GIS-based analysis of relationships between ecological factors and forest vegetation in the Prealps (North-east Italy)

The forest communities distribution in mountainous areas is strongly related to some primary ecological factors (e.g. water, temperature, geology) and to some other factors derived from the soil morphology (e.g. slope, aspect and solar radiation). The aim of this study is to investigate and express quantitatively the relationships between ecological factors and forest communities through geospatial analysis in a GRASS GIS. There are significant statistical differences between forest communities according to environmental factors (Kruskal-Wallis test, T2 of Tamhane, PCA). Some ecological factors studied (e.g. solar potential radiation) are useful to describe forest communities in indirect gradient analysis. The study area is located in the Eastern Prealps of Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) and is characterized by a large environmental variability (climate, natural and human disturbances).