Climatic, bioclimatic, and pedological influences on the vegetation classification of "Bosco dell'Incoronata" in Southern Italy

The ongoing growth of human populations over the past 100 years has led to the widespread degradation of natural ecosystems triggering global environmental, economic, and social problems. Therefore, it is necessary to characterise the priority areas for nature conservation to prevent the loss of ecosystem services and to identify suitable conservation and protection plans. In light of this, the present study aims to identify an operational methodology to characterise the aspects that most influence the highly natural areas, such as those of the Natura 2000 network. Various factors that can influence the vegetation will be considered to identify the best practices to save the naturalness of these ecosystems and habitats. The study area is the forestland "Bosco dell'Incoronata" (Puglia Region, Southern Italy) within the homonymous Natural Regional Park, representing a green island surrounded by cultivated fields. This area was chosen because intense pilgrimages of people for religious purposes are frequent and, therefore, several disturbance factors can be considered. The methodological approach is based on the phytosociological, bio-climatological, and pedological studies, considered essential for an in-depth understanding of the dynamics taking place in the area. The results of the elaborations explain the presence of some of the plant communities found in the area. Finally, some measures are proposed to optimise the conservation strategy and safeguard biodiversity while allowing the use of the area by a man with a more sustainable use of available resources.