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At present times, the Sicilian flora counts approximately 400 fully naturalized xenophytes,
half of which are archaeophytes. The only well preserved patches of natural vegetation are
limited to the most inaccessible places (cliffs, screes, rocky ledges, very steep slopes and
windy ridges, plus the Etnean heights). In total, they cover a surface of about 7300 ha, i.e.
0.29% of the island (BAZAN et al. 2009). With reference to the phytosociological classifica-
tion of the Sicilian vegetation (GUARINO et al. 2017), the best preserved natural plant com-
munities of the island are those belonging to the following syntaxa: Rumici-Astragaletea sicu-
li (orophilous chamaephytic vegetation), Dripidetea spinosae (hemicryptophytic and chamae-
phytic vegetation of screes, talus slopes and riverbeds) Saxifragion australis (chasmophytic
vegetation on alkaline rocks of the top of mountain ranges), Dianthion rupicolae (chasmophy-
tic vegetation on alkaline rocks up to 800 m a.s.l.) and, in part, Crithmo-Staticetea (halo-chas-
mophytic vegetation of rocky coasts).
The Sicilian woodlands can be also included in the relatively well preserved natural vege-
tation, although most of them are (or have been until recent) disturbed by husbandry, periodi-
cal coppicing and frequent arsons. In total, Sicilian woods are covering approx. 72000 ha, i.e.
2.9% of the island (BAZAN et al. l.c.). The rest of the island is mostly colonized by secondary
and anthropogenic vegetation. The secondary vegetation includes chestnut and hazelnut gro-
ves and reforestations (mainly Pinus spp. and Eucalyptus spp.), scrublands (Pistacio-Rham-
netalia alaterni, Prunetalia spinosae and Pyro spinosae-Rubetalia ulmifolii), garrigues
(Cisto-Micromerietea julianae, Cisto-Lavanduletea stoechadis), perennial semi-natural
grasslands (Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Lygeo spartii-Stipetea tenacissimae), covering in total
23.12% of the island.
The synanthropic vegetation (Artemisietea vulgaris, Papaveretea rhoeadis, Chenopodi-
etea, etc., reviewed in BRULLO et al. 2007) is widely distributed on 1,245,000 ha, i.e. nearly
50% of the island, wherever an extensive agriculture is (or have been until recent) performed.
Most of the Sicilian territory is occupied by hard-wheat fields, but other forms of dry-land
farming, like olive groves and plantations of almond, pistachio, ash-tree, carob tree, still cha-
racterize a relevant part of the Sicilian rural landscape (Fig. 4).
As a consequence of agricultural intensification and urban sprawl, several traditional man-
made landscapes and habitats, such as dry stone terraces and fallows (RÜHL & PASTA 2008,
LA MANTIA et al. 2011) or salt pans (TROÌA 2006) are fading, with impressive consequences
on the overall plant species richness. Currently, those traditional landscapes and many others
suffer abandonment or, worse, the imposition of new transformations to which we refer with
numerous neologisms: coastalization, urban sprawl, gentrification, etc. (GUARINO et al.
2014.). Nowadays intensive agriculture covers around 25% of the island. Citrus groves,
orchards, greenhouses and vineyard are included here. The impact of intensive agriculture is
progressively increasing, dealing with the popularity of the Sicilian wines and early fruits.
Mechanized agricultural practices, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are drastically
selecting the weedy plants, penalizing the Mediterranean plants and enhancing the chances of
non-native weeds, which also take advantage of nutrient- and water input. Modern technology,
like everywhere in the world, underpin the modern trend ‘from local to global’. It is hard to
believe that ubiquitous plants, like Ailanthus altissima, Oxalis pes-caprae or Pennisetum seta-
ceum, colonized Sicily such a short time ago. They belong to a process of ‘banalisation’ of the
landscape that is one of the newest forms of global impact.
On the other hand, approximately 1/4 of the whole Sicilian flora (about 750 taxa) has got
a remarkable biogeographical and systematic interest (BRULLO et al. 1995; RAIMONDO et al.
2011). Many of these elements are currently threatened with human activities. Most natural

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