Studio fitosociologico dei boschi a Quercus pubescens s.l. delle Marche e delle zone contigue dell’Appennino centro-settentrionale (Italia centrale)

Phytosociological study of Quercus pubescens s.1. woods of Marche and suorrounding areas of the North- Central Apennines (Central Italy). The phytosociological analysis of wood of Quercus pubescens S. 1. occumng in the territory of Marche are here presented. The aim of this study was to identify the associations in which these woods participate and the landscape contexts in which they occur. A matrix with 138 phytosociological relevés was constmcted. These relevés, both published and unpublished, concemed the temtory of Marche and the surroundings areas of the Umbro- Marchigiano and Tosco-Marchigiano Apennines and were previously considered as belonging to the following associations: Peucedano cervariae- Quercetumpubescentis, Cercidi siliquastri-Quercetumpubescentis, Clematido-flammulae-Quercetumpubescentiasn d Roso sempervirentis-Quercetum pubescentis. In the matrix were also inserted relevés made in severa1 sectors of Central Italy to better define the areale of the Roso sempervirentis- Quercetum pubescentis association. These relevés concerned the following subassociations: quercetosum cerridis occurring in the hills of Tuscany; ericetosum multtjZorae occurring in some areas of Umbna and carpinetosum orientalis for a sector of southem Latium. The phytosociological analysis of the relevés clustered in the dendrogram and the study of dynamic relationships allowed the attnbution of the forest vegetation here considered to three association belonging to the Ostryo-Carpinion orientalis alliance: Peucedano cervariae-Quercetum pubescentis for the aspect relatively most mesophylous, Pistacio terebinthi-Quercetum pubescentis ass. nova for the meso-xerophylous hilly sectors of southern Latium (previously attributed to the carpinetosum orientalis sub-association of the Roso sempervirentis-Quercetum pubescentis association) and, finally, Roso sempervirentis-Quercetum pubescentis for the exclusively xerophytic aspects. The Roso sempervirentis-Quercetump ubescentis association includes the following xerophytic associations: Cercidi siliquastri-Quercetum pubescentis p.p. described for the Pesaro province and Clematidofiammulae- Quercetum pubescentis for the hills of Romagna. The group of relevés of the hilly sector of Tuscany were attributed to the Lonicero xylostei- Quercetum cerridis association which was descrihed for the sub-coastal sector of Adriatic side and occurring in the region with the loniceretosum etruscae new subassociation.