Montagna di Torricchio - Italy

The protected area “Riserva Naturale Montagna di Torricchio” is a strict nature reserve and education since 1970, Biogenetic Reserve since 1979, State Nature Reserve since 1991 then it became part of the Nature 2000 network as SIC & ZPS. A part of the reserve is covered by mowing lawns, subjected to an orientated regime in order to maintain this type of semi-natural vegetation, otherwise destined to disappear through the processes of secondary succession. It cover 317 Ha and represents the typical landscape of the Central Apennines: 90 ha deciduous mountain forests (old beech and mixed woods); 220 ha dry grasslands (abandoned pastures with shrubs; Bromus erectus, Cytisus sessilifolius); 7 ha mesic grasslands (mowed and pastured meadows; Cynosurus cristatus). The Reserve is equipped with meteorological instrumentation for the detection of air/soil temperature and moisture and wind /rain gauge. It provides permanent plots and a field mountain hut. Various types of ecological investigations are carried out as flora and fauna inventory and monitoring; structure and dynamics of beech forest; population dynamics and secondary succession on xeric grasslands; plant diversity evaluation by estimation methods; structure and functions of mowed meadows, effects of extreme events.