| Guided nature reserve Cascate del Verde | |
 | |
| Area type | Natural reserve |
|---|---|
| State | Italy |
| Region | Abruzzo |
| Territory | Pescarese-Theatine |
| Surface | 287 ha |
| Foundation year | 2001 |
| Institutional website | |
Guided regional nature reserve is located inAbruzzo.
To know
The Cascate del Verde, at 800 m a.s.l., are the highest waterfalls in the Apennines, and the second in Italy. They have a difference in height of 200 meters, and on the rocky wall there are three distinct jumps: The Rio Verde, whose sources are located on the border with the Molise, is one of the tributaries of the Sangro river.Nearby, about 7 km away there is another reserve, equally famous and important, it is the Abetina di Rosello Regional Nature Reserve, where the C.I.S.D.A.M.
Flora and fauna
Flora
The rocky walls on which the waterfalls develop and the surrounding ones are covered by a perfectly Mediterranean vegetation. The geological constitution and the climatic conditions that form there give rise to the presence of a vegetation dominated by holm oak (Quercus ilex) and other shrub-like heat-loving species such as phillyrea, bay laurel, vesicaria, maple and broom. The humidity, the sun and the exposure of the slopes also favor the development of other types of vegetation; the holm oak wood alternates with the thermophilic wood with the presence of downy oak and mesophilic formations with hornbeam, ash, maples and wild linden.
In some of the slopes surrounding the walls, in particular in the gorge areas, with a cooler and more humid climate, we also find typically mountain species such as beech and silver fir. The pastures, the edges of cultivated areas or former cultivated areas are covered with brooms, junipers, blackthorns and other shrub species which in some cases give way to garrigue where, in spring, numerous species of orchids grow.
Along the course of the Rio Verde we also find plants such as ripaiolo willow, white willow, sedges and butterflies with gigantic leaves.
On the damp and dripping walls or where the constant sprays of water make the air particularly humid, lush carpets of moss grow, in particular formations belonging to the Cratoneurion alliance, quite rare species and identified among the priority habitats that are at the basis of the process of formation of the well-known travertine
Fauna
These include the dipper and the yellow wagtail, birds that are particularly sensitive to water pollution and species typical of mountain waterways, fresh and rich in oxygen. Also of great importance is the presence of the river crab (Potamon fluviatile) and in particular of the river crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes), represented with one of the most consistent populations of the region; recent research has also shown that the local brown trout population has pure genetic characteristics of the Apennine strain.
Other species partially related to water are amphibians including green frogs and the Italian frog (Rana italica) and rather rare reptiles found in the areas surrounding the waterfalls such as luscengola and cervone. Very interesting among the birds is the presence of numerous birds of prey in addition to the common buzzard and the sparrow hawk, the peregrine falcon, the red kite and the common owl among the nocturnal ones.
The rich vegetation along the Rio Verde and the surrounding woods are also the main habitat for rare mammals such as the skunk (Mustela putorius) and the wild cat (Felis silvestris).
The great environmental value and its overall integrity are further strengthened by a historical fact of exceptional interest: the famous zoologist Achille Costa, in 1845, reports that he received the skin of a female lynx "captured in Borrello, District of They launch.
- Ichthyofauna: trout, crab, crayfish.
- Mammals: skunk, wild cat, otter.
- Avifauna: dipper bird typical of springs with small waterfalls, and in places with zero pollution, yellow wagtail, and several birds of prey.
How to get
By plane
- Pescara airport (Abruzzo International Airport), Via Tiburtina Km 229.100, ☎ 39 085 4324201.
By car
Former state road 558 Sangritana.
Former state road 558 Sangritana.Permits / Rates
How to get around
What see
What to do
- Birdwatching. The park has specific sites equipped for the birdwatching which can be practiced throughout the year. The most evocative periods are certainly those of migration when you can observe, in addition to the sedentary birds, those of step, that is, the birds that stop here on their migratory path.
- The Reserve organizes a day dedicated to bird observation every summer, in collaboration with the WWF; on this occasion there are experts in the sector who guide guests and provide advice on how to best practice the birdwatching.
Shopping
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Guided nature reserve Cascate del Verde
Commons contains images or other files on Guided nature reserve Cascate del Verde
