Abstract
The ephemeral hygrophilous vegetation occurring in the temporary ponds of Apulia (southern Italy) weres studied following the phytosociological approach. On the base of 153 phytosociological relevés carried out during the period 2015-2018, 19 associations were identified, of which 16 described for the first time. All the associations belong to the Isoeto-Nanojuncetea class. The surveyed associations can be arranged in two orders, such as Isoetetalia, including those with a winter-spring cycle and Nanocyperetalia, regarding those with a summertime cycle. The identified association has been examined in detail, and for each one, we provided a phytosociological table. The communities belonging to the Isoetetalia are 17 and arranged in four alliances (Isoetion, Preslion cervinae, Cicendio filiformis-Solenopsion laurentiae, Agrostion salmanticae); instead, those ones of Nanocyperetalia are two both included in the Verbenion supinae. In order to highlight the relationships among the associations, all the relevés used for this investigation are processed. Overall, this analysis confirms the autonomy of the associations, grouping them according to the syntaxonomic arrangement proposed by the authors. Taxonomic investigations on the flora occurring in these habitats allowed the detection of two new subspecies of Solenopsis laurentia, both with a different autoecology.
Highlights
One of the extremely specialized wet habitats, occurring in Europe and southern Mediterranean territories, rich in ephemeral hydrophytes of exceptional geobotanical value, is represented by temporary ponds, which are periodically flooded by rainwater, mainly during the autumn-winter time
Within phytosociological research carried out in Apulia, a contribution concerning the plant communities belonging to Isoeto-Nanojuncetea class, occurring in this territory of southern Italy, is provided
Basing on personal relevés regarding the Apulian wet habitats where this peculiar vegetation occurs, it was possible to recognize numerous associations, well differentiated from the floristic and ecological point of view, most of which can be attributed to the Isoetetalia order since characterized by species with spring phenology, while the summer-autumnal communities of the Nanocyperetalia are very rare because of the lacking in the study area of large pools suitable for this vegetation kind
Summary
One of the extremely specialized wet habitats, occurring in Europe and southern Mediterranean territories, rich in ephemeral hydrophytes of exceptional geobotanical value, is represented by temporary ponds, which are periodically flooded by rainwater, mainly during the autumn-winter time. These surfaces remain usually submerged until the late spring and, sometimes, in the early summer (Grillas et al, 2004). These very peculiar stands, characterized by silt-clay soils deposited on impermeable substrates, are colonized by ephemeral plant communities linked to temporarily submerged soils. The second group gathers plant communities floristically and physiognomically quite diversified
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