Riserva Naturale Orientata Monte Cammarata
The Riserva Naturale Orientata Monte Cammarata is one of four regional parks on the island of Sicily . The Italian Ministry of the Environment ( Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare also: MATTM ) issued a law of October 8, 1988, making the mountains around Monte Cammarata protected . The aim is to preserve plant and animal stocks, taking into account biodiversity , the current characteristics of the landscape and the natural and cultural resources in the protected area. This should be achieved through education and the necessary knowledge to protect the country. The reserve is a showcase for the management of protected areas and the conservation of ecosystems in the region.
location
The nature reserve is located in the western center of the island in the Free Municipal Consortium of Agrigento and has an area of 2106.9 ha . This area is divided into three areas: Cammarata (60.78%), San Giovanni Gemini (6.07%) and Santo Stefano Quisquina (33.19%). The entire area is protected with different conditions: Area A with the higher conditions makes up 53% of the area, Zone B the remaining 47%. Area B1, which is located in the summit region of Monte Cammarata, is recorded for special use for telecommunications facilities.
The reserve includes the Serra Quisquina (1159 m above sea level), Pizzo dell'Apa (890 m above sea level), Pizzo della Rondine (1245 m above sea level), Monte Gemini (1394 m above sea level ) peaks .) and Monte Cammarata (1578 m above sea level) and falls entirely into two areas of Community importance.
The nature reserve is mostly on areas over 1000 m. In general, the landscape is characterized by mountains with a coarse morphology and frequent cliffs interrupted with valleys and hollows, or narrow valleys where streams gather. The forests take up large areas of the surface. According to the classification of Salvador Rivas-Martínez (* 1935) 1995, the climate of the protected area is predominantly sub-humid Mediterranean with the exception of the higher elevations of the Cammarata mountain, which has a super-sub-humid climate. Snowfall is a rare occurrence and lasts an average of 3–4 days, sometimes not until spring. The climatic conditions have become more severe in the last decades in the higher areas, where the snow cover can last for 15-20 days.
Morphological and geological features that delimit the forest landscape can be identified in various forms: Large areas are characterized by complex limestone formations that form moderate to very steep slopes and allow very poor soil development. Some of these complexes, which are very hard and compact and can actually be referred to as dolomite limestone, have formed hollows and substrate surfaces when they are flat, which have formed karst phenomena due to the influence of water and are visible and representative examples in many areas , so also in Stagnataro Cozzo (1328 m above sea level), which is, however, located outside the reserve. At the foot of the steep slopes - for example at the foot of Piz La Rondine or Contrada Pistacchiera - large areas are often covered with scree. In this environment, the morphology of the valley or slope is partly determined by young soils from loose substrate or by more developed and mature soils - especially brown soils .
The uneven morphology of large areas poses many problems for the creation of an efficient road network, which is essential for the accessibility and use of the area as well as for forest management. The prevention of possible forest fires is also connected with the development of a network of paths and roads. An effective road network with regulated access to the forest is also essential for the development of a sustainable forest policy. Within the reserve, only the main roads, namely the road that connects Santo Stefano Quisquina with Cammarata , are paved and open to general traffic.
The condition and maintenance are good with the exception of landslides after heavy rains. The area has an extensive network of hiking trails and off-trail climbing is permitted. The parking spaces within the reserve are equipped with toilets, cooking areas, bike paths and nature trails .
Flora and fauna
The mountains in the central area of Sicily between the Free Municipal Consortium Agrigento and the metropolitan city of Palermo represent an important node in the ecological network of Sicily. Monte Cammarata with its 1578 meters is the highest peak of this mountain system. The massif, which is mainly made of limestone and marble of various colors from creamy white to bluish and ash gray to ivory, has herbaceous meadows with over 150 species in the upper part, including several endemic species. The entire chain of rocky peaks, which over time has changed its shape to gorges and steep cliffs through slow and steady erosion , has a distinctive character. The steep walls are home to very different species of birds, including falcon species, some species of small songbirds, mammals such as rabbits and hares, weasels, hedgehogs, porcupines and many types of small mammals. The natural vegetation is characterized by strips of oak (Quercus ilex, Quercus pubescens) on otherwise bushy land, while in the valleys and in cooler areas groups of European hop beech (Ostrya carpinifolia), elm (Ulmus minor), black poplar (Populus nigra) and Willow (Salix sp.pl.) are represented. There are over 50 types of mushrooms in the undergrowth.
Ecological peculiarities
Plant formations deserve special attention in the contrada , which can best be reached via provincial road 26 Cammarata-Castronovo. These plants, including stocks of gray poplars , were described in a publication from 1978 by the director of the Botanical Garden in Palermo, Prof. Francesco Maria Raimondo (* 1944). Strangely enough, this rare plant for areas of southern Italy and Sicily is not mentioned in other botanical handbooks, for example in the 1982 "Flora d'Italia" by Sandro Pignatti (* 1930). The same applies to the woolly willow , which occurs mainly in a narrow area of the valley basins that have sufficient moisture.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://rnomontecammarata.promotour.org/museo_riserva.html
- ↑ http://rnomontecammarata.promotour.org/carte/rno_decreto_zone.pdf
- ^ "I tipi forestali della Riserva Naturale Orientata Monte Cammarata - Monti Sicani, Sicilia Centro-Occidentale", Collana Sicilia Foreste, September 2005 - Azienda Regionale Foreste Demaniali
- ↑ http://www.consorziodeitempli.ag.it/riserva-naturale-orientata-monte-cammarata.html
Coordinates: 37 ° 36 ′ 54 ″ N , 13 ° 34 ′ 29 ″ E