The Italian site is located in the Peninsula of Capo Caccia at NW Sardinia, within the Nature Reserve named "Le Prigionette" (40° 36' N, 8° 9' E). The Nature Reserve covers approximately 1200 ha between the coast line (a cliff with a maximum height of 300 m a.s.l) and Monte Timidone (a 360 m tall hill).

Four different vegetation types can be easily identified: a quite recent forestation area of Pine (Pinus pinea and Pinus halepensis), the Mediterranean macchia, a Quercus ilex forest and the garigue, located near the cliff and dominated by small bushes and tiny herbaceous plants growing between emerging rocks.

The most frequent geologic substrate of the area is represented by Mesozoic rocks with calcareous outcrops with dolomites. The most common soils are Luvi and Litosoils, neutral, with depth hardly exceeding 20-30 cm.

The climate is semi-arid with a remarkable water deficit from May through September and a mean annual rainfall amount of 640 mm. The mean annual temperature value is 16.8 °C. Maximum and minimum air temperatures result milder due to sea vicinity (10 °C in January and 24 °C in August). Even winter season can be dry and temperature not so low to determine vegetation break.

The experimental plots are located in a firebreak strip constructed in 1973 and cleared by fire until 1990. In 1991 and 1992, the firebreak strip was cleared mechanically and from 1993 a natural recolonization process started. The plots are mainly covered with vegetation of a maximum height of 1.0 m including sclerophyll species (Cistus monspeliensis, Dorycnium pentaphyllum and Helichrysum italicum), some scattered shrubs (Pistacia lentiscus, Cistus incanus, Daphne gnidium, etc.) and several herbaceous plants (Carlina spp., Asphodelus spp., Brachipodium ramosus, Ammoides pusilla, etc.). Vegetation covers about 80% of the plot surface.

Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza
Dept. of Forest Environment and Resources
DISAFRI - University of Tuscia
Via San Camillo de Lellis
I-01100 Viterbo ITALY
Tel: + 39-0761-357395
Fax: + 39-0761-357389
e-mail: gscaras@unitus.it
http://www.unitus.it