First syntaxonomical contribution to the invasive Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle forest communities at its southern limit in Europe

By

Montecchiari, Silvia
Allegrezza, Marina
Pelliccia, Veronica
Tesei, Giulio

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020-12-28

Original Publication

Plant sociology

Volume

57

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

145--160

Subjects

Ailanthus altissima , alien forest communities , invasive alien species , Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean climate , plant landscape , Robinietea class , Syntaxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Pavia Società italiana di scienza della vegetazione 2012-2019

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/pls2020572/06

 

Abstract

Ailanthus altissima(tree of heaven), an invasive alien tree native to China, has become invasive all over the world and in Italy is present in all the administrative regions where it can form dense forest communities. Although there are several ecological studies on this species there is a lack of floristic-vegetational data for southern-Europe. The study presents the results of a floristic vegetational study onA. altissimaforest communities of central Italy that aims to highlight the possible floristic-vegetational autonomy of these coenoses. The results have allowed the characterization ofA. altissimacoenoses at the ecological, biogeographic, syntaxonomic and landscape levels. These represent firstA. altissimasyntaxa described for the Italian peninsula and for southern-Europe. We propose two new sub-Mediterranean and Mediterranean associations comprised in the recently described allianceLauro nobilis-Robinion pseudoaciae, in theChelidonio-Robinietaliaorder and theRobinieteaclass:Asparago acutifolii-Ailanthetum altissimae: forest community with stratified structure and high canopy density on the warmer slopes of the hills in dry soil conditions and low anthropic disturbance andAro italici-Ailanthetum altissimae: paucispecific forest communities with a monolayered structure typically found in agricultural, and peri-urban areas on pelitic, alluvial silty-sandy substrates, in conditions of edaphic humidity and high anthropogenic disturbance. The comparison with literature data highlights the autonomy of these associations of the sub-Mediterranean and Mediterranean allianceLauro nobilis-Robinionpseudoacaciae alliance from theBalloto nigrae-Ailanthetum altissimaeassociation of the Central and SE-EuropeanBalloto nigrae-Robinion pseudoacaciaealliance.