Community Ecology
Volume/Issue:
Volume 7: Issue 1
Comparison of native and alien plant traits in Mediterranean coastal dunes
Authors:
A. Acosta Dipartimento di Biologia, Universitŕ degli Studi di Roma Tre V.le Marconi 446, I-00146 Roma, Italy. Tel.: +39 06 55176389, Fax: +39 06 55176321.

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C.F. Izzi Dipartimento di Biologia, Universitŕ degli Studi di Roma Tre V.le Marconi 446, I-00146 Roma, Italy

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A. Stanisci Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Ambiente e il Territorio, Universitŕ degli Studi del Molise Via Mazzini 8, I-86170 Isernia, Italy

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Pages:
35–41
Online Publication Date:
17 May 2006
Publication Date:
01 Jun 2006
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/comec.7.2006.1.4
Keywords:
Exotic species; Multivariate analysis; Central Italy; Coastal communities; Functional groups; Gower index
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This study is part of a general project to analyse the biological and ecological mechanisms that influence the invasion of Mediterranean sand dune ecosystems by alien plants. In this paper we analyse the morphological and functional traits of coastal dune wild species (natives and aliens) based mainly on information from the literature. The most common 130 wild species occurring on the recent (Holocenic) coastal dunes were included considering the invasive status of alien plants. A comparative analysis of functional groups was performed through ordination techniques (PCoA using the Gower index). This reveals four functional groups related to the most important plant communities in coastal vegetation zonation. Alien plants were found in all functional groups and no trait or set of traits was specifically related to them. This indicates that aliens show similar traits to those natives growing in different communities of the coastal dune zonation, from the small beach annuals to the evergreen taller shrubs of the Mediterranean macchia. When the invasive status of alien species was taken into account, however, some differences emerged: a) casual aliens were found in almost all groups but their traits were not interpreted as being due to any particular adaptive strategy; b) naturalised aliens were only found in the less fluctuating habitats of the inner coastal zones; c) invasive alien species were connected with two major plant strategies: annual invasive aliens (quick-to-mature low grasses and herbs) and perennial invasive aliens (taller and often strongly clonal).

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Cover Community Ecology
Community Ecology An Interdisciplinary Journal Reporting Progress in Community and Population Studies
Print ISSN:
1585-8553
Online ISSN:
1588-2756

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Community Ecology
Language English
Size A4
Year of
Foundation		 2000
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 3
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
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Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
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Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
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ISSN 1585-8553 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2756 (Online)

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