161 Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern Tuscany (central Italy): remnants of plant diversity or need for restoration? Abstract Using vegetation as a bioindicator in urban and degraded areas is an effective way to assess the status of the environment. In this work, we present the results of a phytosociological investigation of a suburban river and of its surroundings in southern T uscany (Bestina river and its tributary Bestinino in Asciano, Province of Siena). By means of 94 phytosociological relevés, we identified 34 plant communities belonging to the 17 classes. Six habitats included in the 92/43/EEC Directive, plus two habitats recently proposed for inclusion, were identified, as well as one habitat of regional interest. The study revealed that, despite the high levels of human disturbance, aquatic and herbaceous riparian vegetation is still well-preserved, though mostly represented by stress-tolerant communities. On the contrary, most of the vegetation types not being directly linked to the river dynamic are in poor conservation status. Despite this, some habitats of community interest were detected even in non-riverine sites. Our work provides the basic knowledge for future restoration of the Bestina river and of its surroundings, wished by the T uscany Region. Iz vleček Uporaba vegetacije kot bioindikatorja na urbanih in degradiranih območjih je učinkovit način ocene stanja okolja. V tem delu predstavljamo rezultate fitocenološkega preučevanja reke v suburbanem okolju in njegove okolice v južni Toskani (reka Bestina in njen pritok Bestinino v Ascianu, pokrajina Siena). Z 94-imi fitocenološkimi popisi smo določili 34 rastlinskih združb, ki spadajo v 17 razredov. Določili smo 6 habitatov s Habitatne Direktive in 2 habitata, ki so ju nedavno predlagali za vključitev v direktivo, ter en habitat v deželnem interesu. V raziskavi smo ugotovili, da sta kljub visoki stopnji človekovih motenj, vodna in zeliščna obrežna vegetacija še vedno dobro ohranjeni, vendar ju sestavljajo predvsem združbe, odporne na stres. Nasprotno je večina tipov vegetacije, ki niso neposredno povezani z rečno dinamiko, v slabem ohranitvenem stanju. Kljub temu smo nekaj habitatov v javnem interesu zaznali tudi na mestih stran od reke. Naše delo predstavlja temeljno poznavanje vegetacije za namen obnove reke Bestina in njene okolice v prihodnosti, kar je želja dežele Toskana. Key words: aquatic plant community, biodiversity, phytosociology, riparian habitat, urban area, wetland. Ključne besede: vodne rastlinske združbe, biodiverziteta, fitocenologija, obrežni habitat, urbano območje, mokrišče. Corresponding author: Tiberio Fiaschi E-mail: tiberio.fiaschi@gmail.com Received: 15. 9. 2022 Accepted: 5. 1. 2023 1 Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy 2 National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy Emanuele Fanfarillo1  , Tiberio Fiaschi1  , Paolo Castagnini1  , Leopoldo de Simone1  & Claudia Angiolini1 , 2  DOI: 10.2478/hacq-2022-0016 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 162 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany Introduction The description of vegetation is an important starting point for the environmental knowledge of a given area since the analysis of spontaneous plant communities al- lows an immediate and effective evaluation of the current and past status of the environment. In fact, spontaneous flora and plant communities can be used as a global indi- cator of environmental processes, allowing quick assess- ments of the health status of ecosystems (Pignatti et al., 2001; Bonari et al., 2021a). Wetlands are among the most threatened natural ecosystems, and the main drivers of their loss are land degradation by agricultural activities and urbanization (Gardner et al., 2015). Despite this, many well-preserved freshwater habitats survive. These represent important biodiversity reservoirs, since they host threatened species and vegetation types (Gigante et al., 2016, 2018; Angiolini et al., 2019; Orsenigo et al., 2020). The disappearance of such habitats and their de- crease in extent and quality implies, besides biodiversity loss, a reduction of ecosystem services such as regulation of water cycles and mitigation of microclimates (Janssen et al., 2016; Environmental Protection Agency, 2020). Among wetlands, rivers have a key role in supporting biodiversity, for instance acting as ecological corridors that enhance genetic exchanges between plant and animal populations (Johansson et al., 1996; Palmer et al., 2010). In urban areas, rivers and their riparian vegetation play important ecological and social functions: they provide habitats for wildlife, act as filters and barriers, supply re- sources, increase the diversity of urban landscapes, and of- fer recreational areas for people (Caneva et al., 2021). As a consequence of their location, urban rivers are directly exposed to many anthropic pressures that have negative impacts on their biodiversity, sustainability, and function- al features (Baschak & Brown, 1995). Several anthropic threats at both local and global scales affect riparian ecosystems (Richardson et al., 2007). In recent centuries, river flora, vegetation, and habitats have been depleted due to direct and indirect anthropogenic alterations, which modified key ecological factors that regulate the distribution of species and communities (Lastrucci et al., 2012). Aiming at the protection and correct management of fluvial environments, in 2000 the World Water Council created River Contracts, par- ticipatory tools that involve local people in initiatives (Angelini, 2017). These can be effective policy tools to restore and improve the environmental status of riverine habitats, starting from descriptive surveys as a baseline for future restoration (Caneva et al., 2021). Italy is an important reservoir of aquatic plant diversity (Bolpagni et al., 2018). In southern Tuscany, like else- where, rivers and all wetlands have decreased in extent and quality, with a reduction of plant diversity and the spread of alien species (Viciani et al., 2014; Lazzaro et al., 2020; Viciani et al., 2020). However, relic patches of valuable wetland vegetation can still be found even in ar- eas highly modified by human activities, such as intensive agricultural landscapes (Lastrucci et al., 2010a; Bonari et al., 2021b). In this paper, we present the results of a phytosociologi- cal study of the urban stretch of two small watercourses located in southern Tuscany, central Italy: Bestina River and the final part of its tributary Bestinino. The research was carried out in the context of a River Contract. We describe both aquatic and riparian vegetation and plant communities growing in the surroundings, not directly influenced by the river. This work aims at understanding the status of the environment by describing vegetation and habitats of conservation interest in the study area, and it will be used as a baseline for the definition of a restora- tion project of the Bestina river and of its surroundings. Materials and methods Study area The study area is located in southern Tuscany (central Italy), along the stretches of the Bestina river and of its tributary Bestinino bordering the village of Asciano, in the central part of the province of Siena (43.235519° N, 11.561644° E, EPSG 4326 – Figure 1). In the Middle Ages, Asciano was considered the “barn of Siena’’, due to its countryside being particularly suitable for wheat cultivation. Wheat was ground in 12 mills located on the Bestina river. Thus, Asciano has played an important role for the town of Siena and its people since ancient times (Barlucchi, 1997). The urban center lies within a clayey hilly landscape deeply engraved by small water- courses, at an elevation of about 200 m a.s.l. It is placed in the middle of the “Crete Senesi” area, between two Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) of the Natura 2000 network: “Crete di Camposodo e Crete di Leonina” (IT5190004) and “Monte Oliveto Maggiore e Crete di Asciano” (IT5190005) (T uscany Region, 2021). This area is characterized by the presence of badlands, i.e., patches of highly eroded land that were widely studied by bota- nists due to their peculiar biodiversity (Maccherini et al., 2000, 2011; Gallart et al., 2013). On the contrary, stud- ies on wetland vegetation are lacking. The study area lies on the border between a Mediterra- nean and a temperate submediterranean climate, slightly continental. As for bioclimate, the thermotype is lower mesotemperate and the ombrotype is upper subhumid 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 163 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany (Pesaresi et al., 2017). Geological substrates are mainly represented by sandy alluvial deposits, especially close to the river. Far from the river, Pliocene re-sedimented sands are common. Travertine outcrops are present along the watercourse (Tuscany Region, 2021). Land use is mainly urban, industrial, and agricultural. Shrublands and woods are scarce and usually occur as residual patches (Tuscany Region, 2021). Vegetation survey The survey of plant communities was carried out between June 2020 and June 2021. We started from aquatic and riparian habitats. Then we investigated the river surround- ings, including shores, banks, wood fragments, shrubs, hedges, walls, orchards, and ruderal sites. We carried out 94 relevés using the classic phytosociological method of the Zurich-Montpellier school, which implies a varying size of the relevés (Braun-Blanquet, 1964; Biondi, 2011). Vascular plants were identified according to Pignatti et al. (2017–2019) and liverworts were identified accord- ing to Paton (1999). The taxonomic nomenclature fol- lows the Portal to the Flora of Italy (2021 onwards) for vascular plants and Aleffi et al. (2020) for liverworts. The syntaxonomic nomenclature follows the original authors for associations and subassociations, Biondi et al. (2014a) for suballiances, and Mucina et al. (2016) for alliances, orders, and classes. The syntaxonomy of floodplain woods is according to Gennai et al. (2021). For the associations of the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, we followed Lan- ducci et al. (2020). Characteristic species of syntaxa were detected according to the original authors for associations and subassociations, to Biondi et al. (2014a) for alliances and suballiances, and to Mucina et al. (2016) for classes. Habitats of community interest were identified follow- ing Biondi et al. (2009a). Moreover, we identified habi- tats recently proposed for the inclusion in the Annex I of the Habitats Directive (Spampinato & Puglisi, 2009; Casavecchia et al., 2021). We also checked for the pres- ence of habitats of regional interest, according to the LR 30/2015 (T uscany Region, 2015). Data analysis The relevés were subjected to an agglomerative hierar- chical cluster analysis (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean – UPGMA) (square root trans- formation of percentage species covers, converted as the Figure 1: The investigated stretches of Bestina (red) and Bestinino (pink) rivers and location of the study area (red dot) in T uscany and Italy. Slika 1: Raziskovani odseki rek Bestina (rdeče) in Bestinino (roza) in lokacija raziskovanega območja (rdeča točka) v Toskani in Italiji. 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 164 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany central value of each Braun-Blanquet cover class; dis- tance measure: Bray-Curtis) in the package “cluster” of R-project (R Core Team, 2021; Maechler et al., 2022). The relevés were managed in the software Juice, version 7.1.25 (Tichý, 2002). Then, a DCA analysis was carried out using the function decorana in the package “vegan” of R-project (Oksanen et al., 2021). Ecological indicator values according to Pignatti et al. (2005) were passively transposed on the ordination plot to visually detect the main ecological gradients. Results Cluster analysis and ordination of the relevés The UPGMA analysis produced 33 interpretable clus- ters. The first division of the dendrogram separated the vegetation of shady walls with dripping water (3 relevés) from the rest of plant communities. The second division discriminated against synanthropic herbaceous commu- nities (15 relevés). The third division separated aquatic, gravel bed, and helophytic herbaceous vegetation (42 relevés) from fringes, shrublands, and woods (34 relevés) (Figure 2). Figure 3 shows the DCA ordination plot. The centroids of clusters resulting from the UPGMA are marked with the corresponding number and Pignatti indicator values are passively transposed. The analysis highlighted that the main gradient of diversity (first axis) was mostly corre- lated with decreasing moisture and increasing tempera- ture (from aquatic vegetation to synanthropic thermo- xerophilous vegetation). Increasing levels of nitrophily of the plant communities were positively correlated with moisture. Moreover, a gradient of increasing light and Figure 2: Dendrogram resulting from the UPGMA cluster analysis. The colored bars correspond to the relevés included in each cluster. Slika 2: Dendrogram UPGMA klastrske analize. Obarvane črte predstavljajo popise, ki so vključeni v vsakega od klastrov. Figure 3: DCA ordination plot of the relevés. Numbers correspond to the centroids of the clusters resulting from the UPGMA. Vectors show Mean Pignatti indicator values (significant factors are highlighted in blue); CONT = Continentality; TEMP = Temperature; MOIST = Moisture; NUTR = Nutrients; REACT = Soil Reaction. Numbers correspond to the centroids of the main four groups of relevés from the cluster analysis: 1: vegetation of shady walls with dripping water; 2: aquatic, gravel bed, and helophytic herbaceous vegetation; 3: fringes, shrublands, and woods; 4: synanthropic vegetation. Slika 3: Ordinacijski diagram popisov iz analize DCA. Številke ustrezajo centroidom klastrov iz analize UPGMA. Vektorji prikazujejo povprečne vrednosti Pignattijevih indikatorskih vrednosti (značilni fak- torji so prikazani z modro barvo); CONT = kontinentalnost; TEMP = temperatura; MOIST = vlažnost; NUTR = hranila; REACT = reakcija tal. Številke ustrezajo glavnim štirim skupinam popisov iz klastrske analize: 1: vegetacija senčnih zidov s kapljajočo vodo; 2: vodna, prodiščna in močvirska zeliščna vegetacija; 3: gozdni robovi, grmovja in gozdovi; 4: sinantropna vegetacija. continentality was detected along the second axis (from the communities of humid shaded walls to those of open herbaceous habitats, across shrublands and woods). 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 165 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany Detected plant communities Vegetation of shady walls with dripping water Conocephalo conici-Adiantetum capilli-veneris Caneva, De Marco, Dinelli, Vinci 1995 (Table 1, Supplementary material) This association develops on vertical shady walls with dripping water. It is dominated by liverworts in the lower layer (Conocephalum conicum, Pellia epiphylla) and by the fern Adiantum capillus-veneris in the upper one. It was de- scribed in the archaeological sites of Rome by Caneva et al. (1995). It is not very common in the study area, where it colonizes both artificial and natural vertical or slight- ly inclined wet rocky substrates. It is an example of the habitat 7250 “Mediterranean wet inland cliffs”, recently proposed for the inclusion in Annex I of the Habitats Directive in Italy, and present in several Mediterranean countries (Spampinato & Puglisi, 2009). Aquatic, gravel bed, and helophytic herbaceous vegetation Typhetum latifoliae Nowiński 1930 (Table 2, Supplementary material) Helophytic vegetation dominated by Typha latifo- lia occurs in shallow waters, sometimes in contact with Sparganium neglectum communities. Aquatic species like Callitriche palustris, Veronica anagallis-aquatica and Helos- ciadium nodiflorum are present in the lower layer. This vegetation type is classifiable in the association Typhetum latifoliae. It usually develops in eutrophic conditions, in sites rich in organic sediments with possible soil anoxia, and tolerates summer drying (Landucci et al., 2013). It has a broad ecology and tolerance to disturbances like pollution by agricultural activities (Suska-Malawska et al., 2014). Such formations are very rare in the study area, where they are present as residual small patches. Commu- nities dominated by Typha spp. are classified in the Phrag- mition communis, and were thus recently proposed as the new Annex I habitat of Directive 92/43/EEC “Freshwater large sedge and reed beds” (Casavecchia et al., 2021). Glycerio-Sparganietum neglecti Koch 1926 (Table 3, Supplementary material) Helophytic communities dominated by Sparganium neglectum are to be classified in the Glycerio-Sparganietum neglecti. They are up to 2 m high, and develop in hollows with still or slow-flowing water. Stachys palustris is often abundant in the lower layer. In flooded sites, Callitriche palustris is present with low covers. In sites with less flood- ing and deeper soils, less hygrophilous species occur, e.g., Ranunculus repens, Rumex conglomeratus, and Poa trivialis. The Glycerio-Sparganietum develops in water bodies in an advanced stage of terrestrialization, with mesotrophic to eutrophic waters, often in contact with other associations of Phragmito-Magnocaricetea (Landucci et al., 2013). It is rare in the study area, but common elsewhere in Tus- cany and Italy (Lastrucci et al., 2007; Ceschin & Salerno, 2008; Pedrotti, 2008). Formerly classified in the Glycerio- Sparganion, it was recently classified in the Phragmition communis (Landucci et al., 2020). Communities classi- fied in the latter alliance were recently proposed as a new Annex I habitat of Directive 92/43/EEC under the name “Freshwater large sedge and reed beds”, though Sparga- nium species are not mentioned as diagnostic (Casavec- chia et al., 2021). Moreover, the Glycerio-Sparganietum identifies a habitat of regional interest in Tuscany (LR 30/2015). Glycerietum notatae Kulczyński 1928 nom. mutat. propos. (Table 4, Supplementary material) This community is dominated by Glyceria notata. It develops in flowing, shallow, and base-rich waters. Com- pared to other vegetation types dominated by Glyceria species, it better tolerates nutrient-rich waters and dis- turbance (Landucci et al., 2013). In the study area, this association occurs near the riverbank in moderately flow- ing waters. The presence of species like Nasturtium offici- nale, Ranunculus repens, and Convolvulus arvensis suggest a transition towards less hygrophilous conditions and a higher anthropic disturbance. This vegetation type is quite rare in the study area, though it is common across Italy (Pedrotti, 2008; Tardella & Di Agostino, 2020). As part of the Glycerio-Sparganion, it is a habitat of regional interest in T uscany (LR 30/2015). Helosciadietum nodiflori Maire 1924 (Table 5, Supplementary material) This vegetation type is dominated by Helosciadium nod- iflorum, which is accompanied by few other hygrophilous species (Nasturtium officinale, Veronica anagallis-aquatica, Glyceria notata). It is common along both rivers, in con- tact with communities dominated by Nasturtium offici- nale. It develops in slow-flowing, nutrient-poor to quite nutrient-rich, cool and oxygen-rich waters (Buchwald, 1994). In one relevé, we recorded the dominance of Persi- caria amphibia over Helosciadium nodiflorum. This prob- ably represents a transition towards Persicaria amphibia- dominated communities developing in sites that are submerged for most of the year but dry out in summer, which were detected elsewhere in central Italy (Lastrucci et al., 2007, 2010a, b; Landucci et al., 2013). The asso- 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 166 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany ciation Helosciadietum nodiflori is widespread in Tuscany and in the whole of Italy, especially in the Peninsular part (Sciandrello, 2009; Mereu et al., 2010; Spampinato et al., 2019). It is a habitat of regional interest in Tuscany since it is classified in the Glycerio-Sparganion (LR 30/2015). Paspalo paspaloidis-Polypogonetum viridis Br.-Bl. 1936 (Table 6, Supplementary material) We detected some communities dominated by the al- ien grass Paspalum distichum. They develop in shallow waters and in riverbanks, in contact with vegetation types dominated by Agrostis stolonifera. Despite the absence of the character species Polypogon viridis, we classify this community in the association Paspalo paspaloidis-Poly- pogonetum viridis, according to previous interpretations in Tuscany (Lastrucci et al., 2010a; Mereu et al., 2010). These communities can be attributed to the EU habitat 3280 “Constantly flowing Mediterranean rivers with Pas- palo-Agrostidion species and hanging curtains of Salix and Populus alba”. Agrostis stolonifera community (Table 7, Supplementary material) Strips of dense grasslands dominated by Agrostis stolonif- era develop in shallow waters and on riverbanks, on moist, compact, deep, and nutrient-rich soils. Sometimes they are in contact with communities of Paspalo paspaloidis- Polypogonetum viridis, which colonize more disturbed sites. Species related to permanently wet substrates also occur, such as Mentha aquatica, Nasturtium officinale, and Veronica anagallis-aquatica. Nitrophilous pioneer species such as Urtica dioica and Galium aparine are frequent. In T uscany, similar communities were classified in the as- sociation Rorippo-Agrostietum stoloniferae (Lastrucci et al., 2010a; Mereu et al., 2010). Due to the absence of Rorippa sylvestris in our relevés, we classify them at the alliance level in the Potentillion anserinae. Bolboschoenetum glauci Grechushkina, Sorokin et Golub 2011 (Table 8, Supplementary material) We detected the presence of communities dominated by Bolboschoenus glaucus forming narrow bands on mud- dy substrates, in sites with shallow water that progres- sively dry out during summer. B. glaucus is the more ther- mophilous species of the genus Bolboschoenus in Europe. It is related to freshwater environments, but it adapts to summer drying (Hroudová et al., 2007). We classify this vegetation type in the Bolboschoenetum glauci, a typical association of periodically flooded habitats, with strong fluctuations of water levels. In the study area, it develops between hydrophytic and helophytic communities both in the Bestina and Bestinino rivers. Ranunculetum repentis Knapp 1946 (Table 9, Supplementary material) Dense, species-poor vegetation dominated by Ranuncu- lus repens was found in wet but not permanently flooded banks, in contact with Nasturtium officinale-dominated communities. We classify this vegetation type in the Ra- nunculetum repentis, already detected in nearby areas by Lastrucci et al. (2010b). Hygrophilous species like Lyco- pus europaeus, Mentha aquatica, and Persicaria lapathifolia are sometimes present and even quite abundant. Lycopus europaeus community (Table 10, Supplementary material) A vegetation type dominated by Lycopus europaeus develops along the shores, close to running water, on silty-clayey soils being flooded for most of the year. The dominant species is associated with a few other hygro- philous taxa like Carex pendula, Helosciadium nodiflo- rum, and Persicaria amphibia. Synanthropic species such as Anisantha sterilis, Artemisia vulgaris, and Avena sterilis colonize the community from surrounding man-made areas. These communities are not very common in Italy, since L. europaeus usually does not behave as a dominant species, but occurs with low covers in other hygrophilous vegetation types (Lastrucci et al., 2010a). It is considered a diagnostic species of the class Phragmito-Magnocarice- tea, without a particular linkage to lower-rank syntaxa (Landucci et al., 2020). Difficulties in the syntaxonomic framing of vegetation types dominated by L. europaeus were already highlighted by other authors in Tuscany, who classified these communities into high-rank syntaxa (Phragmitetalia, Phragmito-Magnocaricetea) (Landi et al., 2002; Lastrucci et al., 2010b). Following such previous interpretations, we classify this vegetation type in the class Phragmito-Magnocaricetea. Callitrichetum palustris (Dihoru 1975 .) Burescu 1999 (Table 11, Supplementary material) Callitriche palustris-dominated hydrophytic communi- ties develop in sites with mainly slow-flowing water. The dominant species is occasionally accompanied by sub- merged forms of hygrophilous plants like Veronica ana- gallis-aquatica and Nasturtium officinale. We can classify this vegetation type, frequently found in the study area, in the Callitrichetum palustris. This association reaches its maximum development in spring, and it occurs in clear, nutrient-poor, neutro-alkaline, still or slow-flowing waters (Schotsman, 1967). It was recently detected in Calabria, southern Italy (Maiorca et al., 2020). Such for- mations are examples of the habitat 3260 “Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation”. 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 167 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany Nasturtietum officinalis Gilli 1971 (Table 12, Supplementary material) Species-poor communities dominated by Nasturtium officinale develop in shallow waters. Other hygrophilous species such as Helosciadium nodiflorum and Veronica an- agallis-aquatica also occur, as well as nitrophilous taxa like Persicaria lapathifolia and alien taxa like Bidens frondosa. This vegetation type develops in sunny, fast or slow-flow- ing, oligotrophic to eutrophic waters (Buchwald, 1994). In the study area, it forms a band of varying size all along the rivers, and it is also present inside ditches between orchards. This community is widespread in Tuscany and in the rest of Italy (Landucci et al., 2013; Tardella & Di Agostino, 2020). Like all the associations included in the alliance Glycerio-Sparganion, it is protected on a regional level by LR 30/2015 (T uscany Region, 2015). Potametum crispi von Soó 1927 (Table 13, Supplementary material) Dense formations dominated by Potamogeton crispus are common in ponds and in sites with slow-flowing water. Algae of the genus Chara are sometimes present. This species-poor vegetation type can be classified in the Potametum crispi, a community developing in both lentic and lotic waters, even when polluted (Šumberová, 2011), and on nutrient-rich muds. It is quite common in Tus- can lakes, rivers, and channels (Landi et al., 2002; Mereu et al., 2010). This community, recently detected in other rivers of the surroundings (Rivieccio et al., 2021), identi- fies the habitat 3260 “Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Ba- trachion vegetation” (Biondi et al., 2009b). The attribu- tion to the habitat 3260 is due to the location of this veg- etation type in running waters. In fact, when developing in still waters, communities dominated by Potamogeton species are considered representative of the habitat 3150 “Natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydro- charition-type vegetation”. Parvo-Potamogetono-Zannichellietum pedicellatae Soó 1947 (Table 14, Supplementary material) Zannichellia palustris builds almost monospecific grass- lands a few centimeters underwater, classifiable in the Parvo-Potamogetono-Zannichellietum pedicellatae (syn. Zannichellietum palustris Lang 1967). This association is present in other watercourses of Tuscany, such as the Arno river, the Pesa river, the Tiber river, and the Merse river (Landi et al., 2002; Lastrucci et al., 2010a; Mereu et al., 2010). It is quite common in the study area, espe- cially in still or slow-flowing waters with a good sediment deposition. It is considered an indicator of eutrophic and chlorine-rich waters (Iberite et al., 1995; Ceschin & Salerno, 2008). Communities classified in the alliance Zannichellion pedicellatae are mostly linked to coastal meso-eutrophic brackish waters, but can reach inner areas as a consequence of eutrophication and pollution (Viciani et al., 2022). Like the Potametum crispi, this community must be referred to the habitat 3260 “Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation”. Polygono lapathifolii-Xanthietum italici Pirola et Rossetti 1974 (Table 15, Supplementary material) This hygro-nitrophilous, therophytic community is dominated by Persicaria lapathifolia, Xanthium italicum, and Bidens frondosa. It develops on dry gravel beds and sandy soils. It is dependent by the deposition of new al- luvial material at each flood and by anthropic disturbance (Pirone, 1991). It reaches its maximum development in summer (Ceschin & Salerno, 2008), replacing pioneer winter-annual communities on alluvial soils (Amor et al., 1993). It is present in several watercourses and wet- lands of Tuscany (Landi et al., 2002; Lastrucci & Becat- tini, 2008; Lastrucci et al., 2010b). In the study area, this vegetation type occurs in small beaches or islets that are dry in summer. Despite the relevant presence of alien spe- cies, it is an example of the Directive habitat 3270 “Riv- ers with muddy banks with Chenopodion rubri p.p. and Bidention p.p. vegetation”. Fringes, shrublands, and woods Convolvulo-Epilobietum hirsuti Hilbig, Heinrich et Niemann 1972 (Table 16, Supplementary material) A nitrophilous community dominated by Epilobium hirsutum was detected on the riverbank, on pebbly soil. Taxa like Agrostis stolonifera, Lycopus europaeus, Persicaria maculosa, Ranunculus repens, and Urtica dioica also occur. Though Convolvulus sepium is missing in the only carried out relevé, the ecology and floristic composition allow classifying this vegetation type in the association Con- volvulo sepii-Epilobietum hirsuti (Senecionion fluviatilis, Epilobietea angustifolii), already detected in central Italy by several authors (Lastrucci & Becattini, 2008; Pedrotti, 2008). It develops in non-permanently flooded sites, even disturbed (Pedrotti, 2008). It occurs in small patches all along the Bestina river, and it is an example of the habi- tat 6430 “Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels”. Helianthus tuberosus community (Table 17, Supplementary material) Helianthus tuberosus-dominated hygrophilous and sub- nitrophilous communities occur on embankments, a cou- 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 168 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany ple of meters above the water level. Valuable wetland spe- cies like Stachys palustris and Scrophularia auriculata occur in the lower layer. This alien species-dominated vegeta- tion type shows ecological similarities with the association Oenothero biennis-Helianthetum tuberosi Bolòs, Monser- rat et Romo 1988, described in Spain (Bolòs et al., 1988). Nevertheless, the lack of species like Elymus repens, Pas- tinaca sativa, and Oenothera biennis does not allow clas- sifying our vegetation type into such association. Similar communities were frequently reported in Italy, including Tuscany, mainly along watercourses, but they were never classified at the association level (Lastrucci et al., 2010a; Viciani et al., 2020). They replace herbaceous communi- ties of the habitats 3270 (“Rivers with muddy banks with Chenopodion rubri p.p. and Bidention p.p. vegetation”) and 6430 (Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels) (Lazzaro et al., 2020; Viciani et al., 2020). Following previous authors, we classify this vegetation type in the alliance Senecionion fluviatilis (syn. Calystegion sepii). Pruno-Rubenion ulmifolii O. Bolòs 1954 (Table 18, Supplementary material) In areas not directly influenced by the river, shrub communities are dominated by Acer campestre, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, and/or Ulmus minor. These coenoses can be classified in the Pruno-Rubion ulmifolii alliance, including thermophilic shrublands that develop under conditions of high atmospheric and edaphic hu- midity, in dynamic contact with Quercus pubescens and U. minor woods. Their floristic composition includes some Mediterranean evergreen species, like Rosa semper- virens, Rhamnus alaternus, and Quercus ilex. At a more de- tailed level, we can classify them in the suballiance Pruno- Rubenion ulmifolii, which identifies sub-Mediterranean, sub-hygrophilous shrub communities, characterized by a relevant Mediterranean influence (Blasi et al., 2002; Biondi et al., 2014a). Dioscoreo communis-Populetum nigrae Poldini et Vidali in Poldini, Sburlino ex Vidali, 2017 typicum and popule- tosum albae (Biondi, Vagge, Baldoni ex Taffetani, 1999) Poldini, Vidali ex Castello, 2020 (Table 19, Supplementary material) Fragments of residual riparian woods dominated by Populus nigra, P. alba, and/or Salix alba are present along the Bestina River. Formerly attributed to two dis- tinct associations (Salici-Populetum nigrae (Tüxen 1931) Meyer-Drees 1936 and Populetum albae Br.-Bl. 1931 ex Tchou 1947), such communities were recently classified in the Dioscoreo communis-Populetum nigrae as the two subassociations typicum and populetosum albae (Gennai et al., 2021). These woods occur in riparian areas that are only marginally influenced by the river (e.g., abandoned meanders), and that are subject to submersion in the wet season (Gennai et al., 2021). In the study area, they are only present as very small patches, and their typical flo- ristic composition is altered by the ingression of species from open and ruderal habitats (Brachypodium rupestre, Medicago lupulina, Torilis arvensis). Examples of this veg- etation type were detected all over Italy (Venanzoni & Gigante, 2000; Ceschin & Salerno, 2008; Gennai et al., 2021). Along the Bestina, they represent degraded frag- ments of the habitat 92A0 “Salix alba and Populus alba galleries”. Quercus pubescens community (Table 20, Supplementary material) True non-riparian woodlands are missing in the study area. However, immediately outside the riparian area on clayey substrates, we detected a thicket community domi- nated by Quercus pubescens representing an intermediate successional stage between Pruno-Rubenion shrublands and Quercus pubescens woodlands. We classify this vegeta- tion type in the class Crataego-Prunetea. We speculate that it is dynamically linked to woods classifiable in the Roso sempervirentis-Quercetum pubescentis Biondi 1986, since character species of this association are frequent in the surrounding shrublands (Lonicera etrusca, Rosa sempervi- rens, Rubia peregrina). Moreover, woods classified in the Roso-Quercetum are present in nearby areas (Allegrezza et al., 2002). This evidence highlights the possibility of fu- ture development of the priority habitat 91AA* “Eastern white oak woods”. Clematido vitalbae-Arundinetum donacis Biondi et Allegrezza 2004 (Table 21, Sumaterial) Arundo donax, an archaeophyte native to central Asia, builds dense reed formations both along the rivers and in contact with orchards. In Italy , this species is among the few archaeophytes having a negative impact on many aquatic and terrestrial Directive habitats, including some present or potentially present along the Bestina and Bestinino rivers (habitats 3260, 3270, 3280, and 92A0) (Lazzaro et al., 2020). We classify A. donax-dominated communities of the study area in the association Clematido vitalbae- Arundinetum donacis, described in Marche, central Italy (Biondi & Allegrezza, 2004). This is a sub-hygrophilous and sub-nitrophilous community that develops on damp, nutrient-rich soils, which periodically dry out. The lower layer hosts shrubs and lianas like Clematis vitalba, Hedera helix, and Prunus spinosa, and nitrophilous herbs such as Chaerophyllum temulum, Picris hieracioides, and Urtica dioica. 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 169 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany Galio erecti-Brachypodietum rupestris Allegrezza et al. 2016 (Table 22, Supplementary material) This heliophilous and mesophilous meadow commu- nity is dominated by Brachypodium rupestre, and it builds the edge of thermophilous Quercus pubescens woods, influenced by the river only occasionally, during flood events. It can be classified in the association Galio erecti- Brachypodietum rupestris, widespread in the hills of central Italy (Allegrezza et al., 2016). Dynamically, it represents a very mature herbaceous vegetation type, as highlighted by the presence of shrubs like Crataegus monogyna, Rubus caesius, and R. ulmifolius. Ailanthus altissima community (Table 23, Supplementary material) Ailanthus altissima-dominated forest patches are fre- quent around the Bestina River. These woods are one- layered and develop in agricultural and peri-urban sites on alluvial, silty-sandy soils, i.e. in conditions of good soil moisture availability under high anthropic disturbance. They mainly occur on the slopes above the watercourse, since A. altissima does not tolerate prolonged submer- sions (Badalamenti et al., 2013). The shrub layer is quite species-poor, and it is dominated by Hedera helix and Ru- bus ulmifolius, locally accompanied by Cornus sanguinea, Laurus nobilis, and Robinia pseudoacacia. The herbaceous layer is rich in nitrophilous/ruderal annual and perennial species (Anisantha sterilis, Cichorium intybus, Elymus re- pens, Lamium maculatum, Urtica dioica), highlighting a heavy and frequent anthropic disturbance. The collected data allow classifying these communities in the alliance Lauro nobilis-Robinion pseudoacaciae, which includes sev- eral associations of A. altissima-dominated woods (Mon- tecchiari et al., 2020). Sambuco nigrae-Robinietum pseudacaciae Arrigoni, 1997 (Table 24, Supplementary material) Most of the wood communities developing along the slopes and in small plains around the Bestina river are dominated by the Northern American invasive tree Robin- ia pseudoacacia, which replaces native meso-hygrophilous oak woods on alluvial or colluvial deposits, on damp soils rich in organic matter. Other alien species such as Ailan- thus altissima, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, and Phytolacca americana occur too. Shrubs and lianas such as Clematis vitalba, Hedera helix, Rubus ulmifolius, and Sambucus ni- gra are frequent in the understory. The herbaceous layer is rich in both annual and perennial, ruderal, and nitro- philous species like Anisantha sterilis, Chelidonium majus, Lamium maculatum, and Urtica dioica. The mesophilous ecology of these coenoses is highlighted by the presence of Convolvulus sepium, Corylus avellana, and Equisetum telmateia. We classify this vegetation type in the associa- tion Sambuco nigrae-Robinietum pseudoacaciae, described in northern T uscany and recently included in the alliance Lauro nobilis-Robinion pseudoacaciae (Arrigoni, 1997; Allegrezza et al., 2019). Sambucus nigra community (Table 25, Supplementary material) In the study area, the mantle of Robinia pseudoaca- cia forests is represented by Sambucus nigra-dominated shrublands, whose abundance is promoted by the nitro- gen-fixing R. pseudoacacia itself (Arrigoni, 1997). Such mantles are documented by one relevé, in which Sambu- cus nigra is accompanied by other nitrophilous shrubs and vines like Clematis vitalba and Rubus ulmifolius. Nitro- philous species like Chaerophyllum temulum, Chelidonium majus, and Urtica dioica grow in the herbaceous layer. We frame this community in the alliance Lauro nobilis-Robi- nion pseudoacacie. Salicetum albae Issler 1926 (Table 26, Supplementary material) Small, residual patches of woodland dominated by Salix alba are present in a fragmented way in the study area. Such communities often settle in direct contact with running water, on sandy substrates where soil evolution is prevented by the continuous deposition of alluvial ma- terial (Pirone, 1991). The herbaceous layer hosts hygro- nitrophilous species such as Chaerophyllum temulum, Equisetum telmateia, and Galium aparine. In riparian habitats, these communities are among the most resistant to the anthropogenic impact, although being often small and fragmented (Biondi et al., 2002). As a consequence, they are rich in heliophilous and/or synanthropic species such as Anisantha sterilis, Artemisia vulgaris, Avena sterilis, and Silene latifolia. Along the Bestina, they are degraded remnants of the habitat 92A0 “Salix alba and Populus alba galleries” (Biondi et al., 2012). Calystegio-Equisetetum telmateiae Jovanović 1993 (Table 27, Supplementary material) Tall-size, high-covering herbaceous vegetation domi- nated by Equisetum telmateia is frequent on periodically mown banks of the Bestina River, even in sites with high slopes. These hygro-nitrophilous communities develop in areas with high moisture and high light conditions, often in contact with running water, and on the edge of ripar- ian forests. In the outer part of riverbanks, these stands are often in contact with crops. Besides E. telmateia, the presence of the characteristic species Convolvulus sepium, Elymus repens, and Galium aparine allows classifying this 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 170 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany vegetation type in the association Calystegio-Equisetetum telmateiae Jovanović 1993, described in Serbia. To the best of our knowledge, this is its first record in Italy. These communities develop along disturbed rivers and channels, or in other moist ruderal sites, on sandy and nutrient-rich soils (Jovanović, 1993). As part of the al- liance Senecionion fluviatilis, they should be attributed to the habitat 6430 “Hydrophilous tall herb fringe com- munities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels”. However, this habitat still needs an adequate characteriza- tion, especially regarding its low-elevation variant, which is scarcely known. Given the synanthropic character of the Calystegio-Equisetetum, we here provisionally do not consider it as representative of the habitat 6430. Rubus ulmifolius-Solanum dulcamara community (Table 28, Supplementary material) Low spiny shrublands co-dominated by Rubus ulmifo- lius and Solanum dulcamara are present in the lower part of steep riverbanks, in contact with the water. The high coverage of the dominant species results in a poor her- baceous layer, characterised by ruderal taxa like Galium aparine, Silene latifolia, and Parietaria judaica, with a sporadic presence of hygrophilous species such as Carex pendula, Helosciadium nodiflorum, and Ranunculus repens. Convolvulus sepium is sometimes abundant. We classify this community in the alliance Lauro nobilis-Sambucion nigrae, due to the presence of several diagnostic floristic elements (Hedera helix, R. ulmifolius, Sambucus nigra) ( Biondi et al., 2014b). Synanthropic vegetation Mercurialietum annuae Kruseman et Vlieger 1939 ex Westhoff et al., 1946 (Table 29, Supplementary material) Arable plant communities colonising orchards along the Bestina river can be classified in the Mercurialietum annuae. This vegetation type is dominated by nitrophil- ous annual species and it develops in contexts of high an- thropic disturbance, especially in fertilized crops in late spring. Less frequently, it can be found in ruderal sites. Characteristic species include Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, Mercurialis annua, and Solanum nigrum. This association is common in orchards and per- manent crops of Italy (Baldoni et al., 2001; Fanfarillo et al., 2019a). Bryo-Saginetum apetalae Blasi et Pignatti 1984 (Table 30, Supplementary material) This community develops in the centre of paths, under intense trampling, and it is characterised by annual spe- cies with a prostrate habit (Euphorbia prostrata, Polygo- num arenastrum, Eleusine indica, Poa annua, Oxalis cor- niculata, Portulaca oleracea) associated with a conspicuous bryophyte layer. This vegetation type can be classified in the association Bryo-Saginetum apetalae (alliance Polycar- pion tetraphylli), which was described in Rome and later detected all over Italy (Blasi & Pignatti, 1984; Mele et al., 2002; Ceschin et al., 2006). Potentillo reptantis-Sorghetum halepensis Fanfarillo et Angiolini in Fanfarillo et al., 2022 (Table 31, Supplementary material). Sorghum halepense builds large, species-poor perennial grasslands in ruderal or sub-ruderal sites, classifiable in the association Potentillo reptantis-Sorghetum halepensis. Such communities have their phenological optimum be- tween summer and early autumn. They are particularly common along roadsides, in ditches, and in fallow land, in both urban and agricultural areas, in sites with a good water availability (Fanfarillo et al., 2022). In Asciano, they are documented by one relevé only, in which Convolvulus arvensis, a characteristic species of the association, occurs in the lower layer. Hordeetum leporini Br.-Bl. 1952 (Table 32, Supplementary material) This vegetation type, species-poor and dominated by Hordeum murinum subsp. leporinum, is found in mod- erately disturbed ruderal contexts, in particular along the edge of roads and lanes, reaching its maximum devel- opment during the spring months. The dominant spe- cies is accompanied by annual or biennial synanthropic taxa having their maximum development in spring, such as Anisantha diandra, Galium aparine, Capsella bursa- pastoris, and Poa annua. This association is common in the Mediterranean (Ceschin et al., 2006; Cano-Ortiz et al., 2014), where it is often in dynamic and spatial con- tact with taller synanthropic grasslands dominated by Dasypyrum villosum (Fanfarillo et al., 2019b). Alysso alyssoidis-Sedion Oberd. et T. Müller in T. Müller 1961 (Table 33, Supplementary material) Compact, sunny outcrops of travertine rock and trav- ertine artificial walls host pioneer, xerophilous, and cal- cicolous communities classifiable in the alliance Alysso alyssoidis-Sedion albi. An abundant layer of lichens and bryophytes is present. Dominant species are Petrosedum rupestre and Saxifraga tridactylites. Communities classified in the Alysso-Sedion are known in several places of central Italy, where they develop on base-rich substrates such as limestone and travertine (Scoppola & Angiolini, 2001; Angiolini et al., 2008). These small patches are examples of degradation of the priority habitat 6110* “Rupicolous 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 171 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany calcareous or basophilic grasslands of the Alysso-Sedion albi”. They show an impoverished and altered floristic composition due to their synanthropic position and to cutting/chemical weeding, with the colonisation of ruder- al species such as Crepis sancta subsp. nemausensis, Papaver rhoeas, and Senecio vulgaris. Parietaria judaica community (Table 34, Supplementary material) The communities colonising artificial walls, under con- ditions of good nutrient availability, are characterised by the constant presence of Parietaria judaica, accompanied by other typical species of urban walls such as Asplenium ceterach, Chelidonium majus, and Umbilicus rupestris. We classify this vegetation type, which is widespread in Italy (Brullo & Guarino, 2002), in the alliance Cymbalario-As- plenion and in the class Cymbalario-Parietarietea diffusae. However, given the lack of diagnostic species, we were not able to classify it into a known association. Trifolietum resupinato-nigrescentis Molinier et T allon 1968 (Table 35, Supplementary material) This community was found in an olive grove and it is characterised by small annual herbaceous species. The presence of the characteristic species Trifolium nigrescens and Medicago arabica allows its classification in the asso- ciation Trifolietum resupinato-nigrescentis, which develops under slight disturbance, on alluvial, clayey, neutro-basic soils, possibly affected by temporary flooding. Nearby the study area, this vegetation type was detected in Umbria, where, as in our case, the diagnostic species Trifolium re- supinatum is missing (Gigante & Venanzoni, 2007). Discussion and conclusions Detected vegetation types and status of the environment The survey led to the identification of 34 plant communi- ties. Six habitats included in the 92/43/EEC Directive, plus two habitats recently proposed for inclusion, were identified, as well as one habitat of regional interest. Moreover, we detected a potential for the development of the priority habitat 91AA*. Despite the high anthro- pogenic pressure, most occurring aquatic communities indicate a relatively good status of the environment, rep- resenting interesting remnants of naturalness in a man- made landscape. On the other hand, restoration measures are needed for riparian and terrestrial areas, where plant communities are mainly represented by synanthropic and alien-dominated vegetation types, as a result of heavy disturbance. This evidence confirms the importance of wetlands as biodiversity reservoirs in urban areas, conse- quently providing many biodiversity-related ecosystem services (Baschak & Brown, 1995; Caneva et al., 2021). Such results also underline the effectiveness of River Con- tracts in highlighting the nature value of riverine ecosys- tems by financing descriptive surveys. A valuable community, representing a proposed Di- rective habitat, is the Conocephalo conici-Adiantetum capilli-veneris, which has the peculiarity to develop not only in natural sites (in the study area, prevalently along the Bestina river), but even in synanthropic sites (Caneva et al., 1995). The abundance of liverworts suggests that this community provides bryophyte-related ecosystem services such as stabilization of substrates, water purifi- cation, and water storage in dry periods, improving the status of the environment (Hodgetts et al., 2019). Thus, it represents a valuable element in artificial springs and fountains. Communities of the class Potamogetonetea point to relatively eutrophic conditions, as a consequence of agri- cultural activities and run-off from urban surfaces. Both the Potametum crispi and the Parvo-Potamogetono-Zan- nichellietum pedicellatae are dominated by a moderately nitrophilous species, which can even tolerate polluted waters (Pignatti et al., 2005; Šumberová, 2011). In the Bestina river, such communities are usually not found in contact with the Callitrichetum palustris, which, on the contrary, is an indicator of nutrient-poor conditions (Schotsman, 1967). Consistently, it is present in parts of the river with clearer waters. The framing of all these veg- etation types into the habitat types of the Habitats Direc- tive is sometimes challenging, since they can be attributed either to the habitat 3150 “Natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition-type vegetation” or to the habitat 3260 “Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Ba- trachion vegetation”, based on their presence in lakes or rivers, respectively. This issue was already raised nearby our study area (Rivieccio et al., 2021), since these two habitats share a lot of diagnostic species (Biondi et al., 2009a). Since we studied a riverine environment, we at- tributed them to the habitat 3260. Marsh vegetation is well-preserved, building a diver- sified band that includes communities of the alliance Glycerio-Sparganion, such as Glycerietum notatae, Helos- ciadietum nodiflori, and Nasturtietum officinalis. Such communities show low levels of invasion by synanthropic species, except for the invasive neophyte Bidens frondosa. Their presence and good conservation status suggest a good quality of the environment. These vegetation types are important in building a buffer zone between running 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 172 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany water and dry areas highly modified by anthropic activi- ties, since they are characterised by species with high abil- ities in the uptake of nutrients and pollutants (Warwick & Downes, 1980; Bellino et al., 2020). Despite being neglected by the 93/42/EEC Directive, such plant com- munities are protected in T uscany by the law LR 30/2015 as habitats of regional interest. Valuable riparian vegeta- tion types are also those classified in the alliance Potentil- lion anserinae, namely the Ranunculetum repensis and the Agrostis stolonifera community. In fact, such communities have some conservation value and might deserve to be subjected to protection measures (Angiolini et al., 2017). Helophytic vegetation is poorly represented in the study area, where only some patches of Bolboschoenetum glauci, Glycerio-Sparganietum neglecti, and Typhetum lat- ifoliae were detected. This evidence suggests that, mov- ing away from running water, the anthropic influence quickly gets stronger and environmental quality decreas- es since the helophytic band was removed almost every- where to establish orchards and gardens, or as a conse- quence of mowing activities carried out to facilitate water runoff. The lack of a true helophytic band causes the loss of ecosystem services such as natural water purification, besides removing an important habitat for wetland ani- mals (Tanneberger et al., 2009; Zerbe et al., 2013). The hygro-nitrophilous pioneer vegetation colonizing muddy-sandy gravel beds, classified in the Bidentetea, is rich in ruderal and alien species. However, such com- munities, like those classified in the alliance Paspalo- Agrostion, represent a Directive habitat. Even the pres- ence of the pioneer Polygono lapathifolii-Xanthietum italici is not an indicator of low environmental quality. Such communities replace late in the season winter-an- nual gravel communities dominated by native species, and are so far widespread (Amor et al., 1993). The sea- sonal turnover between native and alien species is com- mon in annual synanthropic plant communities, as it happens, for instance, in arable and ruderal vegetation (Latini et al., 2020; Fanfarillo & Kasperski, 2021). The abundance and diversity of herbaceous synan- thropic communities even in sites close to the river in- dicates a very high anthropic pressure on the waterbody. Some ruderal communities (Parietaria judaica commu- nity, Bryo-Saginetum apetalae) are relegated to strictly urban sites, thus not indicating a low quality of riverine habitats. Agricultural vegetation types can be consider- ably species-rich, and some of them, like the Mercuriali- etum annuae and the Trifolietum resupinato-nigrescentis, can even provide useful services in agricultural land (Storkey & Neve, 2018). However, in the study area, synanthropic vegetation is in general too close to the river, indicating the absence of a buffer zone isolating the aquatic ecosystem from the urban/agricultural ones, with a consequent worsening of the status of the environ- ment. Moreover, cutting and chemical weeding affected Alysso-Sedion communities, already being significantly degraded by the (sub)urban location. The alien-dominat - ed association Potentillo reptantis-Sorghetum halepensis was scarcely observed in the study area, but considering the invasiveness of the dominant species it could spread in the next few years, also considering that Sorghum ha- lepense is one of the most widespread alien species in Italy (Stinca et al., 2021; Fanfarillo et al., 2022). Meso-xerophilous semi-natural vegetation is overall in good conservation status, but woods are missing or reduced to open/shrubby stands classifiable in the class Crataego-Prunetea, indicating the pressure of agricultural activities but not necessarily low environmental quality, as indicated by the low presence of alien or ruderal spe- cies. Mesophilous fringe, shrub, and forest vegetation is not as preserved. Woods are mainly dominated by alien species, especially Robinia pseudoacacia, and native ripar- ian woods are only present as remnant patches of Sali- cetum albae and Dioscoreo communis-Populetum nigrae. The unfavorable conservation status of riparian woody vegetation in the study area has negative implications for biodiversity conservation. Native riparian forests are hotspots of species richness, carry out important ecologi- cal functions, and many of them represent Natura 2000 habitats (Biondi et al., 2009a; Pielech et al., 2021). Thus, restoration and reclamation of natural riparian woody plant communities are needed to improve the status of the environment along the river. Tall-size fringe com- munities are also affected by the invasion of some alien species, in particular Helianthus tuberosus, with the loss of Natura 2000 habitats (e.g., habitat 6430). By the characterization of vegetation types, our study provided the first understanding of the status of plant communities and of the environment in the study area. We highlighted the elements of the riverscape needing conservation and the ones needing restoration or recla- mation. Thus, we provided the basis for future activities aiming at improving the riverine ecosystem and its sur- roundings under the River Contract. 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 173 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany Syntaxonomic scheme Adiantetea Br.-Bl. et al. 1952 Adiantetalia Br.-Bl. ex Horvatić 1934 Adiantion Br.-Bl. ex Horvatić 1934 Conocephalo conici-Adiantetum capilli-veneris Caneva, De Marco, Dinelli, Vinci 1995 Potamogetonetea Klika in Klika et Novák 1941 Potamogetonetalia Koch 1926 Potamogetonion Libbert 1931 Potametum crispi von Soó 1927 Callitricho hamulatae-Ranunculetalia aquatilis Passarge ex Theurillat in Theurillat et al. 2015 Ranunculion aquatilis Passarge ex Theurillat in Theurillant et al. 2015 Callitrichetum palustris (Dihoru, 1975 n.n.) Burescu 1999 Zannichellietalia pedicellatae Schaminée, Lanjouw et Schip- per ex Mucina et Theurillat ined. Zannichellion pedicellatae Schaminée, Lanjouw et Schipper ex Passarge 1996 Parvo-Potamogetono-Zannichellietum pedicellatae Soó 1947 Phragmito-Magnocaricetea Klika in Klika et Novák 1941 Lycopus europaeus community Phragmitetalia Koch 1926 Phragmition communis Koch 1926 Glycerio-Sparganietum neglecti Koch 1926 Typhetum latifoliae Nowiński 1930 Nasturtio-Glycerietalia Pignatti 1953 Glycerio-Sparganion Br.-Bl. et Sissingh in Boer 1942 Nasturtietum officinalis Gilli 1971 Glycerietum notatae Kulczyński 1928 nom. mut.prop. Helosciadietum nodiflori Maire 1924 Oenanthetalia aquaticae Hejný ex Balátová-Tuláčková et al. 1993 Eleocharito palustris-Sagittarion sagittifoliae Passarge, 1964 Bolboschoenetum glauci Grechushkina et al. 2011 Bidentetea Tx. et al., ex von Rochow 1951 Paspalo-Heleochloetalia Br.-Bl. ex Rivas Goday 1956 Paspalo-Agrostion semiverticillati Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1952 Paspalo paspaloidis-Polypogonetum viridis Br.-Bl. 1952 Bidentetalia Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex Klika et Hadač 1944 Chenopodion rubri (Tx. in Poli et J. Tx., 1960) Hilbig et Jage 1972 Polygono lapathifolii-Xanthietum italici Pirola et Rossetti 1974 Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937 Potentillo-Polygonetalia avicularis Tx. 1947 Potentillion anserinae Tx. 1947 Ranunculetum repentis Knapp 1946 Agrostis stolonifera community Epilobietea angustifolii Tx. et Preising ex von Rochow 1951 Convolvuletalia sepium Tx. ex Moor 1958 Senecionion fluviatilis Tx. ex Moor 1958 Calystegio-Equisetetum telmateiae Jovanović 1993 Convolvulo-Epilobietum hirsuti Hilbig, Heinrich et Nie- mann 1972 Helianthus tuberosus community Artemisietea vulgaris Lohmeyer et al., in Tx. ex von Rochow 1951 Elytrigio repentis-Dittrichietalia viscosae Mucina 2016 Inulo viscosae-Agropyrion repentis Biondi et Allegrezza 1996 Potentillo reptantis-Sorghetum halepensis Fanfarillo et An- giolini in Fanfarillo et al. 2022 Papaveretea rhoeadis S. 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Bolòs 1954 Arundo plinii-Rubion ulmifolii Biondi, Blasi, Casavecchia et Gasparri in Biondi et al. 2014 Clematido vitalbae-Arundinetum donacis Biondi et Alle- grezza 2004 Lauro nobilis-Sambucetalia nigrae Biondi, Blasi, Casavecchia, Galdenzi et Gasparri in Biondi et al. 2014 Lauro nobilis-Sambucion nigrae Biondi, Blasi, Casavecchia, Galdenzi et Gasparri in Biondi et al. 2014 Rubus ulmifolius-Solanum dulcamara community 22/2 • 2023, 161–178 174 Fanfarillo et al. Vegetation and Annex I habitats of a suburban river in southern T uscany Trifolio-Geranietea sanguinei T. Müller 1962 Asphodeletalia macrocarpae Biondi et Allegrezza in Biondi et al. 2014 Dorycnio herbacei-Brachypodion rupestris Allegrezza et al. 2016 Galio erecti-Brachypodietum rupestris Allegrezza et al. 2016 Alno glutinosae-Populetea albae P . Fukarek ex Fabijanić 1968 Populetalia albae Br.-Bl. ex Tchou 1948 Dioscoreo communis-Populion nigrae Poldini et Vidali in Poldini, Sburlino ex Vidali 2017 Dioscoreo communis-Populetum nigrae Poldini et Vidali in Poldini, Sburlino ex Vidali 2017 typicum populetosum albae (Biondi, Vagge, Baldoni ex Taffe tani, 1999) Poldini, Vidali ex Castello 2020 Salicetea purpureae Moor 1958 Salicetalia purpureae Moor 1958 Salicion albae Soó 1951 Salicetum albae Issler 1926 Robinietea Jurko ex Hadač et Sofron 1980 Chelidonio-Robinietalia pseudoacaciae Jurko ex Hadac et So- fron 1980 Lauro nobilis-Robinion pseudoacaciae Allegrezza, Montec- chiari, Ottaviani, Pelliccia & Tesei 2019 Ailanthus altissima community Sambuco nigrae-Robinietum pseudacaciae Arrigoni 1997 Sambucus nigra community Acknowledgments We thank I. Bonini for the identification of liverworts and R. Valentini for his logistic support to this research. Emanuele Fanfarillo  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5742-737X Tiberio Fiaschi  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0403-2387 Paolo Castagnini  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2485-1742 Leopoldo de Simone  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3055-136X Claudia Angiolini  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9125-764X Funding This research was funded by the Comune of Asciano (“La Lama” River Contract, funded by T uscany Region - CUP B39C19000120004). The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. The authors acknowledge the support of NBFC to Uni- versity of Siena, funded by the Italian Ministry of Uni- versity and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, “Dalla ricerca all’impresa”, Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033. Bibliography Aleffi, M., Tacchi, R., & Poponessi, S. (2020). New checklist of the Bryophytes of Italy. Cryptogamie Bryologie, 41(13), 147–195. https:// doi.org/10.5252/cryptogamie-bryologie2020v41a13 Allegrezza, M., Biondi, E., Ballelli, S., Tesei, G., Ottaviani, C., & Zitti, S. 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Ecosystem Service Restoration after 10 Years of Rewetting Peatlands in NE Germany. Environmental Management, 51, 1194–1209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-013- 0048-2 Supplementary material Table 1 (Tabela 1): Conocephalo conici-Adiantetum capil- li-veneris Caneva, De Marco, Dinelli, Vinci 1995 Table 2 (Tabela 2): Typhetum latifoliae Nowiński 1930 Table 3 (Tabela 3): Glycerio-Sparganietum neglecti Koch 1926 Table 4 (Tabela 4): Glycerietum notatae Kulczyński 1928 nom. mut. prop. Table 5 (Tabela 5): Helosciadietum nodiflori Maire 1924 Table 6 (Tabela 6): Paspalo paspaloidis-Polypogonetum viridis Br.-Bl. 1952 Table 7 (Tabela 7): Agrostis stolonifera community (Pas- palo-Agrostion) T able 8 (T abela 8): Bolboschoenetum glauci Grechushkina et al. 2011 Table 9 (Tabela 9): Ranunculetum repentis Knapp 1946 Table 10 (Tabela 10): Lycopus europaeus community (Phragmito-Magnocaricetea) Table 11 (Tabela 11): Callitrichetum palustris (Dihoru, 1975 n.n.) Burescu 1999 Table 12 (Tabela 12): Nasturtietum officinalis Gilli 1971 Table 13(Tabela 13): Potametum crispi von Soó 1927 Table 14 (Tabela 14): Parvo-Potamogetono-Zannichellie- tum pedicellatae Soó 1947 Table 15 (Tabela 15): Polygono lapathifolii-Xanthietum italici Pirola et Rossetti 1974 Table 16 (Tabela 16): Convolvulo-Epilobietum hirsuti Hilbig Heinrich et Niemann 1972 Table 17 (Tabela 17): Helianthus tuberosus community (Epilobietea angustifolii) T able 18 (T abela 18): Pruno-Rubenion ulmifolii O. Bolòs 1954 Table 19 (Tabela 19): Dioscoreo communis-Populetum ni- grae Poldini et Vidali in Poldini, Sburlino ex Vidali 2017 Table 20 (Tabela 20): Quercus pubescens community (Crataego-Prunetea) Table 21 (Tabela 21): Clematido vitalbae-Arundinetum donacis Biondi et Allegrezza 2004 Table 22 (Tabela 22): Galio erecti-Brachypodietum rupe- stris Allegrezza et al. 2016 Table 23 (Tabela 23): Ailanthus altissima community (Lauro-Robinion) Table 24 (Tabela 24): Sambuco nigrae-Robinietum pseu- dacaciae Arrigoni 1997 Table 25 (Tabela 25): Salicetum albae Issler 1926 Table 26 (Tabela 26): Calystegio-Equisetetum telmateiae Jovanović 1993 Table 27 (Tabela 27): Rubus ulmifolius-Solanum dulca- mara community (Lauro-Sambucion) Table 28 (Tabela 28): Mercurialietum annuae Kruseman et Vlieger, 1939 ex Westhoff et al. 1946 Table 29 (Tabela 29): Bryo-Saginetum apetalae Blasi et Pignatti 1984 T able 30 (T abela 30): Potentillo reptantis-Sorghetum hale- pensis Fanfarillo et Angiolini in Fanfarillo et al. 2022 Table 31 (Tabela 31): Hordeetum leporini Br.-Bl. 1952 T able 32 (T abela 32): Alysso alyssoidis-Sedion Oberd. et T . Müller in T. Müller 1961 Table 33 (Tabela 33): Parietaria judaica community (Cymbalario-Asplenion Segal 1969) Table 34 (Tabela 34): Trifolietum resupinato-nigrescentis Molinier & Tallon 1968