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848 L. GIANGUZZI ET AL.

della Maddalena e Grotta Pellegrino’ SCI at Siracusa other broad-leaved species (42,145 ha); these planta-
(Minissale, Santo, & Sciandrello, 2011). Other carto- tions were set up during the last century – especially
graphic studies in scale 1:50,000 affected larger areas, in Sicily, and to a lesser extent on its smaller islands –
including the carbonate massif of the Madonie Mts. in order to promote the recovery of the woodlands
(Raimondo, Gianguzzi, & Schicchi, 1994), the Province reduced by human activity.
of Palermo (Raimondo et al., 2000) and the south- On the basis of the cartographic analysis, natural
eastern part of the Sicani Mts. (Marino, Castellano, wood communities occupy a total area of 174,296.72 ha
Bazan, & Schicchi, 2005). Further contributions for (equal to about 6.78%), of which 172,736.71 ha is in Sicily
the regional area equipped with smaller scale maps and 1560 ha in the smaller islands, mainly in hilly and
were published by Tomaselli, Gentile, Pirola, and mountain areas, as well as along streams and rivers. In
Balduzzi (1968), Pedrotti et al. (1992), Raimondo, particular, they are ‘deciduous woods of the Quercus
Gianguzzi, Venturella, and Lo Valvo (1992), Geomap pubescens group and other deciduous species’ (94,111
(1995) and Blasi (2010), in addition to other phytoso- ha), ‘Quercus ilex woods’ (22,561 ha), ‘Quercus suber
ciological and cartographic surveys – some of which woods’ (21,482 ha), ‘Fagus sylvatica woods’ (16,285 ha)
are unpublished – promoted by the Sicilian Region and ‘Betula aetnensis woods’ (361 ha), ‘thermophilous
(Department of Territory and Environment). and mesophilous coniferous woods’ (7963 ha), ‘riparian
The syntaxonomical framework refers to that anddwarfwoods, with prevalence ofSalix sp.pl.,Populus
reported in the Prodromo della vegetazione d’Italia sp. pl. and Platanus orientalis’ (overall 32,322 ha), ‘dwarf
(http://www.prodromo-vegetazione-italia.org/), except woods of xeric river terraces with Tamarix sp. pl. and/or
some specific references in the text and in the sup- Nerium oleander’ (15,404 ha).
plemental materials. Other phytocoenotic units of naturalistic and
landscape importance are represented by shrubs and
garrigues, usually present on the margins of wooded
4. Results
areas, divided into: (a) ‘shrublands on forest edges
The results obtained through photo-interpretation and with predominance of thorny and deciduous species’
field validation allowed the identification of 36 phyto- (35,717 ha); (b) orophylous cushion-like shrubs, spread
coenotic types, divided in zonal (communities tied to on the Madonie Mts. and Mt. Etna (5398 ha); (c)
the various bioclimatic belts, in particular maquis, ‘shrubs and garrigues on rocky ridges and eroded
woods, garrigues and semi-natural grasslands), azonal slopes of carbonate nature’ (13,857 ha) and (d) ‘shrubs
(coenoses typical of habitats conditioned by the sub- and garrigues on rocky ridges and eroded slopes of sili-
strate, such as cliffs, streams, coastal dunes, etc.) and cate nature’ (78,147 ha).
anthropogenic vegetation (artificial forest plantation, Other secondary units widespread both in Sicily and
cultivated land, built-up areas and other habitats in the smaller islands are the Mediterranean grasslands,
affected by human activities). The various types are with an overall area of 330,039 ha; these are herbaceous
described in detail in the supplemental materials, communities, used for grazing and regularly affected by
following the order of the Main Map legend as wildfires, that characterize large parts of the landscape
shown in Table 1. of the hilly and submountain belts.
Units of azonal vegetation are also numerous and
varied across the territory, represented by ‘pioneer
5. Conclusions
glareicolous communities of river gravel beds’ (6125
An overview of the mapped types, including their ha), ‘psammophilous communities of sandy coastal
extent, divided between the territory of Sicily and stations’ (3174 ha), ‘chasmo-halophilous communities
its smaller islands, is given in Table 1. The plant land- on sea cliffs with predominance of Crithmum mariti-
scape is complex and varied, characterized by 36 phy- mum and Limonium sp. pl.’ (2132 ha), ‘halophilous
tocoenotic categories, in which anthropogenic types communities of lagoons, salt flats and brackish
prevail; in fact, in addition to the urbanized areas marshes’ (3174 ha), ‘halo-nitrophilous communities
(buildings and out-buildings, with an area of of badlands areas’ (14,439 ha), ‘hygro-hydrophilous
125,064 ha), most of the territory is covered by ‘cul- communities of freshwater lakes’ (14,496 ha), ‘chas-
tivated lands and temporary fallow lands’ (846,470 mophitic communities of rocky cliffs, including quarry
ha), followed by ‘Olive groves and other dry crops’ areas and lithic outcrops’ (11,138 ha) and ‘lava flows
(336,528 ha), ‘Citrus groves and irrigated orchards’ and naked lava fields or with sparse vegetation’
(158,592 ha), ‘vineyards’ (142,558 ha), ‘greenhouses’ (16,415 ha).
(15,608 ha) and ‘Hazel groves’ (12,411 ha). In Thus, the plant landscape of the area is largely
addition to these vegetation aspects, there are also anthropogenic, and reflects intense use since ancient
artificial plantations dominated by non-native species, times of this important territory situated in the centre
in particular by Pinus halepensis and other conifers of the Mediterranean area. The natural aspects are lim-
(57,681 ha) and by Eucalyptus camaldulensis and/or ited to relatively small ‘natural oasis’, whose biotopes