The endangered or extinct vegetal communities along the Abruzzo coast

After a brief introduction on the causes of the degradation and the conservation status od Abruzzo coast, we highlight the dynamics of the coastal vegetation systems in Abruzzo over the past 35 years. This is provided through a comparison between the previous situation, as documented by the data in the literature, and the current situation. The study highlights a worrying loss of phytocoenotic biodiversity that affects large sections of the coast, with the extinction of very rare halophilic plant associations not only for Abruzzo, but also throughout the central-southern Adriatic coast. On a positive note, we highlight the presence of newly established plant communities for some of the coastal segments.