Updates on the bryophyte flora of the lowland Woods and temporary ponds west of Lake Trasimeno (Central Italy).

A study of the bryophytes of the lowlands west of Lake Trasimeno, a very peculiar territory for its geological, biogeographical and bioclimatic traits, was carried out. The data here reported were collected in a mosaic of woods and Mediterranean temporary ponds, the latter indicated as priority natural habitats under the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC with the code 3170*. Research led to the identification of 44 taxa of bryophytes (13 liverworts and 31 mosses), among which 5 liverwort and 8 moss species are new records for the Umbria region, while one is confirmed. Particularly interesting is the presence of 13 liverwort taxa considered, according to the European Committee for Conservation of Bryophytes (ECCB), under threat at different levels in Europe. The study offers new outcomes on neglected aspects of the flora of central Italy and represents a considerable improvement of the floristic, biogeographical and ecological understanding of its bryophytic component

Bryophytic vegetation of fragile and threatened ecosystems: the case of the Mediterranean temporary ponds in inland Central Italy.

The first overview of the bryophytic vegetation of the Mediterranean temporary ponds in Umbria region is reported. Phytosociological relevés were carried out in a scattered system of ephemeral pools, where seasonal fluctuation in the water level is the main driving factor. By applying Braun-Blanquet's approach to sample the bryo-communities and multivariate analysis tools to analyse data, the identification of some bryophyte communities was possible, one of which is here described as new association. It is Entosthodono fascicularidis-Archidietum alternifolii ass. nova, referable to the class Psoretea decipientis. The other bryo-communities have been framed into the classes Cladonio digitatae-Lepidozietea reptantis, Ceratodonto purpurei-Polytrichetea piliferii and Psoretea decipientis again

Contribution to the knowledge of the bryoflora ofrunning waters of Central Italy.

The present study focused on the bryoflora of watercourses of the Tiber River basin watercourses (Central Italy). A total of 20 bryophyte species, which included 14 mosses and 6 liverworts, were collected at 32 river stations. Most species were recorded at stations of the watercourses’ upper sections, which have rocky substrate and where there is cool and well oxygenated running water, with low trophic load. Only few species, such as Leptodictyum riparium, Cinclidotus fontinaloides and Riccia fluitans, were also found at stations of the middle and lower sections, which are characterized by slow-flowing, turbid, warm and eutrophic waters. Some species are widely distributed, among which Fontinalis antipyretica ssp. antipyretica and Platyhypnidium riparioides, while others are very rare, such as Cinclidotus aquaticus, Dialytrichia mucronata and R. fluitans. Some of the collected species are new regional records (Hygroamblystegium fluviatile, D. mucronata), regional confirmations of rare taxa in Italy (C. aquaticus) or confirmations of old regional reports (Hygroamblystegium tenax, C. fontinaloides, Aneura pinguis)

Conocephalum salebrosum Szweykowski, Buczkowska & Odrzykoski (Conocephalaceae, Marchantiophyta), new to Italy.

A new liverwort species, Conocephalum salebrosum Szweykowski, Buczkowska & Odrzykoski, has been identified for the Bryophyte flora of Italy. The species was gathered in the Marmore Waterfalls, Umbria Region, Italy

The species-specific monitoring protocols for plant species of Community interest in Italy.

The results of a project for the identification of species-specific monitoring protocols for the Italian plant species protected under the Habitats Directive (Annexes II/IV/V) are presented. The project led to the development of 118 monitoring factsheets, providing an operational guidance for 107 vascular taxa, 10 bryophytes and 1 lichen taxon. Each factsheet includes information on the species (distribution, biology, ecology, conservation status, threats, etc.) and the description of field methodologies for the detection of the two main reporting parameters, i.e. population size and habitat quality. Practical information to plan field activities are also given. Protocols were designed to address the requirements of the European reporting system with the aim to standardize future monitoring activities, optimize efforts at national scale and overcome some current problems related to data heterogeneity and discrepancies from the EC standards. More than 60 botanists collaborated to identify the best practices and to design an operational field survey format through several stages of discussion and sharing. The protocols, developed by ISPRA and Scientific Societies and shared with the Italian institutions responsible for the Directive application, were published in a dedicated National handbook. The work provides a first uniform technical basis for future national monitoring plans

Notulae to the Italian flora of algae, bryophytes, fungi and lichens: 5

In this contribution, new data concerning bryophytes, fungi, and lichens of the Italian flora are presented. It includes new records and confirmations for the bryophyte genera Diplophyllum and Ptychostomum, the fungal genera Arrhenia, Gymnosporangium, and Sporidesmium and the lichen genera Arthonia, Coenogonium, Flavoplaca, Gyalolechia, Parmotrema, Peltigera, Pterygiopsis, Squamarina, Tornabea, and Waynea

Bryophyte diversity hotspot: the Marmore Waterfalls Regional Park (Umbria, central Italy)

A study of the bryophyte of Marmore Waterfall Natural Park a very peculiar territory for its geological, biogeographical and bioclimatic traits, was carried out. The reported data were collected in the valley area of ‘Parco Fluviale del Nera’ Regional Park, where the waters are flowing and the humidity of the rocks is oozing. Research led to the identification of 101 taxa of bryophytes (21 liverworts and 80 mosses), among which two liverwort and 10 moss species are new records for the Umbria region, while four are confirmed. The study offers new outcomes on neglected aspects of the flora of central Italy and represents a considerable improvement of the floristic, biogeographical and ecological understanding of its bryophytic component. Additionally, the area turn out to be significant from the conservation point of view both nationally and internationally considering that it harbours high diversity of bryophytes species among which many rare, threatened and interesting species occur. Eighteen species of conservation interest in Italy are recorded during the latest investigation (all in category NT – near threatened). Additionally two species that are considered data deficient in Italy are present in the researched area (Conocephalum salebrosum and Fissidens curvatus). Also, there is a small populations of a species vulnerable (Marchantia paleacea), endangered (Bryum calophyllum) and data deficient (Fissidens curvatus and Barbula bolleana) in European scale

Le Briofite del Parco di Villa Gregoriana a Tivoli (Roma, Italia)

Nell’ambito di una serie di ricerche volte alla conoscenza della biodiversità briofitica dei parchi e giardini delle ville e dimore storiche, è stata studiata la brioflora del Parco di Villa Gregoriana a Tivoli (Roma). La ricerca ha por‐ tato alla segnalazione di 79 taxa di briofite (18 epatiche e 61 muschi). Sei specie (2 epatiche e 4 muschi) risultano nuove per la Regione Lazio

GrassPlot v. 2.00 – first update on the database of multi-scale plant diversity in Palaearctic grasslands

Abstract: GrassPlot is a collaborative vegetation-plot database organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and listed in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD ID EU-00-003). Following a previous Long Database Report (Dengler et al. 2018, Phyto- coenologia 48, 331–347), we provide here the first update on content and functionality of GrassPlot. The current version (GrassPlot v. 2.00) contains a total of 190,673 plots of different grain sizes across 28,171 independent plots, with 4,654 nested-plot series including at least four grain sizes. The database has improved its content as well as its functionality, including addition and harmonization of header data (land use, information on nestedness, structure and ecology) and preparation of species composition data. Currently, GrassPlot data are intensively used for broad-scale analyses of different aspects of alpha and beta diversity in grassland ecosystems

Contribution to the bryological knowledge of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines (Northern Italy)

The inventory of the bryophytes collected during the annual excursion of the Working Group for Bryology of the Italian Botanical Society is reported. This excursion was held in 2018 on the northern slope of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines National Park, in the Administrative Region of Emilia-Romagna. The field work led to the finding of 113 taxa (24 liverworts and 89 mosses), including eight new records and seven confirmations for this Region. The occurrence of rare taxa for Italy (Scapania uliginosa, Rhizomnium pseudopunctatum, Racomitrium fasciculare, Scorpidium cossonii, Grimmia lisae, Orthotrichum pulchellum) is highlighted