Dunal and riparian vegetation in the Oriented Natural Reserve “Laghetti di Marinello” (Sicily): a highly dynamic ecosystem

The Oriented Natural Reserve “Laghetti di Marinello”, north-eastern Sicily, includes a coastal brackish system beneath the promontory of “Capo Tindari”. Starting from the last decades of the 19th century, literature reports the existence of the brackish system, which reached the current structure in the 20th century. The whole lagoon is in continuous transformation due to the extreme dynamics of the delimiting sandy bars. On this unstable environment, the vegetation is characterized by rapid migrations following the dunal shift. The riparian vegetation appeared almost stable in the last decade, with the typical freshwater association Phragmito australis-Magnocaricetea elatae Klika facing the promontory, and the euryhaline association Juncetea maritimi Br.-Bl. facing the sea. In the sandy areas surrounding the ponds, the Hyparrhenion hirtae Br.-Bl., P. Silva et Rozeira association, a predominantly thermophilic herbaceous and not purely psammophilous vegetation, was observed. Within the latter one, the exotic Cenchrus setaceus (Forssk.) Morrone, since over ten years formed a large population on the long-established sandy stretch. Noteworthy, numerous young plantlets of Pinus halepensis Mill. occurred, invading a large part of the Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf grassland, foreseeing the onset of a thermophilic forest. In conclusion, while the geological-structural characteristics of Laghetti di Marinello and the modeling action of marine and atmospheric agents have shaped a unique landscape that yielded the site worthy of protection and conservation, no less importance should be paid to the floristic aspect, hose peculiarities deserve specific valorization actions from an environmental, historical-cultural and didactic-scientific point of view.