S. Bonacquisti

Woody flora as a predictor of vascular plant richness: An insight in Italy

A key problem in quantifying biodiversity is whether it is possible to infer the overall diversity using suitable data subsets. The aim of this article, based on the updated data on the native woody flora of Italy, is to evaluate the reliability of such data as a predictor of vascular plant richness at a medium scale represented by the 20 administrative regions. Woody taxa were divided in trees, shrubs and lianas. We used stepwise multiple regression and principal component analysis to analyse the correlation between environmental heterogeneity, vascular plant units (species and subspecies) richness and woody units’ richness. Woody flora of Italy consists of 61 families, 133 genera, 469 species and 509 units. Shrubs constitute 74% of the woody flora, trees and lianas of 23% and 3%, respectively. Both stepwise multiple regression analysis and two principal component analyses strongly suggest that woody units, and trees in particular, are correlated with total vascular plant richness, at all hierarchical taxonomical levels. The environmental heterogeneity has been demonstrated to be much more important than the area for the biodiversity of Italian regions. Woody flora, as a surrogate of total flora, is extremely useful for rapid assessments of overall vascular plant diversity that may be exploited for monitoring purposes.

Morphological study of three taxa of the genus Rubus L. sect. Rubus (Rosaceae) in Western Central Italy

ABSTRACT The three most frequent taxa of Rubus subgen. Rubus sect. Rubus in Western Central Italy are here examined from a morphological point of view. The study is based mostly on new collections. The morphological variability of each taxon is analyzed at the regional scale, and a complete description for the three entities is provided.

Contribution to the vascular flora of the Castelli Romani Regional Park (Rome, Central Italy) with recent observations and early herbarium surveys.

Summary We report the results of a floristic survey carried out in the Castelli Romani Regional Park (Rome, Central Italy) during the years 2003–2008, supplemented with data derived from recent literature. The Park includes part of Colli Albani, four SCIs and a SPA. The purpose of this study was to assess the actual floristic value of an area close to the city of Rome, yet still at medium floristic knowledge. The area has peculiar features in terms of lithomorphology (volcanic rocks, volcanic lakes), soils (andisoils, brown soils), and phytoclimate (Mediterranean Transitional Region, Temperate Region). The floristic list is composed of 796 units belonging to 783 species, 420 genera, and 102 families. One species, Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw., is new to Lazio Region. The woody flora reaches 12.06%, while, as for the herbaceous flora, Hemicryptophytes slightly prevail over Therophytes. As regards chorotypes, together with a considerable number of Mediterranean s. l. and of European species, there are many species with wide distribution area, testifying a longlasting and deep urban impact which started many decades ago. The flora of the Park is similar enough, both in structural and geographical terms, to the flora of the volcanic district of Vico (northern Lazio Region); a detailed comparison concerning aquatic and hygrophilous flora between the two areas pointed out similar sets of rhizophyte species, whereas in the lakes of Albano and Nemi helophyte belt and wet meadows are lacking. Quite few species that are rare or extremely rare to Lazio Region or included in the Regional Red Lists of the Italian Plants were recorded. Nevertheless, some of them have a high biogeographical value (e.g., Vicia sativa subsp. incisa, Adenocarpus samniticus) or are typical of rare environments (Potamogeton sp. pl.). A test study limited to Lycopodiophyta, Ferns and allies, and Orchidaceae was carried out on ancient herbarium specimens kept in the Herbarium RO, showing that 21 units are today no longer recorded.

Sharing Italian Botanic Gardens’ living collections: The role of the National Biodiversity Network

Abstract This paper presents the role of the Italian National Biodiversity Network in making available biodiversity data from Italian Botanic Gardens at a national and international level. The case study of the Botanic Garden of Rome is presented explaining procedures and methods for collecting georeferenced data on living plant species and making them available through web-based applications.

Botanical gardens and citizen science: an (as yet) under-exploited potential.

Abstract Participation of citizens to research activities probably began with a “Christmas bird count” in 1900. Citizen science (CS) activities can aim at several purposes: long-term monitoring, environmental education, preservation of traditional ecological knowledge. Citizen scientists can collect data, support scientists in the field, involve decision-makers, plan new research activities, etc. While CS may have critical issues, especially as far as data quality is concerned, it has several relevant advantages as well (reduced costs, production of “big data”, awareness raising, etc.). However, especially in Europe, there is still an under-exploited potential for botanical gardens to act as drivers for CS initiatives.