The full extent of the ecological threat posed by non-native invasive leguminous N-fixing trees to Italian ecosystems has not been thoroughly documented at the national level. This study, conducted by the Working Group on Alien Species of the Italian Botanical Society, aims to develop a comprehensive dataset that provides information on invaded and non-invaded areas, supporting multi-scale ecological analyses on the impact of...

Crepis aspromontana, an endemic species from Calabria (Southern Italy), is a traditional nutritional source in the ethnobotany of the Graecanic area. This study compares the morphometric and chemical properties of wild and cultivated specimens, also evaluating the phytochemical response to abiotic stress. The results highlight a clear growth-defense trade-off: cultivated plants exhibit superior morphometric characteristics (la...

Perennial dry grassland communities, vital for plant biodiversity conservation in the Mediterranean, often harbor rare and endangered species. However, these habitats face threats, including the invasion of alien species. Cenchrus setaceus , a highly invasive grass, is spreading in the Mediterranean region. Historical records and observations document its establishment and invasiveness across various Italian regions. This stud...

The 92/43/EEC Habitats Directive is the main European Union legal tool concerning nature conservation. The habitat types listed in Annex I to the Directive are phytosociology-based. It is widely acknowledged that phytosociological analysis is a crucial approach for habitats characterization and for monitoring their conservation status. Based on bibliographic investigations and new field survey campaigns, a list of habitat type...

An updated checklist of the Calabrian alien vascular flora is presented. By way of field, bibliographic, and herbarium research, we recorded 382 alien taxa (representing almost 14% of all regional flora), of which 371 are angiosperms, nine gymnosperms, and two ferns. In relation to the state of spread, the majority of alien species are casual (207 taxa; 54%), followed by naturalized (127; 33%) and invasive (48; 13%), these las...