Puglia: olive growing and national parks
The Apulia region offers only a small area of spontaneous vegetation. Its forest has been almost entirely decimated by human activity, for the extension of cultivation and for the construction of housing and roads. It represents only about 7% of the territory, the lowest percentage in Italy. The disappearance of spontaneous vegetation has had consequences on the development of the fauna: it is relatively reduced and some animals have disappeared completely, such as the wolf (although individuals have recently been seen in the Daunia mountains), or have become increasingly rare (wild rabbits, hares, foxes, hedgehogs).
On the coastal strips, the Mediterranean maquis is widely present. Among the most widespread plant species are pines, junipers, beeches, maples, chestnut trees, lime trees, almond trees and holm oaks. The territory is dominated by wheat fields, pastures and olive groves.
The region has two national parks and several marine reserves and protected natural areas, covering 7% of its area. The two national parks are :
The Parco nazionale del Gargano: the limestone promontory of Gargano offers a surprising biodiversity and has about 2,000 plant species including oaks, beeches, lime trees, and about 60 endemic wild orchids. The wetlands formed by the coastal lakes provide a refuge for migratory birds, particularly pink flamingos, and Lake Lesina is renowned for its eels. The forests of the Gargano, and in particular the Foresta Umbra, a thousand-year-old forest, are home to wildcats, wild boar, hares, buzzards, fallow deer and roe deer, including the capriolo garganico
, a local species.Parco nazionale dell'Alta Murgia: located in the Murge
, Italy's largest karst highland, its canyon-cut desert landscapes planted with lichens and wild orchids are home to amphibians, reptiles and many species of birds, including the common ravenThere are three marine protected areas in Puglia: Torre Guaceto north of Brindisi, Porto Cesareo on the Ionian Sea, and the Tremiti Islands. The region also has two regional parks and numerous protected natural areas and nature reserves.
Finally, we cannot pass over in silence the worrying "olive disease" that has been affecting Salento for some years. Since 2014, the region has been affected by a killer bacterium called Xylella fastidiosa, carried by insects, which is causing olive trees to wither, and against which no cure has yet been found. Many of the 10 million olive trees in Salento are now dry, leafless and their trunks stunted. This bacterium is "one of the most dangerous in the world for plants" according to European Union scientists. Although the disease is currently confined to Salento, the epidemic is still a cause for concern and could threaten the entire Mediterranean region.Calabria: from the Mediterranean maquis to the Apennine pine
Calabria has a particularly interesting flora. The close alliance between the mountains and the sea has made it abundant and varied. Near the coast, and up to an altitude of about 600 metres, Mediterranean vegetation predominates, with holm oaks, olive trees, pines, heathers, pistachio trees, terebinths, etc. From an altitude of 800 to 1,000 metres, the deciduous trees give way to conifers and beech trees. As in other regions, the fauna in Calabria is quite small, but still varied. The Apennine wolf, the fallow deer, the roe deer, the wild cat, the marten, the otter, the squirrels. Not to mention the birds (great red woodpecker, titmouse, sparrowhawk, red kite, screech owl, buzzard) and a particular variety of southern viper.
Calabria has several natural areas and protected reserves, as well as three national parks:
Parco nazionale dell'Aspromonte: it occupies the southernmost part of the Apennine chain and has a very rich ecosystem (the laricio pine, which is an endemic species, the wildcat, the peregrine falcon, Bonelli's eagle...)
The Parco nazionale della Sila: its vast coniferous forests alternate with high plateaus, and numerous torrents feed its three reservoirs. Wild cats, martens, wild boars and the Apennine wolf can be found here.
The Parco nazionale del Pollino: Italy's largest national park stretches between Calabria and Basilicata. It was created to preserve the last population of lodgepole pine in Italy. Since then, the lorike pine has become the emblem of the park. It is solitary and grows on the top of the mountains. It can be spotted by its large size (25 to 35 metres high) and its sometimes curved silhouette. In addition to this, there is an extraordinary association of different plant species. The maple trees are found alongside beech and white fir woods, which stretch from the centre to the north of the park, between 1,000 and 1,900 metres.
Basilicata : a wild and preserved nature
In Basilicata, nature has remained fairly intact, despite some areas affected by extensive cultivation. Forests cover 19% of the regional area, while the Mediterranean maquis covers the two maritime façades, Tyrrhenian and Ionian, of the region. The Ionian coastline remains partly covered by pine forests.
In the Murgia materana, partly constituted as a regional park, the flora, quite diversified since it counts 923 species, is composed of herbaceous plants (thyme, sage), musk garlic and flowers such as the cornflower, the campanula, the carum and a variety of crocus (the crocus thomasii). There are holm oaks, pistachio trees, olive trees, terebinths and junipers. Various species of birds of prey (buzzard, kite, Egyptian vulture), porcupines, foxes, hares, martens, wild boars, reptiles such as the adder or the cervone, the largest snake in Italy, can be seen here. But the symbol of the Murgia materana is the kestrel (Falco naumanni from its scientific name, falco grillaio
in Italian). It is smaller than its cousin the kestrel and they are easily confused because both practice "Holy Ghost" flight. The kestrel can be seen in the area from March to September; the rest of the year it winters in West Africa. The town of Matera has embarked on a programme to protect this endangered species, and has installed artificial nests throughout the town, in the Sassi and on the roofs of palaces and houses. Protected natural areas cover 30% of the total area of Basilicate. The two national parks are Pollino, shared with Calabria, and the Parco nazionale dell'Apennino Lucano - Val d'Agri - Lagonegrese. This latest Italian national park, established in 2007, is located between the Cilento Park in Campania and the Pollino Park. It is a transitional zone and environmental continuity between the two. Composed of several peaks overlooking the valley of the river Agri, it is covered by forests, meadows and cultivated areas. The presence of wild boar, the Apennine wolf and the otter can be noted.
