I dati raccolti in campo sono stati usati per la definizione e la validazione della carta della vegetazione. Dall'analisi cartografica emerge che le aree coltivate coprono il 50% circa dell'intero territorio del SIC. Per quanto riguarda invece le aree naturali, le formazioni maggiormente estese sono le garighe (5,8%) e le praterie (circa l'11 %). Lungo la fascia costiera si riscontrano numerose associazioni vegetali tipiche di questi ambienti, ma con distribuzione frammentaria e superfici piuttosto ridotte. Infatti l'erosione costiera ha causato un forte rimaneggiamento delle comunità del cordone dunale, con una "compressione" delle fasce di vegetazione tipiche della duna. Anche la parte umida presenta un pattern piuttosto complesso, con numerosi mosaici di vegetazione. Sono stati individuati 13 habitat comunitari che ricoprono circa il 30,5% della superficie complessiva del SIC. Gli habitat più estesi sono: 6220* - "Percorsi sub-steppici di graminacee e piante annue dei Thero-Brachypodietea" (10,76%), 2260 - "Dune con vegetazione di sclerofille dei Cisto-Lavanduletea" (8,62%), 2250* - "Dune costiere con Juniperus spp." (4,68%) e 1420 - "Praterie e fruticeti alofili mediterranei e termo-atlantici (Sarcocornietea fruticosae) (2,8%).

Silene kemoniana, a new species of the section Dipterosperma from NW Sicily, is described and illustrated. It is a therophyte that occurs in mountains near Palermo, where it grows on Mesozoic limestones in xerophilous garigues. Its relationships with S. colorata and allied species are also examined. A key of the species belonging to sect. Dipterosperma is provided. Se describe e ilustra Silene kemoniana, una nueva especie del NW de Sicilia perteneciente a la sección Dipterosperma. Se trata de un terófito que habita en algunas montañas próximas a Palermo, donde crece sobre calizas mesozoicas entre matorrales mediterráneos xerófilos. Se estudian sus relaciones con S. colorata y otras especies próximas. Se ofrece una clave para todas las especies pertenecientes a la sect. Dipterosperma.

Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pall.) Bieb. fu descritto da Pallas (1771) con il nome di Salicornia strobilacea su campioni provenienti dal Mar Caspio. Questo arbusto succulento fu successivamente segnalato per varie località costiere e dell’entroterra del Mediterraneo, dell’Europa orientale e dei territori interni dell’Asia Minore e centrale fino alla Mongolia. In passato vari autori hanno evidenziato che le popolazioni costiere del Mediterraneo risultano abbastanza differenziate dalle quelle dell’entroterra dei territori euro-asiatici, corrispondenti queste ultime alla specie sensu strictu. Le differenze riguardano soprattutto l’habitus, come pure alcuni rilevanti caratteri morfologici, già evidenziati da Forskål (1775), Todaro (1873), Lojacono-Pojero (1904) e Yaprak & Kadereit (2008). In particolare, H. strobilaceum s.str. è un arbusto di colore glauco o verde-giallastro, con habitus prostrato strisciante o prostrato ascen- dente, raggiungente un’altezza di 20-60 cm, spighe lunghe 5-15 mm e larghe 2-3 mm, di forma variante da sub-globosa a cilindrica, semi con cellule della testa piane o leggermente convesse. Nel Mediterraneo le popolazioni di H. strobilaceum s.l. si presentano come arbusti di colore giallo-pallido verdastro alti fino a 150 cm ad habitus eretto o eretto ascendente, spighe sempre globose (4-5 × 3-4 mm), semi con cellule della testa con una papilla più o meno sviluppata soprattutto lungo il rafe. Sotto il profilo nomenclaturale le popolazioni dell’Egitto furono descritte da Forskål (1775) come Salicornia cruciata, specie successivamente segnalata anche in Sicilia da Gussone (1843), mentre Tausch (1832) e Moquin-Tandon (1840) la considerarono un sinonimo di H. strobilaceum. In seguito, Todaro (1873) rigettò questa sinonimia conside- rando S. cruciata, che attribuì al genere Halocnemum, come una specie ben distinta dal tipico H. strobilaceum, caratterizzato da un habitus strisciante con rami prostrato-patenti e amenti meno succulenti. Questo autore indicò la presenza di H. cruciatum in Egitto, Sicilia e Sardegna. In precedenza Moquin-Tandon (1849) riconobbe pure S. cruciata Forssk., considerandola però come una varietà di H. strobilaceum. Anche Lojacono (1904) evidenziò che le popolazioni sici- liane si differenziavano abbastanza bene da quelle di H. strobilaceum s. str. e le attribuì ad una nuova specie indicata come H. drepanensis, includendovi tra i sinonimi S. drepanensis Tin. ined., S. cruciata Forssk. e H. strobilaceum var. cruciatum Moq. Il nome proposto da Lojacono (l.c.) è chiaramente un nome illegittimo. Recentemente Yaprak & Kadereit (2008) hanno descritto per l’Anatolia meridionale la nuova specie, H. yurdakulolii, evidenziandone le rilevanti differenze morfologiche da H. strobilaceum s.str. Anche questo nome risulta illegittimo in quanto le relati- ve popolazioni coincidono morfologicamente con H. cruciatum. Pertanto, in base ai dati di letteratura, ricerche d’erbario e osservazioni in campo, viene con- fermato che le popolazioni mediterranee sono nel complesso ben distinte da quelle dell’Europa orientale e dei territori asiatici continentali. Si ritiene opportuno quindi considerare i taxa in oggetto come due distinte specie, di cui viene presentato un prospetto nomenclaturale: Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pall.) M. Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 3:3, 1819 Sin.: Salicornia strobilacea Pall., Reise 1:412, 1771. Distribuzione: Europa orientale, dalla Grecia all’Ucraina, territori Irano-Turaniani (Anatolia, Caucaso, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan), Arabia, Cina, Mongolia, Siberia, Kazakhstan). Halocnemum cruciatum (Forssk.) Tod., Nuov. Giorn. Bot. 159, 1873. Sin.: Salicornia cruciata Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.:2, 1775;Salicornia drepanensis Tin. in Guss., Fl. Sic. Prodr. Suppl., 1:2, 1832, pro syn.; Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pall.) M. Bieb. var. cruciatum (Forssk.) Moq. in Dc., Prodr. 13(sect. post):149, 1849; Halocnemum drepanensis Lojac. Fl. Sic. 2(2): 277, 1904; H. yurdakulolii Yaprak in Yaprak & Kadereit, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 158: 717, 2008. Distribuzione: Mediterraneo. In Italia è presente in Toscana a Palude della Trappola (Maremma), Emilia-Romagna a Bellocchio e Sicilia occidentale, nelle Saline di Trapani e Isola Lunga dello Stagnone. Per quando riguarda le popolazioni della Sardegna meridio- nale (Santa Gilla e Sant’Antioco), queste in effetti si differenziano abbastanza da quelle della Sicilia e Penisola Italiana, avvicinandosi per alcuni caratteri ad H. strobilaceum s.str. I risultati di queste indagini morfologiche, effettuate su materiale fresco e campioni d’er- bario, saranno oggetto di un successivo lavoro.

After a general outline on the syntaxonomical framework of the class Pegano harmalae-Salsoletea vermiculatae Br.-Bl. & O. Bolos 1958, the occurrence of this vegetation in the Italian territory is examined. In Italy, this vegetation is mostly found on clayish or marly substrata, particularly if slightly enriched with nitrates and chlorides. With reference to the Rivas-Martı´nez bioclimatic classification, the Italian stands have an infra- to thermo-Mediterranean thermotype (marginally up to the meso- Mediterranean one) with dry or arid ombrotype. In particular, this vegetation is well represented in Sicily, while in Sardinia and along the Italian Peninsula, it progressively becomes more rare and localized. Altogether, 21 associations are recognized, 11 of which are described here for the first time. The surveyed associations are ascribed to the following alliances: Salsolo oppositifoliae-Suaedion mollis (linked to less disturbed and more thermo-xeric habitats) and Artemision arborescentis (more disturbed and less thermo-xeric habitats). Finally, some conservation issues are discussed.

Basing on literature data and unpublished relevés from Sicily, a survey of the syntaxa belonging to the class Lygeo-Stipetea Rivas-Martínez 1978 is presented. This perennial vegetation is characterized by the dominance of big caespitose hemicryptophytes, and it is widely distributed in Sicily from the sea level up to 1500 m a.s.l. The class is represented in Sicily by two orders, floristically and ecologically well differentiated: Lygeo-Stipetalia, including the sole alliance Moricandio-Lygeion exclusively of clayey substrates, and Hyparrhenietalia hirtae, including five alliances (Hyparrhenion hirtae, Avenulo cincinnatae-Ampelodesmion mauritanici, Thero-Brachypodion ramosi, Bromo-Oryzopsion miliaceae, and Arundion collinae) occurring on various substrates. Within the class, 50 associations have been recognized. To support the syntaxonomic proposal, a multivariate numerical analysis, considering literature and personal data, has been performed. Nomenclature, floristic settlement, ecology, syndynamism and chorology are examined for each syntaxon.

The coexistence of several lithological substrata, together with particular geomorphologic and climatic features, are determining the exceptional floristic and faunistic interest of the coastal trait between Gela and Torre Manfria. In order to preserve and enhance coastal habitats, such area has been chosen as case-study in the Interreg project ECONET-COHAST, which involves six partners from four EU countries (Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta). In this paper, the main features of the area are described and the approach followed in order to implement conservation strategies accounting for the local development exigencies is illustrated. © Società Italiana di Scienza della Vegetazione.

Plant biodiversity analysis and vegetation, habitats and land use mapping of "Le Cesine" State Natural Reserve (Lecce, Apulia). - The results of an INTERREG project (III A Greece-Italy 2000-2006) concerning the biodiversity moni-toring of "Le Cesine" State Natural Reserve are here presented. The knowledge on vegetation, communitary habitats, flora and distribution of threatened species has been updated. The agricultural areas have been monitored, taking a census of each agrarian cultivation. The collected data have been organized in a GIS and the following thematic maps have been produced: land use map (according to the CORINE Land Cover legend), vegetation map, Habitats map (according to the 92/43/EEC Directive). The maps of the distribution of the threatened plant species have been implemented.