Vegetation and environmental factors during primary succession on glacier forelands: Some outlines from the Italian Alps

Author: Andreis Carlo   Caccianiga Marco   Cerabolini Bruno  

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

ISSN: 1126-3504

Source: Plant Biosystems, Vol.135, Iss.3, 2001-01, pp. : 295-310

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

Relationships between plant communities and the physical environment during primary succession on recently deglaciated glacier forelands were studied in 3 areas of the Italian Alps. The aim of the research was to relate traditional phytosociological data with environmental variables. Twenty-eight phytosociological relevés were performed, each associated with twenty-six environmental variables; quantitative parameters of richness and diversity were also calculated. Species/relevés, environmental variables/relevés and species/environmental variables matrices were analyzed by cluster analysis, PCA and Spearman correlation coefficient. Three main stages of succession were identified by floristic composition and confirmed by environmental parameter evaluation. A complex of environmental variables seems to be closely correlated with terrain age and richness/diversity parameters, even though diversity decreases in late successional stages. The phytosociological significance of species is in accordance with their position in the context of succession.