**2.4 The perennial grasslands**

#### **2.4.1 Class** *Artemisietea*

This syntaxonomic unit includes pioneer associations that are mainly made up of biennial and perennial species, usually medium to tall (Rivas Martinez et al., 2002), that can be found in contexts affected by human activities, and that can rapidly colonise locations with uncovered soil or occupied by less evolved coenoses (of the class *Stellarietea mediae*).

Typical examples are represented by the plant communities of abandoned fields, of the calanchi, of the edges of fields and tracks, in the ruderal zones near to houses, and also in the urban environments or on the outskirts of cities. These coenoses grow under conditions of recurrent disturbance, although not excessive or systematic, and they represent the first evolutive stage towards perennial grass formations that are particularly stable. These last can grow in better conserved environments and are usually managed by periodic removal of the biomass or with pasturing, and they are included in the classes *Molinio-Arrhenatheretea* and *Festuco-Brometea*.

The class *Artemisietea* is found in territories with a Mediterranean-pluviseasonal and holartic-temperate climate and it definitely prefers substrata enriched in nutrients, and especially in nitrates. The syntaxa referred to this class grow on various types of substrata, mainly clayey and alkaline. From the evolutive point of view, they represent a higher level

peninsula Carni et al., 2002; Carni, 2005; Silc & Kosir, 2006).

Fig. 3. *Coronopodo procumbentis-Sclerochloetum durae*.

**2.4 The perennial grasslands 2.4.1 Class** *Artemisietea*

and *Festuco-Brometea*.

described for the subcoastal territory of Marche (Biondi et al., 2002).

*\*Poetum annuae*: These communities are dominated by the small Graminacea *Poa annua*, and they are part of the alliance *Matricario-Polygonion avicularis* and are found in contexts subjected to strong compaction and with soils that are not subjected to water retention. The dominant species is accompanied by many other entities of the same class that are particularly resistant to soil compaction. This coenosis is spread diffusely through the agroecosystems analysed, although it had not been previously noted for the territories investigated. Instead, it had been found in various locations on the Balcan

*\*Coronopodo procumbentis-Sclerochloetum durae* (Fig. 3): This coenosis grows in situations under more intense impaction and it usually has a very low coverage index (50%-60%) and is dominated by the Graminacea *Sclerochloa dura*. It belongs to the alliance *Sclerochloo durae-Coronopodion squamati*, reaching its full development between the end of April and the beginning of May, and it is found along farm tracks. It has been

This syntaxonomic unit includes pioneer associations that are mainly made up of biennial and perennial species, usually medium to tall (Rivas Martinez et al., 2002), that can be found in contexts affected by human activities, and that can rapidly colonise locations with

Typical examples are represented by the plant communities of abandoned fields, of the calanchi, of the edges of fields and tracks, in the ruderal zones near to houses, and also in the urban environments or on the outskirts of cities. These coenoses grow under conditions of recurrent disturbance, although not excessive or systematic, and they represent the first evolutive stage towards perennial grass formations that are particularly stable. These last can grow in better conserved environments and are usually managed by periodic removal of the biomass or with pasturing, and they are included in the classes *Molinio-Arrhenatheretea*

The class *Artemisietea* is found in territories with a Mediterranean-pluviseasonal and holartic-temperate climate and it definitely prefers substrata enriched in nutrients, and especially in nitrates. The syntaxa referred to this class grow on various types of substrata, mainly clayey and alkaline. From the evolutive point of view, they represent a higher level

uncovered soil or occupied by less evolved coenoses (of the class *Stellarietea mediae*).

than the other two classes presented above. In the areas of temperate Europe and the Mesomediterranean, three orders are found.

 *Agropyretalia repentis*: This syntaxon includes the post-cultivation, ruderal grassland formations that are medium nitrophilous and are found in the Eurosiberian temperate and Submediterranean areas, on substrata that are mainly of the clayey type. The coenoses here are particularly diffuse in agricultural areas that have been abandoned, as they mainly characterise plots that have not been used for 3 or 4 years or the calanchi areas, with low or higher salt concentrations in the soil, that have been subjected to strong erosive morphological modifications.

*\*Senecio erucifolii-Inuletum viscosae* (Fig. 4): This phytocoenosis is found in the abandoned fields of the central Adriatic hilly sectors with temperate or Submediterranean bioclimate (Biondi & Allegrezza, 1996). The diagnostic species are *Senecio erucifolium*, *Bellevalia romana* and *Cirsium italicum*. This community is included in the alliance *Inulo-Agropyrion* and it is usually physiognomically dominated by the Composita with a Euromediterranean distribution area, *Inula viscosa*. It prefers marly and clayey terrain and in situations that are more mesophilous it is enriched in species of the class *Molinio-Arrhenatheretea*, such as *Holcus lanatus* and *Agrostis stolonifera*.


Fig. 4. *Senecio erucifolii-Inuletum viscosae*
