405
An ecological satire born of the soil of Tuscany, and the current state of the
world. Such is Collodi’s Pinocchio, who promulgates his own Manifesto which is
the reality of his own dignity, his roots, the original landscape where he was born,
both as an ideal and as a reality in a world where trees, let alone pine nuts, are disappearing rapidly. As if to say: Be what you are, and if that happens to be a tree, how
fortunate for all concerned. Take care of it. Take care of yourself.
44.5 Tuscany’s Biodiversity
Fortunately for Tuscany, and for the legacy of Collodi, the Tuscan countryside has
been much revived since World War II. There are six UNESCO World Heritage sites
(including Florence, Siena, and the Cathedral and Tower of Pisa); and over 120
nature and scientific reserves. But with over ten million tourists per year, pressures
on Tuscany’s biological heritage are not diminishing. Throughout Italy, 547 birds
have been identified, many in Tuscany. There are no known endemic birds in Italy,
or anywhere in Europe for that matter, but numerous breeding grounds, places of
hospice for migratory birds that annually move from the far Northern Boreal forests
to the Mediterranean or parts of Africa. Naturalist Damiano Andreini refers to thousands of species found in the Tuscan marshes, including the Trifid Bur Marigold
(Bidens tripartita), the Nonnotto Botarus Stellaris or Bittern, the Ragno d’Acqua or
common pond skater (Gerris lacustris), as well as many other remarkable creatures,
many with peculiar, little known indigenous names, where science and literature
were made for each other,
3
including nine native amphibians, some of which are the
Marsh, Pool, and Agile frogs.
4
In a study focusing on a biodiversity revival program called Re.Na.To. (Repertorio
Naturalistico Toscano), 88 habitats and 472 plant species were identified within
Tuscany as suffering from various degrees of threat and vulnerability.
5
Among
Italy’s many tree species, the predominant ones—such as the holly or Holm oak, the
Aleppo, maritime and umbrella pines, in addition to the more common above referenced Italian Stone pine—are all in need of the same Tuscan protective umbrella
3 ”Wetlands: The Flora and the Fauna of the Marshlands of Tuscany,” by Damiano Andreini,
at: http://www.slowtuscany.it/tuscany/pistoia-prato/Wetlands.htm.
4 See “Amphibians Of Italy: A Revised Checklist,” by Massimo Capula, Arianna Ceccarelli and
Luca Liuselli. Write the authors, “The Italian amphibian fauna with 17 Urodela and 23 Anura
ascribed to 10 families… is one of the richest in Europe.” Research Gate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289523559_AMPHIBIANS_OF_ITALY_A_REVISED_CHECKLIST,
Accessed July 16, 2020.
5 See “The Protection Of Biodiversity in Tuscany,” by Paolo Emilio Tomei and Andrea Bertacchi,
Department of Agronomy and Agroecosystem Management, Università degli Studi di Pisa, in the
book, Nature Conservation: Concepts and Practice, ed. By Dr. Dan Gafta and Dr. John Akeroyd,
Spinger Berlin Heidelberg, 2006.
44.5 Tuscany’s Biodiversity
An ecological satire born of the soil of Tuscany, and the current state of the
world. Such is Collodi’s Pinocchio, who promulgates his own Manifesto which is
the reality of his own dignity, his roots, the original landscape where he was born,
both as an ideal and as a reality in a world where trees, let alone pine nuts, are disappearing rapidly. As if to say: Be what you are, and if that happens to be a tree, how
fortunate for all concerned. Take care of it. Take care of yourself.
44.5 Tuscany’s Biodiversity
Fortunately for Tuscany, and for the legacy of Collodi, the Tuscan countryside has
been much revived since World War II. There are six UNESCO World Heritage sites
(including Florence, Siena, and the Cathedral and Tower of Pisa); and over 120
nature and scientific reserves. But with over ten million tourists per year, pressures
on Tuscany’s biological heritage are not diminishing. Throughout Italy, 547 birds
have been identified, many in Tuscany. There are no known endemic birds in Italy,
or anywhere in Europe for that matter, but numerous breeding grounds, places of
hospice for migratory birds that annually move from the far Northern Boreal forests
to the Mediterranean or parts of Africa. Naturalist Damiano Andreini refers to thousands of species found in the Tuscan marshes, including the Trifid Bur Marigold
(Bidens tripartita), the Nonnotto Botarus Stellaris or Bittern, the Ragno d’Acqua or
common pond skater (Gerris lacustris), as well as many other remarkable creatures,
many with peculiar, little known indigenous names, where science and literature
were made for each other,
3
including nine native amphibians, some of which are the
Marsh, Pool, and Agile frogs.
4
In a study focusing on a biodiversity revival program called Re.Na.To. (Repertorio
Naturalistico Toscano), 88 habitats and 472 plant species were identified within
Tuscany as suffering from various degrees of threat and vulnerability.
5
Among
Italy’s many tree species, the predominant ones—such as the holly or Holm oak, the
Aleppo, maritime and umbrella pines, in addition to the more common above referenced Italian Stone pine—are all in need of the same Tuscan protective umbrella
3 ”Wetlands: The Flora and the Fauna of the Marshlands of Tuscany,” by Damiano Andreini,
at: http://www.slowtuscany.it/tuscany/pistoia-prato/Wetlands.htm.
4 See “Amphibians Of Italy: A Revised Checklist,” by Massimo Capula, Arianna Ceccarelli and
Luca Liuselli. Write the authors, “The Italian amphibian fauna with 17 Urodela and 23 Anura
ascribed to 10 families… is one of the richest in Europe.” Research Gate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289523559_AMPHIBIANS_OF_ITALY_A_REVISED_CHECKLIST,
Accessed July 16, 2020.
5 See “The Protection Of Biodiversity in Tuscany,” by Paolo Emilio Tomei and Andrea Bertacchi,
Department of Agronomy and Agroecosystem Management, Università degli Studi di Pisa, in the
book, Nature Conservation: Concepts and Practice, ed. By Dr. Dan Gafta and Dr. John Akeroyd,
Spinger Berlin Heidelberg, 2006.
44.5 Tuscany’s Biodiversity