Monti di Santa Ninfa Complex - Gibellina and Santa Ninfa Grotto (ITA010022)
Description

Monti di Santa Ninfa Complex - Gibellina and Santa Ninfa Grotto

Site type: SAC - Special Conservation Area 

Code: ITA010022 - Hectares: 783

Description: 

The SIC area extends for a total area of ​​about 660 hectares, including the vast complex of hills located between the territories of Santa Ninfa and Ghibellina (TP), culminating in the summits of the Magione Mountain (556 m asl) and Monte Finestrella (663 m asl); Also included is the well-known Grotta di Santa Ninfa, formerly the seat of the homonymous nature reserve. It is a karst plateau of considerable naturalistic-environmental importance, as well as from a geological, geomorphological and hydrogeological point of view, falling within the Castelvetrano Basin, which corresponds to the current foreland basin of the Apennine-Maghrebid chain. It is characterized by the presence of evaporative deposits linked to the Messinian salinity crisis (Upper Miocene), belonging to the Gessoso-Solfifera Series, represented here by the Gessi di Pasquasia, which rest on Tortonian clays and are dominated by the "Trubi" unit of the lower Pliocene. From the bioclimatic point of view, the area mainly falls within the lower mesomediterranean belt with a lower subhumid shadow type. The vegetal landscape is remarkably artificial, due to the intense uses of the past (cutting, cultivation, grazing) and the frequent fires. Various reforestation interventions have also been carried out in the territory, through the use of various forest species, Mediterranean and exotic, in any case completely unrelated to the potential forestry aspects of the same area. The vegetal landscape of the territory is mainly referred to the following series of vegetation: - of the scrub in Olivastro (Oleo-Euphorbio dendroidis sigmetum), on the driest lithosols; - of the holm oak wood (Pistacio-Querco virgilianae sigmetum), on the relatively cooler lithosols ; - of the Roverella wood (Oleo-Querco virgilianae sigmetum), limited to the deepest and most evolved soils.

Area at times altered in its naturalistic and landscape aspects, but in any case of a certain floristic-phytocenotic and faunal interest. The gypsic aspects, typical of xeric environments, are quite peculiar, in which a high number of endemic plant species and / or of significant phytogeographic interest are represented. In section 3.3, indicated with the letter D, are listed entities that are quite rare in Sicily, whose presence in the territory in question is considered of some phytogeographic interest.

 It is part of the Grotta di Santa Ninfa reserve

Ministerial data: Ministerial Map          Natura 2000 form

Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero

Photo: web

Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero, Region of Sicily

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