Caratterizzazione fitosociologica dell’habitat prioritario 6220*-“Percorsi substeppici di graminacee e piante annue deiThero-Brachypodietea”: caso di studio della Sardegna settentrionale

In this paper we aimed at characterizing phytosociologically the priority habitat 6220* in Northern Sardinia. In the study area this habitat is identified on the field by the presence of 18 plant associations, referred to the following syntaxonomic classes:Helianthemetea guttati, Poetea bulbosae, Artemisietea vulgarisandLygeo-Stipetea. Within theBrachypodio ramosi-Dactyletalia hispanicaeorder of theArtemisietea vulgarisclass, three new associations are here described for the first time:Ophrydo praecocis-Dactyletum hispanicae, Orchido longicorni-Dactyletum hispanicaeandOrchido collinae-Dactyletum hispanicaewhich are all referred to theLeontodo tuberosi-Bellidion sylvestrisalliance. The wide structural and functional heterogeneity, that prevent from outlineing common management strategies to all the 4 vegetation classes included in the habitat, suggests the need of a clarification of the Habitats Directive and its revision on the basis of the recent phytosociologic findings.