The description of the natural habitat is focused on the species and on the habitats present in the large area in which the territory of the Comunità Montana Serinese Solofrana is placed.
The effectiveness of such analysis is possible thanks to the territorial homogeneity of the area under investigation and the three closest Natural Parks: the Regional Park Monti del Partenio, the Regional Park Monti Picentini and the Regional Park Vallo Lauro - Pizzo Alvano. For these areas, a good knowledge on the characteristic of the species and habitats, is already been achieved.
The barycentric position between the Regional Parks Monti Picentini, Partenio and Vallo Lauro - Pizzo Alvano remarks the naturalistic preciousness of the entire area. As a matter of fact, the three protected areas have in common a great variety of vegetables and fauna species that are also distinctive elements of the Sites of Community Interest (Sic) that characterize the area included between Monti del Partenio, Pietra Maula, Monti di Lauro, MonteMai e Monte Mozza, Terminio.
THE FLORA AND THE VEGETATION
Analyzing the large area, we can state how the vegetation of the Picentini (represented from unusual fragments of evergreen forests and extensive features of Mediterranean spots with oaks, lentisks, myrtles, arbutus, brooms, carobs and oleasters, associated to a brushwood with hawthorn [Crataegus monogyna], as well as hairy crabs [Cornus sanguinea], and beyond 1000 m. up to 1800 m., wide forests of beech (with brushwood of holly) is a continuum with the flora of the Partenio (made of oaks, present also at high altitudes, elms, fig trees, turkey oak, with a linked flora made of Euphorbia [Euphorbia characias] and Hawthorn [Crataegus monogyna]).
The vegetation is distributed within defined altitudinal limits, coinciding with homogenous climatic conditions. Until 500 m. the vegetation is represented from evergreen forest fragments and from extensive features of Mediterranean spots. Considerable is the influence on the landscape of the centennial anthropic action: the most widespread tree in this zone is, in fact, the chestnut tree (Castanea sativa) that has a predominant role in the domestic economy. Continuing in altitude until 1000 m., we can find a contact space between Mediterranean spot and other mountain species, with a great presence of original forests, still not completely modified from the anthropic activity. You can meet woods of pubescens oak associated to a brushwood with hawthorn and hairy crab. At the same level you can find forests of broad leaved pepperwort with mixed forests of hornbeam, hop hornbeam, and several species of maple tree (Acer obtusatum, A. neapolitanum, A. lobelii, A. campestre, A. pseudoplatanus).
Many are also the humid ravines rich of flora like the carnivorous Erba stella amalfitana (Pinguicola hirtiflora). Moreover, the humid atmospheres and the river springs give rise to a rich aquatic fauna.
To remark, that in this territory, there is a great abundance of mushrooms, object of collection from people from the place as well as from occasional visitors; you can find different species such as porcini ( muniti ) ovoli ("viruoli"), gallinacci ("addruzzi"), ditole ("addrinèddre"), russule ("piescki"), mazze di tamburo ("conocchie"), and the precious black truffle.
Of great naturalistic interest are the several flora species that can be watched crossing the area of the SIC of Pietra Maulae di Monti di Lauro. Passing through the pleasant paths, you can find various endemic species of the southern Apennine, that enrich the landscape beauty of Pietra Maulae Monti di Lauro site.
In the altitude range between 400 m. and 1.000 m., the most common tree is the chestnut (Castanea sativa), very important for the local economy. Other species are the beech (Fagus sylvatica) that covers great part of the territory, the oak, in its numerous varieties, turkey oak (Q. cerris), pubescens oak (Q. pubescens), (Q. petrae, Q. robur, . coccinea).
You can also find coniferous belonging to the Pinus kind, the silver fir (Abies alba), the lance (Larix decidua, L. kaempferi, L. xeurolepis), the juniper (Juniperus communis) and, moreover, the elm (Ulmus glabra), the maple tree in its different varieties (A. campetre, A. palmatum, A. monspessulanum, A. platanoides, A. rubrum, A. labelli), with particular reference to the mountain maple tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) and to the Neapolitan maple tree (Acer absutaturn), an exclusive species of the Campania Apennine. Still, the ash (Fraxinus excelsior, Fornus), the Neapolitan alder (Alnus cordata), the poplar (Populus dawn), the hornbeam (Ostrua carpin-folia and O. betulus).
The fauna
The main characteristic of the fauna, like the flora, in the territory of the Comunità Montana Serinese Solofrana included between the three Regional Parks (Partenio, Vallo Lauro- Pizzo Alvano, Picentini) is the presence of different species of animals of great interest.
Starting from the invertebrate, among the species of main interest, we can include the marvelous black and white butterfly called arge (Melanargia arge), the rosalia alpine, coleopter unique for the color and the shape of its antennas from the blue grey coloration. Furthermore, always pertaining to the coleopter family, the presence of a kind called flying Red deer (Lucanus cervus) has been recorded. At last, you can find the river prawn (Astropotamobius pallipes), species in slow and continues extinction due to the pollution of the water flow and for the illegal fishing.
Within the amphibia class, among the Urodela order, we can catalog the salamander with glasses (Salamandra terdigitata), included in the Species of Community Interest as threatened by the effect of pollution of the water course in which it lives, the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) an earth species which can be watched especially after rainfall, the italic newt (Triturus carnifex) and the crested newt (Triturus cristatus) which have mainly aquatic habits. Among the Anura order, it’s possible to see the green frog (Rana esculenta), the Greek frog (Rana graeca), the toad (Bufo bufo) and the rare yellow belly toad (Bombina variegata).
The class of the reptiles include the wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), the country lizard (Podarcis sicula), the green lizard (Lacerta viridis)and the viper (Vipera aspis). Another species present in the area is the ratsnake (Elaphe quatuorlineata), whose extension can reach 2,40 m., of clear color with four brown stripes that covers the body longitudinally; such species is in progressive decline due to the intensive hunting to which it has been subject in these last decades and for the continuous decline of the habitats in which it lives. Moreover, you can find the coluber (Coluber viridiflavus), common and innocuous black snake that can reach the length of 1, 85 m. whose coloration can go from a complete black to a black yellow shade.
With no doubt, the class of vertebrate that offers the greatest possibility of observation, is the bird. It is possible to see the buzzard (Buteo Buteo), especially during its hunting activity, the kite (Milvus milvus), and the black kite (Milvus migrans). In the hawk order, you can find the Kestrel (Falco tinnuculus), the lanner (Falco biarmicus) and the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Other birds you can look at are the hoopoe (Upupa epops),the eagle owl (Bubo Bubo), the tawny owl (Strix aluco), the rare black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), the Dove (Colomba palumbus), the turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), the shrike (Lanius collurio), the nighthawk (Caprimulgus europaeus), and the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis).
In the class of the mammals, the most populous species are the wolf (Canis lupus), the wild Cat (Felis silvestris) and of the fox (Vulpes Vulpes). Other predators with population, are the stone marten (Martes foina), the skunk (Mustela putorius), the weasel (Mustela nivalis), the badger (Meles meles), the sable (Martes martes). Numerous are also the wild boars (Sus scrofa), even if subject to a strong hunting activity. Other species that can be found are the oak Rat (Eliomys quercinus), the dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), the hedgehog (Rinaceus europaeus) and the mole (Talpa sp.).
The karst caves represent the perfect shelter for bats, with particular regards to the following species: Rhinolophus, hipposideros, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, euryale Rhinolophus, Myotis myotis, Myotis blythii, Miniopterus schreibersii.
Equally interesting, is the fauna that can be found in the other two sites of Pietra Maula and Monti di Lauro. Among the mammals, the presence of wild boars, foxes, hares, hedgehogs, squirrels, dormouse, hamster, badgers, weasels, sables and wild cats have been recorded.
In the SIC of Pietra Maula, numerous species of birds have been observed, like the rare golden eagle, the buzzard, the golden kite, the black kite and still the kestrel, the goshawk, the lanner, the black and the red woodecker, the hoopoe, the cuckoo, the tawny pipit (Anthus campesiris), and dulcis in fundo, the fastest of all the rapacious: the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Moreover, various night predatory have been found, such as the eagle owl (Bubo bubo), the hoot owl (Aegolius funereus) and the barn owl (Tyto dawn).
As evidence of the naturalistic preciousness of this area, other species can be seen, such as rattle snake, milk snake, black snake, green lizard, blindworm, salamander with glasses, fire salamander, italic newt, crested newt, green frog and tree frog.
It is not difficult to watch at the courtship of the wild Rat (Felis sylvestris), whose prolific period falls between January and February. The female, gives birth after a gestation of approximately two months, in a lair and the little follow the mother during the hunting after approximately a month from birth. Interesting is the survey of tawny pipits (Anthus campestris), a bird that nests in the spring period, builiding wide nests made of moss, roots and leaves. Still, the rattle snake couples in April and May, period that correspond also with the courtship of the coluber and the blindworm.