THE OSTRYA-ASSOCIATIONS IN THE SUBMEDITERRANEAN VEGETATION COMPLEXES. In
Italy and in the neighbouring countries, a dozen landscape systems have been described. Several of them including wood-associations with dominating Ostrya carpinifolia. The ecological optimum of Ostrya can be identified with the areas where Ostrya is most frequent i.e. SE-Alps and N-Apennines. Ostrya also appears in Southern Italy, but it is rare and segregated in marginal habitats. It may be assumed that Ostrya associations are primary only in these last habitats, while the diffused Ostrya formations of SE-Alps and N-Apennines can be regarded as secondary.
