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The reservoir.
The Reservoir Natural Integral “Complex Speleologico Villasmundo - S. Alfio” has been instituted in 1998 for guardian one of the more important arranges to carsi us of the iblea area. With approximately 2,5 km. Of extension, two perennial water course, one to temporary regimen and a deep lago beyond 50 meters, the coves constitute pregevole example of active carsismo that, for the difficult access and the structural complexity, still remains goal of experts speleologi. The ambienye epigeo, than one extends in the territory of the common one of Melilli (SR) for beyond 70 hectares to horse between the two fluvial Walloons of the torrents Bellezza and Cugno di Rio, extension great landscaped aspects of pregio, with species endemic exclusive of the Iblei and species rare and threatened. The peculiar topography of the territory and the great variety of habitat are the evocative acclimatization of true and just a naturalistic laboratory in the open air. The management of the Reservoir is entrusted to the University Center for the Protection and the Management of Natural Atmospheres and Agroecosistemi (CUTGANA) of the University of Catania.
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The ipogeo complex Villasmundo - S. Alfio contraddistingue in how much only example of still active carsismo in the iblea area, interested from the meteoric water sliding basements. And' a system of coves that open to little long distance the wall of the orographic right of the Torrent Cugno di Rio. The Villasmundo Cove is developed, articulating itself for approximately 2 km. On several levels in a succession of cunicoli, inghiottitoi and knows them. The income is opened in a narrow one cunicolo along 50 m. and covered from a temporary torrent, from which capacity of beyond 30 1/sec is arrived to the Gallery of the Main Water Course (with one. Covering it, through an evocative succession of it knows them and sifoni, is reached the Branch of the Affluent, an other great gallery with a perennial water course. Exceeded the Fossil Branch with its spectacular concretions, it is approached through a series of knows them of control to the immense Lago Finishes them deep beyond 50 m. The income of the Alfio Cove, place 60 m. more to they goes, immette in a ipogeo system more small of the previous one, with one total development of beyond 400 m.
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The landscape
Two small, deep go them fluvial, separated from a short plateau. This is the territory that accommodates it Reservoir, a typical example of particular geography of the iblea area. The hollow ones, therefore are called locally go them to them fluvial, are those of the torrent Beauty, to North, and of the torrent Cugno di Rio, towards South, in the field north-oriental of the Climiti Mounts. Here the carbonatiche cliffs, strongly modeled from the erosive action of rich waters and of fossils, are alternated to lave basaltic that testify pregressa the vulcanica activity that had place in the area during Miocene. The marked edafiche and micro-climatic diversities, that they derive from the various slope of the deposits, from the amplitude of the fondovalle and the availability or less than superficial waters, involve the presence in the same territory of different types of vegetation that they offer various landscaped aspects much: the barren and absolute steppica prateria, the shrubby formations of the spot and the gariga, the lecceta fresh and ombrosa, the ripale small wood to platano and salice.
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The great faunistica wealth of the Reservoir is sure due to the detached differentiation of the present habitats: beyond 70 hectares of extension of the epigea surface natural atmospheres like the driven in forest are introduced in fact like one true and own cornucopia of the diversity, comprising, the Mediterranean spot, the pasture, the fluvial river bed, the full of rocks wall. Between the Mammals, beyond to the most common wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus huxlei), the curl (Erinaceus europaeus) and the istrice (cristata Hystrix are common) and, between the carnivores, very the presence of the Vixen (Vulpes vulpes), of the Donnola (Mustela nivalis) and of the much elusiva Martora (Martes is assessed martes). The erpetofauna it numbers numerous and interesting presences; beyond to the species more common, which the coluber greater (Hierophis viridiflavus), the natrice from the collar (sicilian Natrix natrix), the frog esculenta (Frog lessonae) and the rustic lucertola (sicilian sicilian Podarcis), covering the sunny paths of the Reservoir is possible to meet ramarro (the bidelineated Lacerta), the endemic sicialian lucertola (wagleriana wagleriana Podarcis), the timid one gongilo ocellato (Chalcides ocellatus tiligugu), rospo common (the Bufo bufo) and the by now rare colubro leopardino (Elaphe situla), authentication wonder of the nature. The presence of a dense boschivo cape constitutes moreover an important factor of callback for one rich avifauna: in the area of the reservoir, with to species common like ghiandaia (the Garrulus glandarius), gazza (the pica Pica), colombaccio (the Columba palumbus), are present species interesting as the sparrow hermit (Monticola solitarius), having it capirossa (Lanius senator), the sicilian coturnice (Alectoris graeca withakeri) and, between the rapaci, the majestic poiana (buteo Buteo), gheppio (the Hawk tinnunculus) and the nocturne allocco (Strix aluco). The ipogea fauna of the speleologico Complex Villasmundo-S. Alfio, at last is represented from the important Armadillidium arthropod decorum, present in the zones nearer the mouth.
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The flora.
The territory of the Reservoir introduces one much rich one and differentiated flora, also in relation to various existing types of atmosphere. Beside species arboreal like leccio (the Quercus ilex) and the virgiliana oak (virgiliana Quercus), the Olea oleaster) mirto (the Myrtus is possible to observe several shrubs sempreverdi which olive (communis), lentisco (the Pistacia lentiscus) turpentine tree (P. terebinthus), the spiny carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua), alaterno (Rhamnus alaternus)), fillirea (Phyllirea latifolia), shrubs as calicotome (the Calicotome infests), the wild pear tree (Pirus amygdaloides), the hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), and lianose plants which the rose sempreverde (Rosa sempervirens), clematide (the cirrhosa Clematis), salsapariglia (aspera Smilax), viticella (the Tamus communis). The plants do not lack great scientific and naturalistic importance, between these the Urtica rupestris, one rarest exclusive endemic species of the Iblei, found in some circumscribed full of rocks stations a lot along the walls of the Walloons.
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E' a property left at death species of origin much ancient, going back one to it was Terziaria, that it remains today confined in the underbrush of the leccete, in humid and rather fresh stations, interested from less extended limestone full of rocks outcrops more or. In these atmospheres it has been recovered an other rare sicilian endemismo, Cymbalaria pubescens, present on the Island beyond that in the iblea area only in some limestone rupestri stations of the palermitano. In the opened zones more with full of rocks substrate they detach pulvini spiny of spinaporci (the Sarcopoterium the spinosum), one species present Mediterranean-oriental in single Sicily in the Iblei, and the bushes of thymus from the spectacular closing. In these atmospheres they grow also an other endemic exclusive right of the Iblei, suffruticosa Calendula ssp. gussonei, and some species of spontaneous orchidee, like the lutea Ophrys, Ophrys sphegodes and vomeracea Serapias.
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