Preliminary investigations of the Bryophyte Flora in the Hazel Groves of the Aveto Regional Natural Park (Ligurian Apennines)

Chiara Macolino ¹, Claudia Turcato ², Luigi Minuto ¹

Dipartimento di scienze della terra, dell'ambiente e della vita, Università di Genova ¹, Centro Studi Bionaturalistici ²

This study investigates the bryological diversity of six hazel groves in the Val d’Aveto Regional Natural Park. The sampling sites were selected between the municipality of San Colombano Certenoli and Mezzanego and they represent both managed and abandoned cultivations. The study of bryophyte diversity is part of a broader floristic characterization of the hazel groves in Aveto Park, aimed at further enhancing these crops, which are already recognized with a cultural and agri-food value. To conduct the investigations, 99 mosses were sampled in three different substrates (soil, rock and bark). In total 47 different taxa were identified, with 5 being new species for the Liguria region and 4 being confirmed records (no information was known after 1968). The bryophytic species richness varied among the six sampling sites, with the lowest diversity observed on bark in all cases. Despite differences in specific composition, the identified taxa suggest similar ecological and chorological conditions for all sites investigated. These findings contribute to increasing knowledge about the bryophytic component of the Ligurian Flora, which is one of the least investigated nationally (Poponessi et al. 2013). The results provided also qualitative information on the bryophytic composition of the Flora in the hazel groves of the Aveto Regional Natural Park.

Main author career stage: Master student

Contribution type: Talk

First choice session: 2. Ecology

Second choice session: 3. Biodiversity and global change