Circeo
Situated about 100 km south of Rome on the Tyrrhenian coast, Circeo Biosphere Reserve represents a diversity of Mediterranean ecosystems. It comprises a plain forest located on a series of continental dunes, three coastal lakes, marshy areas and the calcareous massif of Mount Circeo (541 meters above sea level) as well as agriculture fields and pastures. The biosphere reserve partly overlaps with the Circeo National Park and includes a Ramsar site.
About 50 people, mostly farmers and fishermen, live in the biosphere reserve (1989). Due to its proximity to Rome, the area is a popular destination for tourists which causes some pressure on the ecosystem, in particular to coastal dunes. Another challenge of biosphere reserve management is do deal with the eutrophication and water pollution of the coastal lakes due to urban sewage and agricultural activities. Environmental education activities take place within the national park, where an ecomuseum provides information to visitors. Read more about this reserve on the UNESCO Biosphere Reserves website.
© Profile picture: N i c o l a
