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This forest complex, on the Mount Arci volcanic massif, covers a total area of some 15.000 acres on all the sides of the mountain; it is currently under the supervision of three “Basic Management” Units run by eight Municipalities, and two areas belonging to the regional administration.

Flora and fauna biodiversity thrive in several different habitats officially acknowledged by the EU, especially regarding the massive presence of migratory bird species protected by “EC DIR 409/79” and the Bern Convention, as well as by the recent regional law concerning “Monte Arci Park”.

Considering its geo-pedological and vegetational status, this complex is a multi-purpose area suitable for flora and fauna protection, environment conservation, and local tourism promotion and enhancement. In particular, the constant monitoring and improvement of holm oak and cork forests allows thorough management of fixed carbon resources (fixed carbon is inorganic carbon turned into organic compounds by living organisms).

The vastness of the territory, together with environmental and climatic diversification (due to morphology, altitude and different exposure to sunlight), resulting in a variegated landscape, even in the presence of a single plant species: namely, the holm oak. This is the predominant type of vegetation, clearly recognizable in its different evolutionary stages; for instance, it can be found associated with scrub species, growing in tall tree groves, and even mixed with downy oaks (“Is arrobis a Pau”), or cork oaks (“Serra ‘e Ortigu”, “Monimenta”, “Corongiu Onnari”, “Su Laccu’” “S’Acqua in Morgongiori”, “Su landiri drucci, su pittixi” in Usellus, Roia Mint in Villaverde, and “Sennixeddu e Sa paba senti” in Pau).

Out more than 2.000 species of Sardinian flora, more than 500 can be found on the slopes of Mount Arci, including essences of the Mediterranean scrub like strawberry trees, phillyrea, tree heather, rough bindweed, hawthorn, honeysuckle, olive, myrtle, cistus, mastic trees, tree spurges, asphodels, wild pears, holly, orchids etc.

All those species actually grow according to their eco-climatic affinity in more or less stable communities in different areas of the landscape.

Text and photo source: http://www.sardegnaambiente.it/j/v/1189?v=2&c=7251&s=111448

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)