PROTECTION OF THE LANDSCAPE IN ITALY

General characteristic

The Marinello Laghetti Nature Reserve on the island of Sicily, was set up in 1998 and entrusted to the management of the Regional Province of Messina, extending over an area of approximately 378 hectares belonging to the Gulf of Patti's communal territory-contributing to the naming of Marinella Bay, located on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, about 15 km north of the city of Olbia-across the bay.

Sicily has a warmer Mediterranean climate, with temperature and weather controlled by the warmth of the Mediterranean Sea as well as its proximity to the equator. Sea temperatures around Sicily range from around 15.5degrees C in the winter to approximately 27degrees C in the summer. The constant tepid temperatures of the waters have formed the rich sea beds and habitats for all kinds of unique marine life, making Marinello a stunning nature reserve. There are a large variety of environments in the park: from salt lakes and deposits environments to coastal sands, steep slopes and high areas overlooking the sea.

Italy is also the country with the highest rate of biodiversity in Europe and is ranked highly in the top ten list for biodiversity in the entire world. Below are some description of the flora and fauna found in the Marinello Laghetti Nature Reserve alone.

General characteristic

Etna Park, also located on the island of Sicily, was the first park established on the island in March of 1987; it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The climate in Mount Etna is cold and temperate. Mount Etna is a region with a significant amount of rainfall. Even in the driest month there is a lot of rain. The climate here is classified as Dfa by the Köppen-Geiger system. The average temperature in Mount Etna is 9.7 °C. In a year, the average rainfall is 960 mm.

Etna Park has a unique environment surrounding the tallest mountain in Sicily, rich in sounds, perfumes, and colours. Mt. Etna is stratovolcano and it is not only the highest active volcano in Europe (height 3329 m), but also a mountain with the most recent lava flows. Many parts of the park have evidence of recent volcanic flows where no form of life has settled yet and very ancient lava flows that now house a variety of natural formations and are home to species like Austrian pines, beech trees, and birches.