Presenza e grado di naturalizzazione della flora esotica nella regione di Sasso Fenduto (Comune di Cugnasco-Gerra, Ticino)

In this paper we present a comprehensive inventory of exotic plant taxa including their degree of naturalization
in gardens, intact and abandoned vineyards as well as fallow land of the hilly slope of Sasso Fenduto in the municipality
of Cugnasco–Gerra. In total we registered 80 exotic plant taxa, highlighting how the tradition of cultivating exotic
plants in Ticino further developed in terms of both number and type of taxa and type of gardens (from the villas near
the lake shore to the private gardens in the hilly regions). Prunus laurocerasus, Laurus nobilis, Trachycarpus fortunei, Phytolacca
americana and Ailanthus altissima resulted the most frequent taxa with a degree of naturalization ranging from naturalized
to invasive. Most of the exotic plant taxa originate in North–America, Asia and Europe, including the Mediterranean
basin. Their naturalization and invasion potential was closely linked to the basic environmental and climatic conditions
of the area of origin. In particular a high number (42%) of taxa originating from the ever–green laurophyllous zonobiom
displayed a high degree of naturalization. Some deciduous alien taxa such as Phytolacca americana and Ailanthus altissima displayed
... mehr
a very high invasive potential also in disturbed ecosystems such as recently burnt forests.