Rhododendron ferrugineum L. in fitocenosi relitte dell'Appennino settentrionale

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Relict communities of Rhododendron ferrugineum L. in Northern Apennines. — On the Apennines Rhododendron ferrugineum vegetates spontaneously only on the Tuscan-Emilian part, but particularly on the Northern side, on Cima Belfiore (1810 m), on Mount Prado (2053 m), on Mount Libro Aperto (1937 m). The Rhododendron stations are to be found on the Northern slopes of the Apenninic ridges at an altitude between 1750-1937 meters (Libro Aperto). They have the aspect and sometimes the same floristic composition, of the hypsophyle Vaccinium and Empetrum heaths covering almost alla the summits of the Tuscan and Emilian Apennines. The environmental conditions which have preserved these Apenninic Rhododendron heaths could probably be the abundant snowfalls, (precipitations over 2000 mm per year), the acidity of the soil derived from the Oligocene hard sandstone and finally to a certain degree of continentality.