Contribution to the knowledge of Mediterranean wetland biodiversity: Plant communities of the Aquila Lake (Calabria, Southern Italy)

As part of researches undertaken on the aquatic and marsh vegetation of southern Italy, a study on the Aquila Lake, a small lake basin in southern Calabria near Rosarno (RC), is here presented. Overall, 86 phytosociological relevés were carried out. The phytosociological study allowed the identification of several aquatic and marsh phytocoenoses, many of which not yet known for the region. They are referable to the following 8 classes: Lemnetea minoris R. Tx. ex O. Bolòs & Masclans 1955, Potametea pectinati R.Tx. & Preising 1942, Phragmito australis-Magnocaricetea elatae Klika in Klika & Novák 1941, Agrostietea stoloniferae Oberdorfer 1983, Galio aparines-Urticetea dioicae Passarge ex Kopecký 1969, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tüxen 1937, Salici purpureae-Populetea nigrae Rivas-Martínez & Cantó ex Rivas-Martínez et al. 2001, Querco roboris-Fagetea sylvaticae Br.-Bl. & Vlieger in Vlieger 1937. A peculiar marsh vegetation is the Cladietum marisci Allorge 1922 ex Zobrist 1935 (habitat of Community interest, according to the EEC directive 43/92 - 7210 *Calcareous ferns with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae"). In the Aquila Lake, some rare aquatic plant communities highlight the importance of this biotope for biodiversity conservation. In particular, we found the pleustophytic associations Lemno-Spirodeletum polyrhizae Koch 1954, Lemno minoris-Hydrocharitetum morsus-ranae Passarge 1978 and the aquatic rooted vegetation of Nymphaeetum albae Vollm. 1947. Despite the heavy pressures on this area, the biotope harbours a well-differentiated and structured aquatic and marsh vegetation that allows the presence of a rich bird life, both sedentary and migratory. The area, privately owned, is not protected; hunting and fishing are practiced and water is pumped for irrigation with negative consequences on the integrity of the entire aquatic ecosystem. Because of its naturalistic peculiarities and its remarkable biodiversity, this biotope certainly deserves more attention and should be proposed as a protected area.