Phytosociological synrelevés and plant landscape mapping: From theory to practice

Abstract

A mapping methodology is presented here that allows the practical implementation of synphytosociological and geosynphytosociological surveys. The proposed methodology consists in carrying out synrelevés from vegetation maps produced through the use of geographic information system (GIS). Such mapping has the great advantage of allowing the overlaying of the study area map with many thematic maps that are particularly useful in the definition of the areas of potential vegetation. In the present case, the use of solar radiation maps is proposed, as these are more representative than aspect maps (exposure) of the actual conditions of the mapped areas. Indeed, the main ecological factors that delimit the ecological niche of plant communities, the vegetation series and the geosigmeta are defined qualitatively and quantitatively. The methodology is here applied to an area of the Italian Adriatic coast that has a great diversity of environmental conditions. The conclusions confirm that the proposed methodology allows predictive models of the plant landscape units (geosigmeta) to be obtained with great precision; they can be mapped and quantified in concrete terms insofar as they are defined through multidimensional correlations.