Cystoseira meadows, charm and usefulness

With its 1898 meters of height, the Mount Cervati it is among the major peaks in the region. An imposing mountain, located in the heart of Cilento National Park, Vallo di Diano and Alburnia UNESCO heritage site, a destination for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts all year round. In winter, with the snow turning white, everything is of particular beauty. There are many activities on Monte Cervati in the cold months, from excursions on skis or snowshoes, to games in the snow and tastings of typical products in the mountain refuge. Three paths to reach it and experience it, from Month, Piaggine e Mount San Giacomo.

But Monte Cervati is not just a place of adventure, it is also a place of great naturalistic importance, with a great variety of flora and fauna. In fact, more than 1400 species of plants have been recorded on Cervati, including numerous species of orchids, and it is a natural habitat for many species of animals. She was the one who told it Dionysia De Santis, expert in botany, creator and manager of the Study Center for spontaneous flora “Zephiro” in a publication, can be a powerful ally for our planet. The forests of Cystoseira they are home to an impressive variety of marine species. Among its intricate branches, small seabed inhabitants such as nudibranchs, with bright shapes and colours, and curious hermit crabs, attracted by the microorganisms that grow among the algae, find nourishment and protection.

Other species exploit the prairies to camouflage themselves: fish such as the slipper and the lively yellow blenny find shelter among the foliage of Cystoseira, creating a pulsating microcosm of life. This complex habitat is not only a place of protection, but also a meeting point for a network of ecological relationships, where predators, prey and symbionts coexist in a delicate balance.

Despite its ecological value, Cystoseira grasslands are threatened by multiple factors. Among these, an imbalance in the marine food chain. Herbivorous fish such as salps, often ignored by fishermen, proliferate uncontrolled while their natural predators are captured. This imbalance between prey and predators can cause the overpopulation of herbivores and consequently the decrease in marine forest cover.

This imbalance causes a reduction in algae, compromising the entire ecosystem. Other threats include pollution, climate change and intense anthropogenic pressurewhich reduce the coverage of marine forests and put the biodiversity that depends on them at risk. The Cystoseira prairies in the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park represent a natural heritage of inestimable value. Protecting them means preserving not only a fundamental habitat for numerous marine species, but also an indispensable ally for the health of the planet.

Il REEForest project deals with environmental restoration and restoring the Cystoseira forests degraded by human impact and also involves the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park of which he is president Giuseppe Coccorullo. In fact in the first week of November, from the 4th to the 8th, at Licosa Pointwithin the AMP Santa Maria di Castellabate monitoring of the Cystoseira meadows was carried out by ISPRA researchers.