Coastal saltmarsh vegetation in Sicily (Italy): phytosociological insights and plant diversity

This paper reports a phytosociological survey on the perennial halophilous vegetation of the coastal salt marshes in Sicily. Data available from the literature have been supplemented with original relevés performed in different salt marshes in Sicily. A total of 470 relevés according to the standard procedures of the Braun-Blanquet method were processed. For the definition of plant communities and alliances, hierarchical clustering was performed by using Bray-Curtis coefficient and Detrended Correspondence Analysis ordination methods. The <i>Salicornietea fruticosae</i> class is represented in Sicily by two, floristically and ecologically well differentiated, orders: <i>Salicornietalia fruticosae</i>, including seven alliances (<i>Arthrocnemion macrostachyi, Inulion crithmoides</i>, <i>Limoniastrion monopetali</i>, <i>Limonion ferulacei</i>, <i>Salicornion fruticosae</i>, <i>Sarcocornion alpinii</i>, <i>Suaedion verae</i>), and <i>Halocnemetalia cruciati</i>, including only one alliance (<i>Halocnemion cruciati</i>). Within this class, 12 plant associations were recognized, of which a new association (<i>Junco subulati-Limonietum narbonense</i>), included in the <i>Salicornion fruticosae</i> alliance.