Based on the evaluation of 3,902 local floristic references published between 2005 and 2025, an update to the floristic knowledge map of Italy is presented. To measure the progress in floristic knowledge across Italy’s administrative regions, the ‘Index of Floristic Knowledge Advancement’ (IFA) is proposed here. This index categorizes regions based on the proportion of potential improvement that has actually been achieved. Res...

Floristic mapping advances the biogeographical knowledge by revealing patterns of biodiversity through a standardized grid-based survey of species’ occurrences. It consists of the systematic grid-based survey of species occurrence, aimed at producing distribution maps of vascular plants within a given territory. We compiled a dataset of 32,939 floristic records (field observations, herbarium specimens, and literature) referenc...

Microhabitat utilisation holds a pivotal role in shaping a species’ ecological dynamics and stands as a crucial concern for effective conservation strategies. Despite its critical importance, microhabitat use has frequently been addressed as static, centering on microhabitat preference. Yet, a dynamic microhabitat use that allows individuals to adjust to fine-scale spatio-temporal prey fluctuations, becomes imperative for spec...

We analysed the invasion history of two North American macrophytes ( Elodea canadensis and E. nuttallii ) in Italy, through an accurate census of all available herbarium and field records, dating between 1850 and 2019, and a rich literature collection describing the initial introduction and naturalisation phase that supports the results obtained by the occurrence records. Elodea canadensis arrived in Italy before 1866 and had...