Il Poligono Militare di Nettuno (prov. Roma), testimonianza di un paesaggio scomparso: contributo alla conoscenza floristica e proposte per la tutela

Abstract

The Nettuno Artillery Training Area (Roma province), a surviving ancient landscape: its flora and conservation problems – The Artillery Training Area near Nettuno was established in 1888 on 1,550 hectares along the Thyrrhenian coast. It has preserved for 120 years – although unintentionally – the landscape of the Piana Pontina wetlands, which was destroyed for most of its extension by land reclamation in the 30’s and by subsequent intensive farming and urbanization. We list 558 vascular plant species we have observed in the military area so far – 37 of them are very rare in Lazio region, and 17 are included in national or regional red lists. Most endangered species found in the study area are bound to the ephemerals communities of shallow temporary pools, which correspond to the Habitat Directive priority habitat type “3170-*Mediterranean temporary ponds”, or to the wet Imperata cylindrica grasslands, which stretch over a vast area and correspond to the habitat type “6420-Mediterranean tall humid grasslands of the Molinio-Holoschoenion”. Our study shows that the area has a rich flora, and can be considered an open-air museum of a vanishing landscape. Some conservation measures are suggested.