The Natural Vegetation of Residual Wetlands in the Hinterland of Western Sicily (Italy)

Abstract

An overview of the wetland vegetation of the hinterland of western Sicily, between the hills located south of the Palermo Mts. and the Sicani Mts., is presented herein. This study was conducted according to Braun-Blanquet’s phytosociological method, through a survey carried out mainly within six important biotopes: (1) Gorgo Lungo (“Bosco Ficuzza”; municipality of Godrano); (2) Gorgo Marosa (on the southern side of Rocca Busambra; municipality of Godrano); (3) Gorgo di Piano Scala (on the northern side of Mt. Cardellia; municipality of Corleone); (4) and (5) Gorgo Carcaci and Gorgo Carcaciotto (both on the south-eastern slope of Mt. Carcaci; municipality of Castronovo di Sicilia); and (6) Gorgo S. Andrea (municipality of Castronovo di Sicilia). A vegetation analysis was carried out on the basis of 107 field relevés, together with other data taken from scientific literature. A total of 28 plant communities were identified, between hydrophytics of the classes Lemnetea minoris (3 associations) and Potamogetonetea pectinati (6 associations), helophytics of the Phragmito-Magnocaricetea class (14 associations and 1 community), ephemeral of the Isöeto-Nanojuncetea class (2 communities) and perennial herbaceous vegetation of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class (1 association and 1 community). Anew syntaxon is also described (Callitricho obtusangulae-Glycerietum notatae ass. nova), as an endemic association of the hinterland of western Sicily, referred to as the Alopecuro-Glycerion spicatae alliance. For all surveyed communities, new insights into syntaxonomy and diagnostic taxa are provided, as well as for the floristic composition, synecology, syndynamism and synchorology of the aquatic vegetation of western Sicily.