Upper Valley of the Alcantara River

Site type: SAC - Special Conservation Area

Code: ITA030035 - Hectares: 3631

Description: 

 This site affects the high basin of the Alcantara river with altitudes between 700 and 1400 m. Geologically the area is characterized by mainly siliceous substrates such as flysch, schists and gneisses. The bioclimate is between the mesomediterraneo and suprameditteraneo with ombrotype between the lower subhumid and the lower humid. The highest part of the area, on the other hand, falls within the sub-Mediterranean supratemperate with a lower humid shadow type. From the vegetational point of view, the area is characterized by wood formations that cover the slopes of the valley and are represented at the bottom by deciduous oak woods with Quercus congesta or Quercus cerris, by evergreen oak woods with Quercus ilex, while in the upper part the beech woods are widespread. . In the midst of these woods, mesophilic pastures and shrubs are scattered with dominance of thorny nanophanerophytes. Along the watercourse there are strips of riparian woods with willows and poplars and aspects of hygrophilous vegetation with helophytes and submerged hydrophytes.

The importance of the site is to be attributed above all to the Alcantara river with the upper part of its basin. It is in fact a wide valley characterized both on the bottom and along the slopes by wood formations of various types such as beech, cerrete, holm oak and deciduous oaks. These woods are partly quite well preserved, but due to grazing and cutting they are often replaced by aspects of degradation such as pastures and shrubs. Here there are also several entities that in the regional area are rare or considered of significant phytogeographic interest, in turn mentioned in the list reported in section 3.3 (D). The site hosts an interesting herpetofauna, which includes a large portion of Sicilian species , some of which deserve careful and targeted safeguards. The invertebrate fauna is very rich and articulated, both as regards the freshwater and riparian species, and the nemoral ones. There are numerous Sicilian and sometimes Nebrodensi endemics and / or rare species and stenotopes

Source: Ministry of the Environment Natura 2000 form

It falls within the Nebrodi Park

Ministerial data: Ministerial Map    Natura 2000 form

Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero

Photo: web

Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero, Region of Sicily

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