Article

The Apuan Alps, a massif located between La Spezia and Lucca on the Tyrrhenian coast of NW Tuscany, harbors a diverse flora, rich in biogeographically significant endemic and relic species. Intense exploitation of the marble outcrops and traditional agropastural practices involving fire management of pastures are the major risk factors for the survival of many species, particularly those linked to marble substrates. Distribution of the populations of 8 rare and relic species (Anagallis tenella, Daphne alpina subsp. alpina, Horminum pyrenaicum, Biscutella cichoriifolia, Centaurea montis-borlae, Rhododendron ferrugineum, Biscutella apuana, Centaurea arachnoidea) was mapped in the field and the density and seed production of the populations were recorded. Updated distribution maps were obtained through GIS software. Preliminary, qualitative observations on the extent to which suitable habitats are colonized by the studied species are reported.