Calcareous outcrops in North-Western Sardinia cover a large area (about 380 Km2) known as "Sassarese". In this study the vascular flora of this area is investigated. The actual flora is checked and, when possible, older references, synonyms and critical notes are given. The floristic list includes 840 entities. Among them, 18 have been cultivated (cultae), 11 are considered erroneously reported and so they are excluded from this area (excludendae) and 81 are in various ways considered not confirmed and to enquiry (inquirendae). The current floristic contingent is therefore reduced to 730 entities, divided into 98 families and 385 genera, many of them here documented for the first time in this area. Among them the more relevant are the Sardinian-Corsican endemicSilene nodulosaViv. and the Sardinian endemicHieracium gallurenseArrigoni, previously reported only for granite substrata in North-Eastern Sardinia. The biological spectrum shows a clear dominance of therophytes (41%). The chorological spectrum highlights the dominance of the Tethydic element, in which the dominance of more strictly Mediterranean element emerges. Four entities have in this area theirlocus classicus:Centaurea corensisValsecchi et Filigheddu,Limonium racemosum(Lojac.) Diana andScrophularia morisiiValsecchi, exclusive of the region object of this study, andOphrys sphegodesMill. subsp.praecoxCorrias. Some entities, though not endemic, have a limited or fragmentary distribution in Sardinia, e.g.Capparis spinosaL. subsp.rupestris(Sm.) Nyman,Coridothymus capitatus(L.) Reichenb. f. andErica multifloraL., whereasViola arborescensL..Borago pygmaea(DC.) Chater et Greuter andCarex panormitanaGuss. are included in the Red Book of Italian Plants. Although the area is strongly urbanised and subjected since long time ago to agricultural and pastoral uses, its flora is still rather diversified. The presence of species depending on the existence of hedges, dry-stone walls and other smaller structures belonging to traditional agricultural activities still present, is also substantial, even though their dilapidated state is often high. Finally the presence of floristic elemento of great interest together with small residuals of spontaneous vegetation are of very high value. Indeed, several natural elements from traditionally agricultural activities are present within an area of intense anthropic impact. The indiscriminate building development of the valleys, the reckless exploitation of the water sources and the diffusion of dumps, threaten increasingly some habitats of the region. The improvement of the natural resources could be done through an adeguate ecological net starting from a basic knowledge of the floristic biodiversity, that is the main aim of this work.

Vascular flora of calcareous outcrops in North-Western Sardinia (Italy) / Bagella, Simonetta; Urbani, Malvina. - In: WEBBIA. - ISSN 0083-7792. - 61:1(2006), pp. 95-132.

Vascular flora of calcareous outcrops in North-Western Sardinia (Italy)

Bagella, Simonetta;Urbani, Malvina
2006-01-01

Abstract

Calcareous outcrops in North-Western Sardinia cover a large area (about 380 Km2) known as "Sassarese". In this study the vascular flora of this area is investigated. The actual flora is checked and, when possible, older references, synonyms and critical notes are given. The floristic list includes 840 entities. Among them, 18 have been cultivated (cultae), 11 are considered erroneously reported and so they are excluded from this area (excludendae) and 81 are in various ways considered not confirmed and to enquiry (inquirendae). The current floristic contingent is therefore reduced to 730 entities, divided into 98 families and 385 genera, many of them here documented for the first time in this area. Among them the more relevant are the Sardinian-Corsican endemicSilene nodulosaViv. and the Sardinian endemicHieracium gallurenseArrigoni, previously reported only for granite substrata in North-Eastern Sardinia. The biological spectrum shows a clear dominance of therophytes (41%). The chorological spectrum highlights the dominance of the Tethydic element, in which the dominance of more strictly Mediterranean element emerges. Four entities have in this area theirlocus classicus:Centaurea corensisValsecchi et Filigheddu,Limonium racemosum(Lojac.) Diana andScrophularia morisiiValsecchi, exclusive of the region object of this study, andOphrys sphegodesMill. subsp.praecoxCorrias. Some entities, though not endemic, have a limited or fragmentary distribution in Sardinia, e.g.Capparis spinosaL. subsp.rupestris(Sm.) Nyman,Coridothymus capitatus(L.) Reichenb. f. andErica multifloraL., whereasViola arborescensL..Borago pygmaea(DC.) Chater et Greuter andCarex panormitanaGuss. are included in the Red Book of Italian Plants. Although the area is strongly urbanised and subjected since long time ago to agricultural and pastoral uses, its flora is still rather diversified. The presence of species depending on the existence of hedges, dry-stone walls and other smaller structures belonging to traditional agricultural activities still present, is also substantial, even though their dilapidated state is often high. Finally the presence of floristic elemento of great interest together with small residuals of spontaneous vegetation are of very high value. Indeed, several natural elements from traditionally agricultural activities are present within an area of intense anthropic impact. The indiscriminate building development of the valleys, the reckless exploitation of the water sources and the diffusion of dumps, threaten increasingly some habitats of the region. The improvement of the natural resources could be done through an adeguate ecological net starting from a basic knowledge of the floristic biodiversity, that is the main aim of this work.
2006
Vascular flora of calcareous outcrops in North-Western Sardinia (Italy) / Bagella, Simonetta; Urbani, Malvina. - In: WEBBIA. - ISSN 0083-7792. - 61:1(2006), pp. 95-132.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11388/264961
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