La classe Quercetea ilicis in Sicilia.

Abstract

On the basis of literature data and numerous unpublished relevès, a syntaxonomic revision of Quercetea ilicis class in Sicily is given. The surveyed associations are represented by evergreen, deciduous o mixed plant communities forming shrubland, maquis, bushland and woodland. They are communities dominated by sclerophylls or deciduous trees, widespread from the shoreline up to 1400 (1600) m of altitude, within the bioclimatic belts between the inframediterranean dry lower one and the mesomediterranean subhumid-humid one, extending to the supramediterranean belt. The study, regarding all the Sicilian territory including the neighboring islets, was carried out through the elaboration of synoptic tables with presence values, which allow a better comparison among the investigated plant communities. Within the Quercetea ilicis class, two orders can be identified, one more termophilous (Quercetalia calliprini) and another more mesophilous (Quercetalia ilicis). The first one includes the alliances Periplocion angustifoliae (6 associations), Juniperion turbinatae (2 associations), Oleo-Ceratonion (14 associations), Ericion arboreae (2 associations) and Arbuto-Laurion (1 association), while the second one groups the alliances Quercion ilicis (9 associations) and Erico-Quercion ilicis (13 associations). In this work ten new syntaxa are described too.