GRANBOSCO NATURAL PARK SALBERTRAND APE – ITIS PININFARINA

It extends on the right of Val di Susa (Northern Alpi Cozie - Torino), from 1,000 meters to 2,600 meters of altitude The main reason why the Park was established lies in the particular naturalistic value of the Gran Bosco: 700 hectares of mixed forest with silver and spruce firs, unique in the vegetation of Piemonte. The woods have a considerable biological value and include, in good qualitative conditions, all the precious conifers of the Alpine environment. For its unusual qualitative requirements, part of the territory has been enrolled in Libro Nazionale dei boschi da seme (National Book of the Seed Woods) and great interest was given in the past because of economic reasons: these fir forests already provided in 1700 the timber used for the big straight grain beams used in the great military and civil works of engineering, like the Arsenal in Turin, Basilica of Superga, and Venaria Reale Castle.

Nowadays the specific nature of this forest is linked to the considerable presence of spruce firs, rare in the Western Alps because of the continental climate and the summer dryness; it is therefore likely that its diffusion in the Gran Bosco was due to two main reasons: a particular microclimate with the stagnation of atmospheric wetness and the existence of an ecotype resisting the summer dryness.

The great variety of environments and floristic species offers the ideal habitat for a very rich fauna. The avifauna consists of about eighty nesting species, with a high percentage of alpine avifauna. Therefore we can find several birds of prey (e.g.: Goshawk, Sparrow Hawk, Buzzard) while a couple of Golden Eagles regularly nests here.

Among the nocturnal birds of prey, besides the Tawny Owl, living at the lowest altitudes, it will be possible to hear the singing of the Eagle Owl and, in the fir forests, of the Tengmalm's Owl using for its nest the cavities dug by the Black Woodpecker.

In the Park two Tetraonidae nest, the Ptarmigan and the Black Grouse, which together with the Rock Partridge, are the symbol of the alpine avifauna

Among the mammals there are hares, squirrels, marmots and many other rodents;

foxes and mustelids (ermine, weasel, marten, stone marten, and badger).

Important is the presence of four species of ungulates: the chamois, which has always been living in the area; the wild boar, the deer and the roe deer, introduced in the early 60s by the Hunting Provincial Administration and which, given the lack of natural predators, have known a real demographic explosion, causing considerable damages to the forests of the whole Upper Valle di Susa.

Programs of wildlife rebalancing consisting in selective shooting, captures and repopulations of other territories, have been and will be useful to maintain the right balance between the animals and the forest.

A new and unexpected help has been given by the return of the WOLF whose presence, ascertained and continuous since 1997, is object of safeguard and study.

Bibliography: texts courtesy of: //www.parks.it/parco.gran.bosco.salbertrand/index.php Pictures: (free - courtesy of) www.pngp.it, foto: archivio pngp //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons