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Selva Pisana

Situated along the Mediterranean coast of Italy to the west of Pisa between Viareggio and Livorno in the Tuscany Region, this Biosphere Reserve contains a rich biodiversity comprising natural and semi-natural plains habitats, including dunes, wetlands, mesophytic woodlands and pinewoods, and agricultural zones with hedges. These habitats contain some rare species that have disappeared from most of Italy and the Mediterranean region. Plains woodlands that are rare in Italy cover here extensive areas.

The protection of dune environments is one of the main goals of the Biosphere Reserve. The coastal dunes are of great interest due to the presence of sand-consolidating pioneer flora, endemic species and specialized animal species. The dunes are connected with the inland habitats through multiple symbiotic relationships, the principal one being the protection they provide for woods against the strong sea winds.

The wetlands can extend for several hundred hectares (for example the Massaciuccoli marsh, Lame di fuori), and they ensure the reproduction of numerous rare bird species such as the purple heron (Ardea purpurea), great bittern (Botaurus stellaris) and cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis). In the areas further inland there are vast tracts of land historically used for agriculture, developed in past centuries from swamp areas. The flora in these areas follows the rhythm of soil tillage, cultivation management, animal breeding and other agricultural activities. Read more about this reserve on the UNESCO Biosphere Reserves website.