Ecological features affect patterns of plant communities in Mediterranean temporary rock pools

In this paper, the results of a study on the ecology, floristic composition and spatial assemblages of temporary limestonerock pool plant communities of a central Mediterranean area (S Sicily, the Maltese Islands and Lampedusa) arepresented. A total of 76 temporary pools were studied, distributed between the infra-mediterranean and thermomediterraneanbioclimatic belt. For each temporary rock pools, the floristic composition and cover of the species weredetermined using standard releve´ methods. Moreover, for 50 of these pools, pH, conductivity, soil depth, water-level,altitude and floristic richness and diversity index were assessed. The plant communities were analysed using unweightedpair group method using arithmetic averages and Euclidean distance classification and ordination methods such ascanonical correspondence analysis (CCA). A total of four plant communities with specific floristic composition wereestablished, each one with a different dominant species: Callitriche truncata; Elatine gussonei; Tillaea vaillantii and Lythrumhyssopifolia. According to the CCA, the spatial patterns of plant ommunities follow an ecological gradient related to water level and depth/size of the rock pools: these are the main ecological features affecting the distribution of the plant communities of rock pools. In addition, floristic richness and diversity index showed a slight increase in trend fromtemporary pools submerged for long periods towards pools submerged for short periods.