Anapo River Valley, Cavagrande del Calcinara, Cugni di Sortino (ITA090009)
Site type: SAC - Special Conservation Area
Code: ITA090009 - Hectares: 4698
Description:
From a naturalistic point of view, the site represents one of the best examples, currently observable, of a system of Iblee quarries. It is in fact the river valleys of
spectacular beauty that affect the Hyblaean plateau often forming gorges bordered by imposing rocky walls. The area is affected by the Anapo River and its own
tributaries with altitudes ranging between 200 and 750 m, and is essentially characterized by Miocene limestone in some points covered by basaltic lava blankets. The
bioclimate is part of the upper subhumid thermo-Mediterranean area. The presence of forest formations of considerable interest and value is significant in these quarries
naturalistic, represented above all by thermophilic and mesophilic holm oak woods, by mixed woods of holm oak and Ostrya carpinifolia, by deciduous oak woods to Quercus virgiliana,
widespread above all on basaltic substrates and from riparian woods to eastern Platano and willows. In addition the spectacular rock walls host a rich and interesting
chasmophilous vegetation in which numerous rare or endemic species are located, while in the more shady and humid rock stations a
casmo-comophilous vegetation rich in bryophytes and pteridophytes. Hygrophilic aspects rich in submerged and semi-submerged helophytes and hygrophytes settle along the watercourses
linked to perennial and flowing waters. Frequent are also the secondary or semi-rupestrian aspects dominated by thermophilic shrubs such as the scrub with Euphorbia dendroides,
that with Bupleurum fruticosum, the garrigue with Phlomis fruticosa, and those with heather and rosemary. The steppe grasslands in Hyparrhenia are also quite common
hirta and Ampelodesmos mauritanicus.
4.2Quality and importance
The site shows a high naturalistic and landscape value due to the presence of deep valleys, locally called quarries, which host well-preserved examples of
forest, riparian, rupicolous and hygrophilous vegetation, which have now become rather rare and fragmented in the rest of the Hyblean area. Here are also several entities that
in the regional area they are rare or considered to be of significant phytogeographic interest, in turn mentioned in the list in section 3.3 (D).
it has no faunal emergencies of particular importance, apart from some exceptions relating to the ornithofauna. However, the valley represents for many Vertebrates a
real refuge and nesting site, allowing the survival and reproduction of species such as the Porcupine, the Marten, numerous diurnal raptors and
nocturnal, the terrestrial tortoise, the water tortoise, the leopard snake and the tree frog, which otherwise would hardly be present in the Hyblean hinterland.
The invertebrate fauna is rich in numerous endemic and / or rare species, stenotopes and stenoecias of very high scientific value. It is among this fauna that they are found
some of the elements that belong to the oldest contingent of Sicilian fauna, at least partially saved following the long geographical isolation
of this area during the recent geological periods (Pliocene and Pleistocene). Of particular value is the fauna linked to the floodplains, of which they remain
large stretches in good and excellent state of conservation which represent one of the major peculiarities of the site. Finally, the presence of the Psalm should be noted
(Trutta) macrostigma, for which the Anapo represents one of the few known sites for Sicily.
Ministerial data: Natura 2000 form
Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero
Photo: web
Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero, Region of Sicily
