Ecological and phytosociological aspects of foredune vegetation in a neogenic beach of Tuscany coast (Italy)

An investigation of foredune vegetation of a 2 km long stretch of coast of North West Tuscany (Italy) is conducted. This area has geomorphological features that are very peculiar and different from the rest of the sandy shores of the Tuscan coast. The current beach of about 22 ha, is the result of recent deposits (from the early decades of the last century), derivatives of the production of soda and mainly made from waste carbonate (CaCO3 mainly) that are still discharged into the sea from a chemical factory nearby to the coast. This results in a marked progradation of this stretch of coastline, with a major development of dune vegetation in contrast with neighboring coastal areas. The vegetation analysis and zonation of plant communities show strong anomalies when compared with dune habitats of the nearby beaches. It has been noted that associations typical of ephemeral and embryonic dune such as Salsolo-Cakiletum and Echinophoro - Elymetum, are almost absent. These characteristic associations have now been replaced with extended surfaces of Sporobolus virginicus and an anomalous distribution of Echinophoro-Ammophiletum. This seems partly due to the significant human interference but also to the particular type of substrate.When human interference is absent and the soil type changes, we see the recovery of normal zonation.