FLORA & FAUNA

FLORA

The long human presence of the Italian peninsula has had a significant impact on the environment, resulting in the widespread destruction of original forests and vegetation and their replacement with crops and orchards. Aesthetically the result is not always displeasing - much of the beauty of Tuscany, for instance, lies in the interaction of olive groves with vineyards, fallow fields and stands of cypress and pine.

Italy's flora is predominantly Mediterranean. Three broad classifications of evergreen tree dominate - ilex (or evergreen oak), cork and pine. The occasional virgin ilex and oak forest still survives in the more inaccessible reaches of Tuscany, Umbria, Calabria, Apulia and Sardinia. These ancient woods are made up of trees that can reach up to 15m high, and whose thick canopies block out light to the forest floor, preventing most undergrowth. Most common are ilex strands that have bee created, or at least interfered with  by humans They tend to be sparser, with smaller trees and abundant undergrowth.

Next to the ilex, the most common tree is the cork. Cork wood has been prised since ancient times and not a cork tree that stands today is part of virgin forest. Often they are mixed in with ilex and other oaks, although in Sicily and Sardinia it is possible to come across pure cork forests.

There are three types of pine: the Aleppo pine (the hardiest of the three); the domestic pine, especially common in Tuscany and also known as the umbrella pine for the long, flattened appearance of t its branches; and the maritime pine, which, is spite of its name is generally found further inland than the other two!

Ancient imports that are an inevitable part of much of the Italian countryside (especially from Tuscany south) are the olive and cyprus. The former comes in many shapes and sizes, among the most striking being the robust tree of Apulia.

Much of the country is covered by macchia  (maquis), a broad term that covers all sorts of vegetation ranging from two meters to, as much as six meters in height. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme are typical maquis plants, as are shrubs of the cistus family, gorse, juniper and heather. If the soil is acidic, there may also be broom. Orchids, gladioli and irises may flower beneath these shrubs, which are colourful in spring.

Where the action of humans and nature has been particularly harsh, or the soil is poor, the macchia becomes gariga, the very barest of scrub. This is dominated by aromatic herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme.

FAUNA

The Alps are home to marmots and in increasing number of  ibex (mountain goat), chamois and roe deer. In the Parco delle Foreste Casentinesei, in Emilia-Romagna, there are about 1000 deer. Among the native animals on Sardinia are wild boar, the mouflon sheep, deer and a variety of wild cat. You will find evidence of wild boar (and the people who hunt them) throughout the hills and countryside in Italy. Commonly available maps in national parks in the Alps and Apennine range detail the local wildlife and indicate areas where they might be found.

Hunters continue to plunder the countryside for birds. However, enough remain to make bird-watching an interesting pastime. A large variety of falcons and hawks are found throughout Italy, as are many varieties of small birds. The irony is that it is often easier to spot the colourful smaller birds in city parks - among the few refuges they have from the Italian hunter - than in their natural habitats in the countryside. A good place to observe water birds is the Parco Nazionale del Circeo, just south of Rome; huge flocks of flamingos can be seen on Sardinia, just outside Cagliari and near Oristano.

Italy is home to remarkably little dangerous fauna. It has only one poisonous snake, the viper.