A territory fully integrated into a national park
The biogeography of the territory has given the island a wide variety of ecosystems. The maquis, primary forests of holm oaks or the sea bed contain a rich biodiversity, including endemic species.
The National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago includes the whole island and the surrounding islets. It contributes to the preservation of the environment and to environmental awareness. The park houses are places of knowledge dissemination but also of wonder, as the many hiking routes. Other activities allow you to discover the biodiversity of the island: diving, bird watching or cetacean watching (whales, dolphins), some of them dedicated to children. The islands of the Tuscan archipelago are also protected as a Unesco "Man and Biosphere" reserve.
Orto dei Semplici: this garden of simple plants adjoins the hermitage of St. Catherine and presents local plants, both wild and cultivated, of the territory. It completes the discovery of the island's flora, including endemic species (Elba blueberry).
The territory of Elba is part of the "Pelagos Sanctuary", a marine area that operates under a tripartite agreement between Italy, France and Monaco, and which aims to study and protect cetacean populations.
Anthropogenic pressures
Human activities since antiquity have contributed to the decline of biodiversity. Metallurgy, for example, has caused the primary forest to shrink considerably. The introduction of goats, sheep or wild boar has also modified ecosystems. Today, the artificialization of soils accentuates the phenomena of erosion and environmental degradation. Tourist numbers and overfishing are putting pressure on natural resources. On a global level, human activities, via plastic pollution and climate change, have direct impacts on the island.
Combating plastic pollution
The Mediterranean, which constitutes 1% of the world's marine waters, concentrates 7% of microplastic pollution (source: wwf.fr). Most of the pollution is invisible to the naked eye (plastics in the form of nano and micro-particles) and comes from aqueous effluents. Another pollution, more visible, appears in an ephemeral but recurrent way, according to the currents, between Corsica and Elba: a plastic island of more than 10 km, formed by untreated waste.
Facing climate change
The warming of the sea has been measured thanks to a monitoring station installed around the island. A study (Greenpeace/University of Genoa) has highlighted a link between rising sea temperatures and the impact on biodiversity (species mortality, coral bleaching, fish migration). Climate change could also lead to a greater frequency and intensity of extreme events, including droughts. Faced with this situation, initiatives have been taken to develop renewable energy production, but also to raise awareness of the need to control water and energy consumption. The island is accessible by boat from the mainland. It is easy to get around on foot, by bicycle or public transport and to consume locally (slowfood and agriturismo networks). A pleasant way to preserve this island that legend has it that a pearl escaped from the diadem of Venus was born.
