THE COORDINATION

THE COORDINATIONOphiolites are petrographic associations mainly made of oceanic basalts, gabbros, serpentinized peridotites and serpentines. Complex geodynamic events have distributed the ophiolitic outcroppings on mountain ranges of different ages, from the Appalachians to the Urals and to Himalaya; in Europe they are scattered over Portugal, Spain, Corsica, France, Eastern Europe, the former Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece. In Italy we find them scattered throughout the entire central-western Alps, in the Apennine ranges of Liguria, Piedmont and Tuscany-Emilia all the way to the Tiber valley, southern Tuscany and the Tuscan archipelago; there are also occasional spots cropping out in the Calabrian Apennines. These ophiolitic outcroppings are wonderful "ecological islands", providing a perfect home for an irreplaceable wealth of environmental varieties; for many years now, they have been studied all over the world. The territories with an ophiolitic substrate, with their heterogeneous landscape, dimensions and geography, configure a common, original naturalness. They offer, among other things, opportunities for study of theoretical and applied scientific topics such as the quality and characteristics of the circulating and spring waters, geochemical indications regarding the flora, the identification of vegetable ecotypes that are resistant to toxic elements. Moreover, they offer a testing ground for methods of mitigation of the environmental impact of agri-environmental management, and a site for study and interpretation of the landscape and methods for safeguarding, valorizing and utilizing its geological wealth (conservation of "geodiversity"), as well as its biological variety (conservation of "biodiversity"). Also the historical, artistic and cultural expressions of human settlements are extremely interesting. Though endowed with a strong self-preserving capacity, the outcroppings of ophiolites are fragile ecological systems; it is therefore necessary to make a careful assessment of the costs and benefits of the prospects for territorial programming of those areas.

The organization for the Coordination of protected ophiolitic areas (C.A.P.O.) was officially founded on June 23, 2001 on the occasion of the national conference "The Ophiolites: islands on the mainland. For a network of Protected Areas" (Natural Reserve of Monte Prinzera-PR) with the signing of a Protocol of Intent by a founding nucleus of 9 Protected Areas, joined later by 2 Natural Reserves of Alta Val di Cecina (PI).
This is the list of the Protected Areas currently joining the Coordination:

  1. REGIONAL NATURE PARK OF MONT AVIC (Autonomous Region of Val d'Aosta);
  2. REGIONAL NATURE PARK OF BEIGUA (Liguria, provinces of Savona and Genoa);
  3. REGIONAL NATURE PARK CAPANNE DI MARCAROLO (Piedmont, province of Alessandria);
  4. REGIONAL NATURE PARK OF AVETO (Liguria, province of Genoa);
  5. REGIONAL NATURAL RESERVE OF MONTE PRINZERA (Emilia-Romagna, province of Parma);
  6. REGIONAL NATURAL RESERVE RUPE DI CAMPOTRERA (Emilia-Romagna, province of Reggio Emilia);
  7. PROTECTED NATURE AREA (ANPIL) OF MONTEFERRATO (Tuscany, province of Prato);
  8. PROTECTED NATURE AREA (ANPIL) SERPENTINE OF PIEVE S.STEFANO (Tuscany, province of Arezzo);
  9. REGIONAL NATURAL RESERVE MONTI ROGNOSI (Tuscany, province of Arezzo);
  10. PROVINCIAL NATURAL RESERVE MONTI MONTENERO (Tuscany, province of Pisa);
  11. PROVINCIAL NATURAL RESERVE MONTERUFOLI-CASELLI (Tuscany, province of Pisa).

The entire area amounts to 35,817 hectares, plus 4,103 in Adjacent Areas; it involves 5 regions, 8 provinces, 36 municipalities, 12 mountain communities, 17 Sites of Community Importance (pSIC) and 2 Zones of Special Protection (ZPS) ("Habitat" Directive, 92/43/UE). The initiative, while respecting the specific identities and activities of each Protected Area, serves as a concrete example of a possible form of implementation of strategies and policies at the level of a system, a topic that has become an important subject of discussion in Italy and throughout Europe with reference to conservation, territorial management and sustainable development (Ecological European Network, Ipee 1991, Econet 1995, Law no. 426/98, but above all "Habitat" Directive 92/43/UE, that delineates the network "Nature 2000"). Also distant and diversified geographical-territorial areas – if related by significant environmental aspects – can become systems of equally significant connective utility and capacity. In the case of C.A.P.O., which includes Protected Areas that are representative of Alpine, Apennine and Mediterranean contexts, the common ground is given by the ophiolitic geological formations that characterize the territories with their original and signficant peculiarities.
The main objectives of the Organization for the Coordination of Protected Ophiolitic Areas are:

  • creation of a permanent commission of reference on the themes inherent to territories with ophiolitic substrata, whether protected or not;
  • exchanges and comparisons of information and experiences;
  • creation of a unified database;
  • development of joint projects, programs of management, research, promotion, education, also in collaboration with instititional organizations, universities, social and cultural associations and local communities;
  • contributions to the identification, documentation, and proposal of initiatives for the safeguard, study and qualification of ophiolitic areas that are not protected.

The Coordination is a free association of members with an Operating Unit composed of 1 representative of each Protected Area – that suggests and establishes programs, actions and initiatives, and identifies the necessary means and resources. Other organizations that are managers of protected territories with ophiolitic substrata, as defined in the Protocol of Intent – can apply for membership in the Coordination. Research scientists, experts, operators, administrators, groups, organizations and institutions are cordially invited to contact the C.A.P.O. if interested in its subject matter.
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