Populations status, syntaxonomy and synecology of Scopolia carniolica Jacq. in the western Alps (Piedmont, Italy)

Scopolia carniolica is an orophilous forb widspread from the Eastern Italian border to the Caucasian regions, with some few disjointed populations in the Western Alps (Piedmont, NW Italy) at about 420 km from the nearest Eastern populations. The species is reported in Piedmont as a critically endangered species (CR). On the basis of the discovery of new populations, the synecological and syntaxonomical characteristics in the Western Alps have been studied. The Scopolia carniolica distribution area in the Western Alps is now estimated to be of almost 800 ha and total extant population size to be around 8.000-9.000 ramets. The species occurs mainly on highly shaded habitats, located on scree and boulder fields. In the Western Alps the vegetation could be ranked in a Corylus avellana community, referred to the central European Tilio platyphylli-Acerion pseudoplatani. Forest management planning should be encouraged with a conservational purpose, avoiding the alteration of the Corylus avellana canopy cover in the actual and potential area.