Ponds of Preola and Gorghi Tondi, Skiing of Mazara and Pantano Leone (ITA010031)
Site type: SPA - Special Protection Area
Code: ITA010031 - Hectares: 1652
Description:
The "Skiing" - a term of Arab origin that indicates an arid and desolate landscape - refers to a rather extensive territory, located along the
southern sector of the province of Trapani, between Mazara and Selinunte. In particular, the Sciare di Mazara, extended for a total of 1634,17 hectares, fall
precisely in the homonymous municipal countryside of Mazara del Vallo, and within the biotope there is a very interesting system of lakes, called "Gorghi",
generated by karst phenomena, which develop where the calcarenite plateau has collapsed, favoring the outcrop of the water table,
characterized by waters with a low level of salinity. The Gorghi Tondi and Lake Preola constitute an interesting lake complex originating from the presence
of an impermeable clayey level, interspersed with Quaternary calcarenites. Pantano Leone constitutes another wet area, recently proposed for one
expansion of the site, given its naturalistic-environmental importance, especially from the faunal point of view. The area, which covers a total of 1634,17 hectares,
falls within the municipalities of Mazara del Vallo and Campobello di Mazara (TP). From a stratigraphic point of view, substrates are found in the territory
lithological referring to clays and sandy clays (upper Tortonian-lower Messinian), massive limestones (lower Messinian), gypsum (upper Messinian), marly limestones (“Trubi”;
Lower Pliocene), yellowish calcarenite (Emilian II-Sicilian), deposits of Tyrrhenian marine terraces, deposits of valley floors and alluvial terraces, eluvial deposits,
colluvial and marshy, groundwater debris. The climatic characters show average temperatures between 17,4 and 18 ° C, while rainfall varies between 517,4 mm and
606,5 mm, respectively recorded in the thermopluviometric stations of Marsala and Castelvetrano. The bioclimate is predominantly part of the Thermo-Mediterranean
lower dry upper.
4.2Quality and importance
The complex of Gorghi Tondi, Lago Preola and Pantano Leone constitutes a lake system behind the coast, without any contact with the sea, of considerable
floristic and phytocenotic importance, as well as fauna. There are several hygro-hydrophytic formations, distributed along the banks of the various environments
humid. The escarpments around the depression host an interesting forest formation with Quercus ilex and Quercus calliprinos. The skiing area is
flat and hosts an interesting plant community physiognomized by Chamaerops humilis and Rhamnus lycioides subsp. oleoides, as well as aspects of grasslands
xerophilous, open, also of floristic, phytocenotic and faunal importance. Species listed in Section 3.3 include some entities whose
presence in the territory is considered of particular phytogeographic interest (Carex hispida, Cyperus laevigatus var.distachyos, Galium elongatum, Globularia alypum,
Hypericum pubescens, Hypericum tetrapterum, Micromeria nervosa, Ononis pendula, Ophrys vernixia subsp. ciliate, Potamogeton pectinatus, Rhamnus licyoides
subsp. oleoides, Sagina maritima, Samolus valerandi, Trifolium physodes). Despite their size, the lakes are home to large contingents of migratory birds
including rare and / or threatened species. The regular presence of Marmaronetta angustirostris, Oxyura leucocephala and Plegadis falcinellus are enough to give
this area is of considerable ornithological importance at least at the regional level. The reported entomofauna is rich and of great scientific interest.
Ministerial data: Natura 2000 form
Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero
Photo: web
Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero, Region of Sicily
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