Cork forest in Caronia

Today I show you the cork trees of the territory of Caronia located in the province of Messina (northern Sicily).

The cork one is my favorite kind of forest. If you look carefully it seems an enchanted woods of those from fairy tales for children or adventure movies.

_{Unedited shot, taken by the author}

_{Unedited shot, taken by the author}

When the cork appears in optimal vegetation conditions, it is difficult to find other tree species associated with it. Elsewhere, however, it suffers competition from less demanding plants such as leccio, roverella, cerro-cork, Quercus gussonei (similar to cerro, with which it easily confuses), the country elm, the smaller ash, laurel .

_{Unedited shot, taken by the author}

_{Unedited shot, taken by the author}

Also the undergrowth is conditioned, by quality and quantity, by the development of the tree plan. In fact, where the wood is perfectly "closed", the crowns are attached to each other, few species can withstand strong shading, which is uninterrupted throughout the year.

_{Unedited shot, taken by the author}

_{Unedited shot, taken by the author}

Where the crowns are more spaced the light comes more abundant to the ground, penetrating the heather, the thorny broth, the cyst, the butcher's-broom, the biting asparagus.

The Nebrodi corks, in addition to their naturalistic and scientific value, they also own a great importance as historical document, while remaining in Sicily one of the few examples of forest that goes down to the sea.