Figure 1:
Study area (*) and distribution of the main Molinia caerulea plant communities reported in Italy.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE MAIN MOLINIA CAERULEA
PLANT COMMUNITIES IN ITALY
Plantagini altissimae-Molinietum caeruleae
Selino-Molinietum caeruleae
Succiso-Molinietum caeruleae
Junco-Molinietum caeruleae
Juncus acutiflorus and Molinia caerulea community
Gentiano asclepiadeae-Molinietum caeruleae
Stachyo-Molinietum
Trollio europaei-Molinietum caeruleae
Figure 2:
Cluster analysis of the relevés carried out on Molinia caerulea plant communities found in the central Apennines (Table 1): main clusters are labelled as I and II, subclusters as Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb.
Table 1:
Centaureo jaceae-Molinietum caeruleae Ciaschetti, Sburlìno et Venanzoni ass. nova.
| Relevé No. | 1* | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14* | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Area (s. m.) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 30 | 30 | 16 | 25 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 25 |
| Centaureo jaceae~Molinietum caeruleae ass. nova | |||||||||||||||||
| Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Centaurea jacea L. subsp. jacea | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | + | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 | + | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 |
| Rhinanthus minor L. | 1.1 | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | |
| Sesleria uliginosa Opìz | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | |||||
| Ranunculus polyanthemoides Boreau | + | + | 1.1 | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | 2.2 | |||||||||
| typicum | |||||||||||||||||
| Genista tinctoria L. | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | 2.2 | 1.2 | + | |||||||
| Filipendula vulgaris Moench | + | + | + | 1.1 | + | + | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | ||||||||
| Trifolium montanum L. subsp. rupestre (Ten.) Nyman | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 | + | + | 1.1 | + | |||||||||
| Lathyruspannonicus (Jacq.) Garcke subsp. asphodeloides (Gouan) Bassler | 1.1 | + | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | |||||||||||
| Plantago media L. subsp. media | + | + | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | ||||||||||||
| Roa sylvicola Guss. | 1.1 | + | + | 1.1 | |||||||||||||
| Klasea lycopifolia variant | |||||||||||||||||
| Klasea lycopifolia (Vìll.) A. Love & D.Löve | 1.2 | 3.4 | 1.2 | ||||||||||||||
| Thesium humifusum DC. | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | |||||||||||||
| Bromopsis erecta (Huds.) Fourr. | 1.2 | 1.2 | + | ||||||||||||||
| Knautia arvensis (L.) Coult. | 1.1 | + | + | ||||||||||||||
| Brachypodiumgenuense (DC.) Roem. & Schult. | 2.2 | 2.2 | |||||||||||||||
| Euphorbia gasparrinii Boîss. subsp. samnitica (Fiori) Pìgnattì | 1.2 | + | |||||||||||||||
| Trifolium ochroleucon Huds. | 1.1 | 1.2 | |||||||||||||||
| Avenulapubescens (Huds.) Dumort. | + .2 | ||||||||||||||||
| caricetosum bostianae subass. nova | |||||||||||||||||
| Carex hostiana DC. | + .2 | 1.2 | + | 1.2 | 1.2 | + | 1.1 | ||||||||||
| Juncus inflexus L. subsp. inflexus | + | + | + | + .2 | + | ||||||||||||
| Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soo subsp. incarnata | + | 1.1 | + | + | + | ||||||||||||
| Juncus articulatus L. subsp. articulatus | 1.2 | + | + .2 | + | + | ||||||||||||
| Carex davalliana Sm. | 2.2 | 1.2 | |||||||||||||||
| Carex nigra (L.) Reichard subsp. nigra | 1.2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Molinion/Molinietalia | |||||||||||||||||
| Succis a pratensis Moench | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.2 | + | 2.2 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Sanguisorba officinalis L. | + | 2.2 | + | 1.1 | + .2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | + | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | |||
| Serratula tinctoria L. subsp. tinctoria | 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.2 | + | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.2 | |||||
| Gentiana pneumonanthe L. subsp. pneumonanthe | 1.1 | + | + .2 | + | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | + | 2.2 | ||||||
| Linum catharticum L. s.l. | 1.1 | + | 1.1 | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | |||||||
| Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv. subsp. cespitosa | + .2 | + .2 | 1.2 | + | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | |||||||||
| Carex panicea L. | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | + | ||||||||||||
| Bistorta officinalis Delarbre | 1.2 | + | + | ||||||||||||||
| Carex tomentosa L. | + | ||||||||||||||||
| Equisetum palustre L. | + .2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br. | + | ||||||||||||||||
| Valeriana officinalis L. subsp. officinalis | + | ||||||||||||||||
| Molinio-Arrhenatheretea | |||||||||||||||||
| Vicia cracca L. | 2.2 | + | 1.1 | + | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | + | |
| Festuca rubra L. subsp. commutata (Gaudin) Markgr.-Dann. | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | ||
| Carex flacca Schreb. subsp. flacca | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | + .2 | 1.1 | + | 2.2 | 3.3 | + | 1.1 | ||
| Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch. | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 | + | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | |||
| Trifolium pratense L. subsp. pratense | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | 2.2 | 1.2 | + | 1.1 | + | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 | |||
| Lotus corniculatus L. subsp. corniculatus | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | + | 1.1 | + | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | ||||
| Ranunculus acris L. s.l. | + .2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | 1.1 | |||||||
| Trifolium repens L. | + | + | + | 2.2 | 2.2 | + .2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | + | ||||||||
| Cerastium holosteoides Fr. | + | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | + | + | + | 1.1 | ||||||||
| Holcus lanatus L. subsp. lanatus | + .2 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | ||||||||||
| Lolium interruptum (Desf.) Banri, Galasso, Foggî, Kopecký & Ardenghî | + | + .2 | + | + | + | 1.1 | |||||||||||
| Cynosurus cristatus L. | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | |||||||||||
| Anthoxanthum odoratum L. | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | + | + | 1.1 | |||||||||||
| Lathyrus pratensis L. subsp. pratensis | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | + | + | |||||||||||
| Carex hirta L. | 1.1 | + | + | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | |||||||||||
| Poa trivialis L. | + | 1.2 | 2.3 | 1.1 | + | ||||||||||||
| Leontodon hispidus L. subsp. hispidus | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | ||||||||||||
| Colchicum lusitanum Brot. | + | + | + | + | |||||||||||||
| Phleum nodosum L. | 1.1 | + | + | 1.1 | |||||||||||||
| Dactylis giomerata L. subsp. glomerata | + | + | 2.2 | + | |||||||||||||
| Rumex acetosa L. subsp. acetosa | + | 1.1 | + | ||||||||||||||
| Potentilla reptans L. | + | + | + | ||||||||||||||
| Scorzoneroides autumnalis (L.) Moench | + | 1.1 | |||||||||||||||
| Hypericum tetrapterum Fr. | + | ||||||||||||||||
| Other species | |||||||||||||||||
| Briza media L. | 1.1 | 1.1 | + .2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Galium verum L. subsp. verum | + | 2.2 | 1.1 | + | 1.2 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | 2.2 | + | |||||
| Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soo subsp. saccifera (Brongn.) Dìklìć | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | 1.1 | + | + | |||||||||
| Euphrasia stricta D. Wo Iff ex J. F. Lehm. | + | 1.1 | + | + | 1.1 | 1.1 | |||||||||||
| Cirsium acaulon (L.) Scop, subsp. acaulon | + .2 | + | 2.2 | + | 1.1 | ||||||||||||
| Cerastium hrachypetalum Desp. ex Pers, subsp. brachypetalum | + | + | + | 1.1 | |||||||||||||
| Plantago maritima L. subsp. serpentina (All.) Arcang. | + | 2.2 | + | + | |||||||||||||
| Luzula multiflora (Ehrh.) Lej. subsp. multiflora | + | + | + | 1.1 | |||||||||||||
| Anacamptis morio (L.) R. M. Bateman, Prîdgeon & M. W. Chase | + | + | + | ||||||||||||||
| Trifolium pratense L. subsp. semipurpureum (Strobl) Pìgnattì | 1.1 | 1.1 | + | ||||||||||||||
| Carex caryophyllea Latourr. | + | + | |||||||||||||||
| Bromus commutatus Schrad. s.l. | + | +.2 | |||||||||||||||
| Daucus carota L. subsp. carota | + | + | |||||||||||||||
| ?halictrum simplex L. subsp. simplex | 1.2 | 1.1 | |||||||||||||||
| Narcissus poёticus L. | + | + | |||||||||||||||
| Sporadic species | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Figure 3:
NMDS ordination of the relevés carried out on Molinia caerulea plant communities found in the central Apennines (Table 1): main clusters are labelled as I and II, subclusters as Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb.
Figure 4:
Minimum Spanning Tree of the Molinia communities from Italy (1–2, 10 to 19), Alps outside Italy (20 to 24) and western Balkan (3 to 9). Detailed data source in Appendix 1. The blue numbers indicate the distance values among the groups.
Figure 5:
Cluster analysis of the Molinia caerulea meadows in centralsouthern Italy and western Balkans: 1-2 = data from Abruzzo; 3 to 6 = Molinio-Lathyretumpannonici from Croatia; 7–8 = Molinio-Lathyretum pannonici from Bosnia; 9 = Lathyro pannonici-Molinietum caeruleae from Serbia; 10 = Junco effusi-Molinietum caeruleae from Calabria (numbers as in Figure 4 and 6). Detailed data source in Appendix 1.
Figure 6:
NMDS ordination of the Molinia caerulea meadows in central-southern Italy and western Balkans: 1–2 = data from Abruzzo; 3 to 6 = Molinio-Lathyretumpannonici from Croatia; 7–8 = Molinio-Lathyretum pannonici from Bosnia; 9 = Lathyro pannonici-Molinietum caeruleae from Serbia; 10 = Junco effusi-Molinietum caeruleae from Calabria (numbers as in Figure 4–5). Detailed data source in Appendix 1.