La vegetazione psammofila della Sicilia settentrionale

Coastal sand dune vegetation of Northern Sicily from Termini Imerese (Palermo) to Capo Peloro (Messina) was examined. The study revealed the presence of low dunes whose evolution and development is biased either by the local coast mophogenetic processes or due to the high anthropogenic pressure. Several associations referred to the classes Cakiletea and Ammophiletea were found, and, in particular: Salsolo kali- Cakiletum maritimae, Cakilo maritimae-Xanthietum italici, Salsolo kali-Euphorbietum peplis, Glaucio flavi-Matthioletum tricuspidatae, Sporoboletum arenarii, Cypero capitati-Agropyretum juncei, Medicagini marinae-Ammophiletum australis and Centaureo sphaerocephalae-Ononidetum ramosissimae. Two of these plant communities, i.e. Salsolo kali-Euphorbietum peplis and Glauco flavi-Matthioletum tricuspidatae are new to Italy and Sicily, respectively. The intense erosion of sandy deposits severely affected the most mature plant communities referred to Ammophiletea, leading to the degradation or even the disappearance of some elements of the local psammophilous dynamic series