Cozzo Ogliastri (ITA090024)
Description

Cozzo Ogliastri (ITA090024)

Site type: SAC - Special Conservation Area 

Code: ITA090024 - Hectares: 1598

Description:

The site includes a karst cave known as Villasmundo-S. Alfio, which develops in Miocene calcareous substrates at altitudes between 100 and 400 m. The substrates
limestones are covered in some parts of the area by tertiary basalt blankets. From a bioclimatic point of view, the territory falls within the thermo-Mediterranean belts
dry lower and sub-humid upper thermo-Mediterranean. The vegetation is mainly represented by aspects of scrub with myrtle and mastic and Euphorbia
dendroides, as well as from garrigue to Sarcopoterium spinosum and Salvia fruticosa. Forest vegetation is localized along the valleys or on more surfaces
rocky. They are mostly thermophilic woods with holm oak or Quercus suber and deciduous woods with Quercus virgiliana. Ripisilve are also found in Platanus orientalis
and Salix pedicellata and hygrophilous scrubs in Salix alba. The steppe grasslands in Hyparrhenia hirta are quite widespread. Of particular interest are some
small humid areas where ephemeral vegetation dominates hygrophilous microphytes, such as various species of Isoetes and Solenopsis laurentia.
4.2Quality and importance
The perimeter of the site includes one of the largest karst cavity systems in Sicily. The epigean environment includes two quarries, the Cugno di Rio valley, where one can find
they find the entrances to the Villasmundo, S. Alfio and Vaso caves and the Belluzza stream. They host cork oaks, holm oaks, surface and underground streams,
ravines, mesophilic meadows and scrub and garrigue environments.The herpetofauna is of considerable value, including some of the species that in Sicily
maximum protection, invertebrate fauna is also of interest, although so far there are few finds collected in the cave, with numerous endemic and / or rare species linked to
various environments: freshwater, riparian, nemoral, scrub and garrigue and open areas. From a floristic and vegetational point of view, a significant
biodiversity mainly due to the localization in its interior of vegetational aspects both forest and shrubs still well preserved and of considerable value
naturalistic. The presence of temporary wet pools colonized by rare or at least infrequent species on the island is also relevant. Here they are also found
various entities that in the regional area are rare or considered to be of significant phytogeographic interest, in turn mentioned in the list in section 3.3 (D)

Source: Ministry of the Environment Natura 2000 form

Ministerial data: Natura 2000 form

Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero

Photo: web

Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero, Region of Sicily

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