Zonazione altitudinale della vegetazione di alcuni rilievi dell'Appennino meridionale e sue implicazioni fitostoriche

Current methodological praxis in present day plant ecology and vegetation science, makes remarkably difficult to treat topics dealing with floristic changes along gradients, when qualitative aspects, based on biogeographical patterns are involved. Due to this, some outstanding “anomalies” in the altitudinal zonation of vegetation in southern Apennines and in the main islands, have traditionally been neglected or underestimated in their explanatory capacity for long-term vegetation processes. In this sense, patterns of floristic changes along topographical gradients observed in the Southern Italian ridges, from Monti Picentini (Campania) to Etna (Sicily) might be crucial for the interpretation of events and genesis of the plant cover of that part of peninsular Italy. Here, the local ranges of some emblematic species are taken into account. Similarity in their sequences along local “catenas” with analogues in other regions of Southern Eurasia, are here used to infer modes of colonization and altitudinal stratification mirroring major events of Neogene climatic and paleogeographical changes. In particular the patterns of altitudinal clustering of some taxa in Monte Etna, seems to be of major relevance for the detection of “fossil” zonations related to ancient environmental scenarios. The local behaviour of Pinus nigra s.l compared to its behaviour in the surrounding massifs and in other S-E European locations, suggests a pervasive persistence of Late-Miocene distribution patterns related to the connections with south and eastern Mediterranean landmasses of the emerging Italy of Late-Neogene.