Phytosociology and ecology of Cressa cretica L. (Convolvulaceae) on the eastern Adriatic coast
Keywords:
halophytic vegetation, soil analysis, Thero-Suaedetea splendentis, syntaxonomy, Croatia, central Adriatic, NE Mediterranean.Abstract
The present phytosociological study of the eastern Adriatic coastal salt-marsh at Blato, Croatia, is based on the Braun-Blanquet approach. Five plant associations were recorded in the area: Juncetum maritimo-acuti, Puccinellio festuciformis-Sarcocornietum fruticosae, Scirpetum maritimi, Enteromorpho intestinalidis-Ruppietum maritimae and Cressetum creticae. The association Cressetum creticae was found for the first time in Croatia as well as on the eastern Adriatic coast. This therophytic and halo-nitrophilous association shows a monospecific or paucispecific character and occupies the most haline and the driest parts of the salt-marsh. The association develops during the summer on silty clay substrates with organic matter derived from the decay of plants of the neighboring communities. According to key soil factor analysis no differences of grain size of the soils among the associations were found, while regarding electrical conductivity, Cl- and Na+ concentrations were higher in the Cressetum creticae than in any of the others associations. The particular original features of the site regarding its flora and vegetation would justify some measures of protection and management.
Downloads
References
Alegro, A., Biljaković, M., Bogdanović, S. & Boršić, I. 2004: Psammo-halophytic vegetation on the largest sand area on Croatian coast: The island of Mljet, southern Adriatic. Biologia 59: 435–445.
Baldacci, A. 1896: Rivista della collezione botanica fatta nel 1894 in Albania. Bulletin de l’Herbier Boissier 4.
Ball, P. W. 2011: Sources of records for Albania in Flora Europaea. Published on the internet. Available at: http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/~trteherb/resources_assets/Albania_V1.pdf [last accessed on August 7, 2014].
Barbagallo, C., Brullo, S. & Furnari, F. 1990: La vegetazione alofila palustre della Tunisia. Bollettino della Accademia Gioenia di Scienze
Naturali 23 (336): 581–652.
Biondi, E., Filigheddu, R. & Farris, E. 2001: Il paesaggio vegetale della Nurra (Sardegna nord-occidentale). Fitosociologia 38(2) Suppl. 2: 3–105.
Biondi, E., Blasi, C., Allegrezza, M., Anzellotti, I., Azzella, M. M., Carli, E. et al. 2014: Plant communities of Italy: The Vegetation Prodrome. Plant Biosystems 148: 728–814.
Bouchard, J. 1977: Flore pratique de la Corse, 3e éd. Bulletin de la Société des Sciences Historiques et Naturelles de la Corse, N° spécial. Braun-Blanquet, J. 1964: Pflanzensoziologie. Grundzüge der Vegetationskunde. 3rd ed. Wien - New York: Springer-Verlag.
Bromberg Gedan, K., Silliman, B. R. & Bertness, M. D. 2009: Centuries of human-driven change in salt marsh ecosystems. Annual Review of Marine Science 1: 117–141.
Brullo, S. 1988: Le associazioni della classe Frankenietea pulverulentae nel Mediterraneo centrale. Acta botanica Barcinonensia 37: 45–57.
Brullo, S. & Furnari, F. 1970: Vegetazione dei pantani litoranei della Sicdia sud-orientale e problema della conservacíone dell’ambiente. Catania.
Brullo, S. & Furnari, F. 1976: Le associazioni vegetali degli ambienti palustri costieri della Sicilia. Notiziario Fitosociologico 11: 1–43.
Brullo, S. & Giusso del Galdo, G. 2003: La classe Saginetea maritimae in Italia. Fitosociologia 40: 29–41.
Carić, M., Jasprica, N., Čalić, M. & Batistić, M. 2011: Phytoplankton response to high salinity and nutrient limitation in the eastern Adriatic marine lakes. Scientia Marina 75: 493–505.
Chytrý M. & Otýpková, Z. 2003: Plot sizes used for phytosociological sampling of European vegetation. Journal of Vegetation Science 14: 563–570.
Cirujano, S. 1981: Las lagunas manchegas y su vegetación. II. Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid 38: 187–232.
Clarke, K. R. & Gorley, R. N. 2006: PRIMER v6: User Manual/Tutorial. PRIMER-E, Plymouth. Council of the European Communities, 1992:
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. Official Journal of the European Communities, L 206: [http://europa.eu.int/ eurlex/lex/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31992L0043:EN:HTML]
Dane, J. H. & Topp, G. C. 2002: Methods of soil analysis, Part 4 – physical Methods. SSSA Book Series, Vol. 5 (Madison).
Di Pietro, R., Dibitonto, P., Garziano, G., Sciandrello, S., Wagensommer, R. P., Medagli, P. & Tomaselli, V. 2009: Preliminary results of floristic
and vegetational surveys in three coastal humid areas in the Puglia region (southern Italy). Lazaroa 30: 99–107.
Dring, J., Hoda, P., Mersinllari, M., Mullaj, A., Pignatti, S. & Rodwell, J. 2002: Plant communities of Albania. A preliminary overview. Annali
di Botanica Nuova Serie 2: 7–30.
European Commission, 2007: Interpretation Manual of European Union habitats. European Commission, DG Environment, Strasbourg, 142 pp.
Farris, E., Pisanu, S., Secchi, Z., Bagella, S., Urbani, M. & Filigheddu, R. 2007: Gli habitat terrestri costieri e litorali della Sardegna settentrionale: verifica della loro attribuzione sintassonomica ai sensi della Direttiva 43/92/ CEE “Habitat”. Fitosociologia 44: 165–180.
Galán de Mera, A., Sánchez García, I. & Vicente Orellana, J. A. 1997: Coastal plant communities of the sothwestern Iberian Peninsula, Spain and Portugal. Phytocoenologia 27: 313–352.
Géhu, J.-M. 1999: Schéma synsystématique des principales classes de végétations littorales sédimentaries européennes avec références à
d’autres territoires holoarctiques. Annali di Botanica (Roma) 56: 5–52.
Géhu, J.-M. & Biondi, E. 1994: Végétation du littoral de la Corse: essai de synthèse phytosociologique. Braun-Blanquetia 13: 1–149.
Greuter, W., Burdet, H. M., & Long, G. 1986: Med-Checklist, A critical inventory of vascular plants of the circum-Mediterranean countries, 3 Dicotyledones (Convolvulaceae - Labiatae). Geneve & Berlin.
Guglielmo, A., Sciandrello, S. & Spampinato, G. 2012: La vegetazione dei pantani salmastri della Sicilia sud-orientale. 47th SISV Congress
- Società Italiana di Scienza della Vegetazione. Perugia, Italy, September 12–14, 2012.
Houba, V. J. G., Uittenbogaard, J. & Pellen, P. 1996: Wageningen evaluating programmes for analytical laboratories (WEPAL), organization
and purpose. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 27: 421–431.
Imeri, A., Mullaj, A. & Dodona, E. 2010: Coastal vegetation of the Lalzi bay (Albania). Botanica Serbica 34: 99–105.
IUSS Working Group WRB. 2006. World reference base for soil resources 2006. World Soil Resources Reports No. 103. FAO, Rome.
Janković, M. & Stevanović, V. 1983: Prilog poznavanju slatinske vegetacije Boke Kotorske. Zbornik Roberta Visianija Šibenčanina, Muzej
grada Šibenika 10: 377–396.
Kaligarič, M. & Škornik, S. 2006: Halophile vegetation of the Slovenian seacoast: Thero-Salicornietea and Spartinetea maritimae. Hacquetia
(1), 25–36.
Kaligarič, M. & Škornik, S. 2007: Vegetation of tall rush saltmarshes (Juncetea maritimae) and saltmarsh scrubs (Arthrocnemetea fruticosae) on the Slovenian seacoast. Annales, Series historia naturalis 17: 47–58.
Ladero Álvarez, M., Navarro Andrés, F., Valle Gutiérrez, C. J., Marcos Laso, B., Ruiz Téllez, T. & Santos Bobillo, M. T. 1984: Vegetación de
los saladares Castellano-Leoneses. Studia Botanica 3: 17–62.
Lansdown, R. V. 2013: Cressa cretica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. . [last accessed on August 19, 2014].
Lorenzoni, C. & Paradis, G. 1994: Observations synécologiques sur les stations corses d’une espèce rare, Cressa cretica (Convolvulaceae). Bulletin de la Société Botanique du Centre-Ouest, Nouvelle Série 25: 3–24.
McCune, B. & Mefford, M. J. 2006: PC-ORD: multivariate analysis of ecological data. Version 5.14. MjM software design. Gleneden Beach, Oregon.
Merloni, M. 2007: Gli habitat di interesse comunitario (Direttiva 92/43/CEE) nella Riserva Naturale Sacca di Bellocchio (province di Ravenna e Ferrara). Fitosociologia 44(2) Suppl. 1: 83–88.
Mileta, M. & Likso, T. 2009: Extremly dry summer months in 2008 and 2007 in the south part of Croatia. Book of Abstracts of the 44th Croatian
& 4th International Symposium on Agriculture (eds. Marić, S. & Lončarić, Z.), Faculty of Agriculturae, University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek; Opatija, Croatia, February 16–20, 2009. 160–161.
Milović, M. & Marković, Lj. 2003: Cressa cretica L. (Convolvulaceae) in the flora of Croatia. Natura Croatica 12: 9–18.
Nikolić, T. (ed.), 2014: Flora Croatica baza podataka / Flora Croatica Database. On-Line, URL: http://hirc.botanic.hr/fcd. Botanički zavod s Botaničkim vrtom, Prirodoslovnomatematički fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu [last accessed on November 27, 2014].
Ozenda, P. 1983: Flore du Sahara. C.N.R.S., Paris, 2e éd.
Pandža, M., Franjić, J. & Škvorc, Ž. 2007: The salt marsh vegetation on the east Adriatic coast. Biologia 62: 24–31.
Paradis, G. & Tomasi, J. C. 1991: Phytosociological and cartographic analysis of the coastal vegetation in Barcaggio Rocks, dunes, ponds and depressions. Documents Phytosociologiques 13(0): 175–207.
Paradis, G. & Lorenzoni, C. 1999: Description dans un but de gestion conservatoire des stations corses de l’espèce rare Cressa eretica L.
(Convolvulaceae). Journal de Botanique de la Société Botanique de France 9: 5–34.
Pignatti S. 1982: Flora d’Italia. Bologna: Edagricole. Poldini, L., Vidali, M. & Fabiani, M. L. 1999: La vegetazione del litorale sedimentario del Friuli-
Venezia Giulia (NE Italia) con riferimenti ala regione Alto-Adriatica. Studia Geobotanica 17: 3–68.
Priyashree, S., Jha, S. & Pattanayak, S. P. 2010: A review on Cressa cretica Linn.: A halophytic plant. Pharmacognosy Reviews 4: 161–166.
Rani, S., Chaudhary, S., Singh, P., Mishra, G., Jha, K. K. & Khosa, R. L. 2011: Cressa cretica Linn: an important medicinal plant. A review
on its traditional uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties. Journal of Natural Product and Plant Resource 1: 91‐100.
Raunkiaer, C. 1934: The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press.
Rhoades, J. D. 1996: Salinity: Electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids. In D. L. Sparks (ed.), Methods of soil analysis: Chemical methods. Part 3. Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America.
Rivas-Martínez, S., Fernández-González, F., Loidi, J., Lousã, M. & Penas, A. 2001: Sintaxonomical checklist of vascular plant communities of Spain and Portugal to association level. Itinera Geobotanica 14: 5–341.
Rivas-Martínez, S. & Costa, M. 1976: Datos sobre la vegetación halófila de la Mancha (España). Colloques Phytosociologiques 4: 81–97.
Rivas-Martínez, S., Costa, M., Castroviejo, S., & Valdes, E. 1980: Vegetaciôn de Doñana (Huelva, España). Lazaroa 2: 5–190.
Sciandrello, S. & Tomaselli, V. 2014: Coastal saltmarshes plant communities of the Salicornietea fruticosae class in Apulia (Italy). Biologia 69: 53–69.
Shehu, J., Mullaj, A., & Ibraliu, A. 2010: Salt marshes plant diversity of coastal zone in Albania.
BALWOIS 2010, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia, 25–29 May, 2010, 1–7.
Šajna, N., Regvar, M., Kaligarič, S., Škvorc, Ž. & Kaligarič, M. 2013. Germination characteristics of Salicornia patula Duval-Jouve, S. emerici
Duval-Jouve, and S. veneta Pign. et Lausi and their occurrence in Croatia. Acta Botanica Croatica 72: 347–358.
Tomaselli, V., Urbano, M., Sciandrello, S., Wagensommer, R.P., Costanzo, E., Albano, A., Medagli, P., Mele, C. & Di Pietro, R. 2010: Cartografia tematica ed analisi del paesaggio vegetale ed agricolo del Parco Naturale Regionale “Saline di Punta della Contessa” (Brindisi
– Puglia). Quaderni di Botanica Ambientale e Applicata 21: 53–76.
Tomaselli, V., Di Pietro, R. & Sciandrello, S. 2011: Plant communities structure and composition in three coastal wetlands in southern Apulia
(Italy). Biologia 66: 1027–1043.
Trinajstić, I. 1995: Plantgeographical division of forest vegetation of Croatia. Annales Forestales 20: 37–66.
US Salinity Laboratory Staff 1954: In L. A. Richards (ed.), Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkali soil. US Department of Agriculture.
Handbook No. 60.
van der Maarel, E. 1979: Transformation of coverabundance values in phytosociology and its effects on community similarity. Vegetatio 39: 97–114.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit their self to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
More in: Submission chapter
