DOI: 10.3897/ved.182223

Authors: Gianmarco Tavilla, Pietro Minissale, Salvatore Cambria

Abstract: Although the chasmophytic vegetation of Sicily has been examined previously, it remains insufficiently explored due to the formidable challenges associated with accessing vertical cliff habitats. This study employed drone-based surveys combined with Braun-Blanquet methodology to investigate cliff vegetation in the Peloritani and Madonie Mountains. High-resolution aerial imagery enabled species identification and cover estimation on inaccessible rock faces. Twenty-three new relevés were combined with 33 literature records for multivariate analysis. Cluster analysis and DCA revealed floristic differentiation between Peloritani and Madonie phytocoenoses, contrasting with communities from Apennines that we used as an outgroup. We describe Athamanto siculae-Saxifragetum australis for the calcareous cliffs of Rocca Salvatesta (Peloritani), characterized by Athamanta sicula, Hypochaeris laevigata, and Saxifraga callosa subsp. australis. Additionally, we propose to change the name Asperuletum gussonei to Cynanchicetum gussonei for the high-elevation vegetation of the Madonie dominated by Cynanchica gussonei. Drone methodology proved effective for documenting cliff vegetation, offering a safe and replicable approach for advancing phytosociological knowledge in extreme habitats. This research contributes to the syntaxonomic revision of Mediterranean chasmophytic vegetation within the alliance Saxifragion australis.

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DOI: 10.3897/ved.185067

Authors: Gianmaria Bonari, Irena Axmanová, Simonetta Bagella, Romeo Di Pietro, Edy Fantinato, Federico Fernández-González, Daniela Gigante, Borja Jiménez-Alfaro, Ali Kavgacı

Abstract: In this editorial, we announce the journal’s return to the Scopus database following the change of its name, and we comment on its performance in the first year under the new name Vegetation Ecology and Diversity (VED), including the number and type of papers published, the authors’ nationality, and the turnaround times. Furthermore, we present the Editors’ choice article as well as articles that were both most viewed and most cited. We also present new members of the editorial board, a new permanent collection, and we thank the VED reviewers 2025. Finally, we are pleased to announce that we are seeking a linguistic editor.

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DOI: 10.3897/ved.175765

Authors: Aneta A. Ožvat, Mária Šibíková, Jozef Šibík, Jakub Sigmund, Juraj Papčo, Michal Kollár, Karol Mikula

Abstract: Wetlands are essential ecosystems increasingly threatened by human activities and climate change. This study presents a method for classifying and monitoring wetland habitats in the Čiližská Radvaň protected area (Slovak Republic) using RGB drone imagery and the Natural Numerical Network (NatNet), a mathematically based supervised deep learning approach. The primary aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of NatNet in identifying target habitat types and to assess the impact of ongoing revitalisation efforts. Habitat types were classified using RGB drone imagery and ground-truth training polygons that represented the dominant vegetation communities in Čiližská Radvaň wetland. The NatNet achieved the training classification success rate exceeding 97%, allowing the creation of relevancy maps successfully identifying spatial habitat distribution. Relevancy maps verified in the field reached classification accuracy of 0.88 and F1 score of 0.90 across all habitats together. Results showed observable shifts in habitat extent and structure after one year of restoration, confirming the suitability of the method for detecting ecological changes in wetland environments.

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DOI: 10.3897/ved.175232

Authors: Lorenzo Gianguzzi, Antonino La Mantia, Riccardo Rocca, Andrea Volpe, Salvatore Cambria

Abstract: The paper presents the results of a phytogeographic, ecological, phytosociological, and management-oriented study on the maquis vegetation dominated by Periploca angustifolia (class Quercetea ilicis) occurring along of southern coast of mainland Sicily. The species is a South-Mediterranean shrub, previously known in Europe only from some small islands surrounding Sicily (Linosa, Lampedusa, Pantelleria, and the Aegadian, and the Maltese Archipelagos), as well as from southeastern Spain and the Aegean islands of Crete, Khrisi, and Gavdos. Along with providing an updated overview of the species’ distribution, the study explores the historical reasons for its presence in Sicily, where it is part of a diverse group of biogeographically related species mainly found along the southern coasts. This further supports the hypothesis of connection routes contracted with North Africa during the drying of the Mediterranean in the Messinian period. Based on a synoptic comparison with similar associations present in the central-Mediterranean, the plant community investigated is proposed as a new syntaxon (association Asparago albi–Periplocetum angustifoliae ass. nov.), framed within the alliance Periplocion angustifoliae (order Pistacio–Rhamnetalia alaterni). Its role as a vicariant association with respect to the association Periploco angustifoliae–Euphorbietum dendroidis (occurring on the small islands of the Sicilian Channel) is also discussed, together with floristic, synecological, syndynamic, and conservation data. Finally, issues concerning afforestation with alien species—often carried out on a large scale throughout the Mediterranean area—are discussed, as such interventions may sometimes negatively affect ecosystems typical of endemic or particularly rare species. This is precisely the case of Periploca angustifolia in the study area, whose residual population had been brought to the brink of extinction by conifer plantations, leading to the alteration and consequent disappearance of its habitats.

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DOI: 10.3897/ved.177152

Authors: Irene Menegaldo, Victoria Mølbach Sforzini, Roberto Tognetti, Michele Torresani

Abstract: The alpine tree line represents one of the most climate-sensitive ecological boundaries, where multiple interacting factors determine vegetation distribution at its upper limit. This study investigates the spatio-temporal dynamics of the tree line in the Senales Valley (South Tyrol, Italy) between 1985 and 2023, combining multi-temporal Landsat imagery, Random Forest (RF) classification, and visual orthophoto interpretation performed by manually delineating the forest boundary to assess both spatial and elevational shifts. Climatic variables (temperature, precipitation, snow cover, and growing season length) were analysed using linear models (LM) and generalized additive models (GAM) to identify long-term trends and potential drivers of tree line migration. The results reveal a consistent increase in forest cover in all 16 study areas, averaging +44%, with the largest expansions occurring on slopes facing W. Elevational advances were recorded in 15 of 16 areas, averaging +32 m for Landsat-derived data and +45 m for orthophotos. Elevated minimum temperatures during spring and autumn, alongside warmer summers and a significant rise in precipitation during the same season, created conditions which maintained soil moisture and reduced water stress—factors known to facilitate tree line advancement. Wind exposure from the N-NW sector and associated föhn effects appeared to limit tree line expansion on S-SE facing slopes. Comparison between manual and RF-derived tree lines revealed overall high agreement, with deviations below one Landsat pixel (30 m) in most cases. This confirms that Landsat imagery combined with RF algorithms provides a robust, cost-effective method for assessing long-term tree line dynamics in heterogeneous alpine environments.

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DOI: 10.3897/ved.173704

Authors: Giovanni Rivieccio, Claudia Angiolini, Simonetta Bagella, Gianmaria Bonari, Silvia Cannucci, Maria Carmela Caria, Francesca Carruggio, Manuel Crosato, Leopoldo de Simone, Tiberio Fiaschi, Bruno Gallino, Emanuele Genduso, Lorenzo Gianguzzi, Duilio Iamonico, Antonino La Mantia, Michele Lonati, Andrea Mainetti, Francesco Mascia, Giacomo Mei, Luca Miserere, Riccardo Rocca, Marco Pittarello, Alberto Selvaggi, Valeria Tomaselli

Abstract: This contribution presents new data on the distribution of Annex I Habitats in Italy. A total of 10 records are reported, including 6 within Natura 2000 sites and the addition of 15 new cells to the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new records refer to the administrative regions of Apulia, Marche, Piedmont, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Veneto.

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DOI: 10.3897/ved.160170

Authors: Antonio Luca Conte, Romeo Di Pietro, Piera Di Marzio, Sandro Strumia, Giuseppe Cillis, Andrea Capuano, Paola Fortini

Abstract: The future of the Mediterranean oak forests is under threat from the dangerous effects of global climate change, such as increasing droughts and heatwaves. The combined or individual action of certain climatic and environmental factors can lead to oak decline in various oak forest types. A study was conducted between 2015 and 2022 in southern Italy, encompassing thirty oak forest stands dominated by various Quercus species, including Q. cerris, Q. frainetto, Q. ilex, Q. pubescens, and affected by oak decline. The study employed field sampling, NDVI data, and remote sensing techniques. The distribution of the forest stands encompassed both the Temperate and Mediterranean bioclimatic regions. A total of 18 quantitative and 4 qualitative variables were recorded and subsequently compared with a damage severity scale based on field observations. The values of the variables were analyzed using both descriptive and multivariate statistics to ascertain their role in triggering oak decline episodes. It was found that eight variables were the most significant in explaining the occurrence of oak decline. These were the first-semester average rainfall, average maximum summer temperature, Rainfall anomaly index, Downward shortwave radiation, Root zone soil moisture, and three indicators concerning the number, amplitude, and duration of heatwaves. Quercus pubescens forests were found to be the most affected by oak decline. The years 2017 and 2022 were characterized by high levels of stress, with the combined effect of groups of diagnostic variables in exceeding the critical thresholds proving decisive in triggering episodes of oak decline. A vulnerability map was finally created reporting three vulnerability classes for oak decline: low, medium, and high. The analysis revealed that approximately 97% (116,700 hectares) of forest plots classified as vulnerable (31.7% of the total forest area in the study region) were categorized as medium or high vulnerability.

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DOI: 10.3897/ved.160563

Authors: Giovanni Rivieccio, Silvia Assini, Simonetta Bagella, Cristina Blandino, Salvatore Cambria, Cristina Caporusso, Maria Carmela Caria, Emanuele Costanzo, Lorenzo Gianguzzi, Giorgio Gervasio, Elio Giuliano, Antonino La Mantia, Michele Lonati, Giuseppe Longo, Antonio Morabito, Carmelo Maria Musarella, Enrico Vito Perrino, Giovanni Spampinato, Gianmarco Tavilla, Valeria Tomaselli, Alessio Turco, Giuseppe Bazan

Abstract: This contribution presents new Italian data on the distribution of Annex I Habitats. Specifically, 9 records are reported, including 3 occurrences within Natura 2000 sites and the addition of 9 new cells to the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Piedmont, Sardinia, and Sicily.

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DOI: 10.3897/ved.146670

Authors: Gianmaria Bonari, Irena Axmanová, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Simonetta Bagella, Federico Fernández-González, Daniela Gigante, Borja Jiménez-Alfaro, Ali Kavgacı, Daniele Viciani

Abstract: The current issue is the first one of the journal Vegetation Ecology and Diversity, formerly Plant Sociology, the international peer-reviewed journal of the Italian Society of Vegetation Science (SISV). Vegetation Ecology and Diversity (VED) publishes original research articles covering all aspects of vegetation, ranging from plant communities to landscapes, including dynamic processes and community ecology. It prioritizes papers that emphasize plant community ecology and vegetation surveys to advance ecological models, interpret and classify vegetation, map ecosystems, assess environmental quality, manage and conserve plant biodiversity, and interpret and monitor European habitats. All the articles are freely available in Open Access (OA). In the present Editorial, we introduce the new journal name, the new Editorial Board and Social Media Team, several Topical Collections, and initiatives to support young researchers.

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