Abstract The class Festuco-Brometea includes the dry grassland and the steppe vegetation extendin... more Abstract The class Festuco-Brometea includes the dry grassland and the steppe vegetation extending over most of Europe and part of Asia. Many high-rank syntaxa regarding the central and southern Europe grasslands are currently classified under the Festuco-Brometea and several of these concern the Italian Peninsula. According to the most recent and influential checklist of the Italian vegetation, the Vegetation Prodrome of Italy by Biondi and colleagues, the Italian Festuco-Brometea grasslands are to be distributed within five orders, two suborders and eighteen alliances. The names of these syntaxa, however, are often cited incorrectly in the phytosociological literature, and some of these errors are to be found in the Vegetation Prodrome of Italy. Therefore, owing to the importance of using correct names for the stabilization of the syntaxonomic nomenclature, this paper aims to resolve these inconsistencies in following the rules of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). As a result, 15 names are corrected, a new suborder (Bromenalia erecti) is described and six names are typified (Festucetalia Soó 1940, Stipo capillatae-Poion xerophilae Braun-Blanquet & Richard 1950, Diplachnion serotinae Braun-Blanquet 1961, Mesobrometum erecti W. Koch 1926, Festuco-Bromion erecti Barbero & Loisel 1972, Xerobromion erecti [Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938] Zoller 1954). In addition, it is proposed that three names are to be conserved (Festucetalia valesiacae Braun-Blanquet & Tüxen ex Braun-Blanquet 1950, Festucion valesiacae Klika 1931, Mesobromion erecti [Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938] Zoller 1954) and three to be rejected (Festucetalia Soó 1940, Festucetalia valesiacae Soó 1947, Bromion erecti W. Koch 1926). Due to the fact that the revised names are referred to in the literature with different authors’ citations, their revision is preceded by a discussion about divergent interpretations of what constitutes a ‘publication’ and the ‘date of a publication’ in the sense of article 1 of ICPN for works issued in several parts, often in relationship with a ‘sufficient diagnosis’ in the sense of article 2b. A proposal is made in this respect.
Abstract The class Festuco-Brometea includes the dry grassland and the steppe vegetation extendin... more Abstract The class Festuco-Brometea includes the dry grassland and the steppe vegetation extending over most of Europe and part of Asia. Many high-rank syntaxa regarding the central and southern Europe grasslands are currently classified under the Festuco-Brometea and several of these concern the Italian Peninsula. According to the most recent and influential checklist of the Italian vegetation, the Vegetation Prodrome of Italy by Biondi and colleagues, the Italian Festuco-Brometea grasslands are to be distributed within five orders, two suborders and eighteen alliances. The names of these syntaxa, however, are often cited incorrectly in the phytosociological literature, and some of these errors are to be found in the Vegetation Prodrome of Italy. Therefore, owing to the importance of using correct names for the stabilization of the syntaxonomic nomenclature, this paper aims to resolve these inconsistencies in following the rules of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). As a result, 15 names are corrected, a new suborder (Bromenalia erecti) is described and six names are typified (Festucetalia Soó 1940, Stipo capillatae-Poion xerophilae Braun-Blanquet & Richard 1950, Diplachnion serotinae Braun-Blanquet 1961, Mesobrometum erecti W. Koch 1926, Festuco-Bromion erecti Barbero & Loisel 1972, Xerobromion erecti [Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938] Zoller 1954). In addition, it is proposed that three names are to be conserved (Festucetalia valesiacae Braun-Blanquet & Tüxen ex Braun-Blanquet 1950, Festucion valesiacae Klika 1931, Mesobromion erecti [Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938] Zoller 1954) and three to be rejected (Festucetalia Soó 1940, Festucetalia valesiacae Soó 1947, Bromion erecti W. Koch 1926). Due to the fact that the revised names are referred to in the literature with different authors’ citations, their revision is preceded by a discussion about divergent interpretations of what constitutes a ‘publication’ and the ‘date of a publication’ in the sense of article 1 of ICPN for works issued in several parts, often in relationship with a ‘sufficient diagnosis’ in the sense of article 2b. A proposal is made in this respect.
The European Alps are highly rich in species, but their future may be threa- tened by ongoing cha... more The European Alps are highly rich in species, but their future may be threa- tened by ongoing changes in human land use and climate. Here, we recon- structed vegetation, temperature, human impact and livestock over the past ~12,000 years from Lake Sulsseewli, based on sedimentary ancient plant and mammal DNA, pollen, spores, chironomids, and microcharcoal.We assembled a highly-complete local DNA reference library (PhyloAlps, 3923 plant taxa), and used this to obtain an exceptionally rich sedaDNA record of 366 plant taxa. Vegetation mainly responded to climate during the early Holocene, while human activity had an additional influence on vegetation from 6 ka onwards. Land-use shifted from episodic grazing during theNeolithic and Bronze Age to agropastoralism in the Middle Ages. Associated human deforestation allowed the coexistence of plant species typically found at different elevational belts, leading to levels ofplant richness that characterise the current high diversity of this region. Our findings indicate a positive association between low intensity agropastoral activities and precipitation with the maintenance of the unique subalpine and alpine plant diversity of the European Alps.
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