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This Park runs along the coastal strip of the provinces of Pisa and Lucca, in an area formerly identified by large lagoons and marshes, interspersed with woods and Mediterranean scrub. That very territory has been filled by debris carried by the Serchio and Arno Rivers and the Tyrrhenian Sea over time. On its surface though, man has thoroughly rearranged the waterways and reclaimed the land. Today, the Park offers several natural environments (dunes, beaches, hygrophilic forests, patches of Mediterranean scrub, cultivated areas, etc.) and a remarkable presence of water (ditches, canals, marshy areas, lakes, rivers, ponds, etc.).

The park is divided into some main areas: the Macchia Lucchese (a wooded strip to the north), the Massaciuccoli area (which includes the lake and the marshy surroundings), Fattoria di Vecchiano and the Fattoria di Massaciuccoli (vast patches of land reclaimed from the lake). There are also the estates of Migliarino, San Rossore, Tombolo, and Coltano, which are partly used for agriculture and woods. Finally, there is Meloria, an important system of shoals, with two outcropping rocks and a sea bed of remarkable naturalistic value.

FLORA

One-third of the Park is covered by woods, with poplars, alders, ashes, holm oaks and pine trees (stone and maritime varieties). The dunes near the sea feature common broom, marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) and helichrysum, species that consolidate the dune formations, while the rear dune belt is mainly made up of maritime pines (Pinus pinaster), Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) and tamarisk trees.
The marsh vegetation is mainly represented by reeds (Phragmites australis), and shrubs such as elmleaf blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), and common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna).
The flora of the park also includes some rarities like the sundews, small carnivorous plants, silk vine (Periploca graeca), marsh helleborines (Epipactis palustris), and royal ferns (Osmunda regalis).

FAUNA

There are many red herons, mallards, and marsh harriers, while mammal species include a large number of fallow deers and wild boars, as well as foxes, porcupines, dormice, badgers, and squirrels.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)