Assessing the habitat conservation status by soil parameters and plant ecoindicators

The aim of this study was to assess the conservation status of a Natural Reserve located in central Italy through an integrated analysis including soil, lithotype and edaphic parameters, landforms, and plant species. The relationships between soil and vegetation was investigated using soil variables and plant ecoindicators, expressed by: ( i) the Ellenberg's bioindication model; and ( ii) the Hemeroby Index. Vegetation and soil data have been collected in thirty vegetation and soil profiles. Cluster analysis, performed on a matrix 12 variables / 30 releves allowed the detection of two main clusters, each divided into sub-clusters, characterized by peculiar floristic composition and soil characteristics. Clusters were markedly discriminated by soil Available Water Capacity ( AWC). Canonical Correspondence Analysis ( CCA) performed on variables and species matrices allowed to separate two main habitats: ( i) a core habitat represented by patches of temperate forest correlated to soil cycles of water and nutrients; ( ii) an ecotonal habitat composed by mixed evergreen and thermophilous deciduous oak forest, mainly related to the light, temperature and human disturbance regimes.