Abstract
The halophilous vegetation in the Po Delta region (north Adriatic) has been studied with the Braun-Blanquet method. Vegetation types have been defined by numerical classification of vegetation data. Their ecology has been studied by indirect gradient analysis. The following three main groups of phytocoena have been recognized. (1) Perennial halophytic vegetation (class Puccinellio-Salicornietea) including 7 associations: Spartinetum maritimae, Puccinellietum palustris, Salicornietum radicantis, Salicornietum fruticosae, Agropyro-Inuletum crithmoidis, Halimionetum portulacoidis, are quoted according to an approximate gradient of decreasing soil moisture. The Juncetum maritimi is conditioned by soil erosion. (2) Therophytic vegetation settled on soils subject to natural or artificial disturbance (class Thero-Salicornietea), including 3 associations: Suaedo-Kochietum hirsutae, Salicornietum herbaceae s.1. and the Aster tripolium-Suaeda maritima community. (3) Halotolerant vegetation (class Artemisietea vulgaris), including only the Atripliceto-Elytrigietum pungentis settled on soils with a low salt content.
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Nomenclature of species follows Pignatti (1982).
The research was supported by a grant of the Istituto per i Beni Artistici, Culturali e Naturali, Regione Emilia-Romagna (Italy) and by a grant of the Italian C.N.R. (Research Group for Naturalistic Biology).
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Ferrari, C., Gerdol, R. & Piccoli, F. The halophilous vegetation of the Po Delta (northern Italy). Vegetatio 61, 5–14 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00039805
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00039805