Articles

<i>Anthyllis hermanniae</i> subsp. <i>brutia</i>, is an Italian endemic shrub occurring just in one locality by the Calabrian Ionian coast in southern Italy. Objective of this study is to provide data on population numbers, demography and ecology, as well as to identify the main threats on the long term conservation of the target taxon. The survey has been carried out through field census work, sampling biometric and dendrometric data, and applying simple statistics. The population, counting totally 962 individuals, is divided in two stands concentrated in the central part of the distribution area. It is restricted to a narrow belt on the inland part of the dune slope encompassed between an artificial pine forest at the dune top, and the dune-specialized vegetation on the slope. Some biometric insights, such as stem diameter, plant height and number of annual rings, suggest the role of micro-ecology in individual shaping. The most relevant threating factor for the long term conservation of this rare taxon is the rapidly spreading <i>Pinus halepensis</i> subsp. <i>halepensis</i>. Local population of this invasive alien species, deriving from planted individuals, is now invading the <i>A. hermanniae</i> subsp. <i>brutia</i> habitat. Chorological and ecological data here provided should hopefully steer further population dynamics investigation as well as any urgent environment management actions.

Although there are numerous studies on the floristic composition of the Andean and Caribbean grasslands, there are limited information from a phytosociological point of view. This work therefore aims to highlight the differences in this important vegetation type in these two biodiversity hotspots to gain a better understanding of their floristic and vegetational richness. The floristic composition of Andean grasslands (Ecuador) and the island of Hispaniola is also studied. The reason for this comparative analysis of Andean and Caribbean territories is their tropical character and their bioclimatic similarities. The comparative analysis of Peruvian Andean and Colombian grasslands is based on floristic knowledge from the literature, our inventories on the island of Hispaniola, and the works of Peguero. We applied the phytosociological methodology of Braun-Blanquet and the code of phytosociological nomenclature. We performed a statistical analysis to verify the differences between both community types using the statistical packages PAST© and CAP3. The comparative analysis of Andean and Caribbean grasslands shows a clear floristic and biogeographical differentiation and reveals that the only ecological character they share is their high-mountain attribute. In the Caribbean these communities are found only on the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic) in the Central biogeographic sector, Central subprovince, Hispaniola province. These grasslands are exclusive to Hispaniola and have a high rate of endemics. We propose the following new syntaxa: the association <i>Hyperico constanzae-Danthonietum domingensis</i>,<i> </i>the alliance<i> Hieracio domingensis-Deschampsion domingensis</i>, the order<i> Danthonietalia domingensis, </i>and the class <i>Deschampsio-Danthonietea domingensis.</i> We found high biodiversity values for Andean and Caribbean areas. This is due to the intense anthropic activity on the island of Hispaniola, which has led to a high percentage of naturalized plants.