Site of Community Importance (Sic) Morainic Complex of Castiglione Delle Stiviere

The European Commission has included the “Morainic Complex of Castiglione delle Stiviere” site in the sites of community importance (SCI) for the continental biogeographical region, an area rich in significant habitats both at community and local level, which extends over an area of 115 75 hectares in the municipality of Castiglione delle Stiviere (MN). Inserted within the Regional Ecological Network in the Primary Regional Corridor, it presents within it some ecosystem units of naturalistic interest, consisting of oak woods, located on the slopes of the hillsides, bank willow woods, relict strips of arid meadow on the slopes sunny and steep, mainly exposed to the South, in addition to the important presence of the Valle wetland with riparian and marshy vegetation, present in the inter-morainic valleys.
The management of the site of community importance is entrusted to the Mincio Park. Furthermore, since 2013, the Volunteer Ecological Guards of the Mincio Park have carried out surveillance, protection and information activities within the Local Park of supra-municipal interest (Plis) of Castiglione delle Stiviere, on the basis of a specific agreement signed by the Municipality and the Mincio Park. The peculiarities of the “Morainic Complex of Castiglione delle Stiviere” SCI concern the presence of habitat areas of community interest 6210* Semi-natural dry grassy formations on a calcareous substrate – Festuco Brometalia, formations which at the level of the continental biogeographical region are at risk of disappearance and deterioration ; the presence of the Valle wetland, home to habitats and species of community and regional interest, which due to its size and state of conservation presents considerable natural and landscape importance; the inclusion in the primary Corridor of the Regional Ecological Network (RER) at the entrance of a gate on the RER. The site is also characterized by the presence of habitats and species of community interest: 91E0 “Alluvial forests of Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae)”; 91H0 “Quercus pubescens Pannonian forests”. There are also 39 species of avifauna – referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EEC for the conservation of wild birds – and another 46 important species of flora and fauna.