Page 4 -

240 FERRAUTO G. / Ann. Bot. (Roma), 2013, 3: 237–244

Table 2. Distribution of apiarian interest in percentage in Sicily.

Apiarian Sicilian provinces
Interest

Catania Siracusa Ragusa Messina Enna Caltanissetta Palermo Trapani Agrigento

Null 12.78% 6.44% 7.74% 4.46% 4.28% 3.21% 4.35% 7.75% 6.24%
Limited 6.64% 1.74% 2.15% 24.49% 2.34% 4.73% 9.75% 33.74% 15.92%
Occasional 4.99% 8.75% 8.29% 13.70% 7.30% 6.54% 15.43% 9.25% 11.96%
Good 58.51% 61.92% 60.71% 52.33% 78.84% 78.72% 67.79% 47.20% 61.99%
Excellent 17.08% 21.14% 21.11% 5.02% 7.25% 6.80% 2.69% 2.05% 3.88%

Analysis of Urban interference map (Figure 1) and 52.33% Good apiarian interest.
Fragmentation map (Figure 2) shows how Catania and Siracusa and Ragusa have a lowest degree of fragmentation
Messina provinces have the greatest degree of fragmentation and insularisation of nectariferous areas and present
of nectariferous areas arising from the urban road network interesting vegetation types including plant species of high
which also represents a barrier for a number of animal apiarian interest, such as maquis and phrygana of rosemary
species, and it is the cause of mortality for the bees in and thyme. In fact, a large part of the territory of Siracusa
collisions with vehicles (Di Giulio, 2009). In these areas the and Ragusa presents a percentage of 61.92% and 60.71%
agroecosystems are mainly Citrus groves and chestnut woods Good apiarian interest and a percentage of 21.14% and
that have excellent apiarian interest; 17.08% of the territory 21.11% Excellent apiarian interest respectively. These are the
of Catania has Excellent apiarian interest, 58.51% Good; highest values among all the Sicilian provinces.
Messina has only 5.02% of Excellent apiarian interest and The agricultural landscape of Caltanissetta and Enna is

Figure 1. Pastures of Apiarian Interest: map of Urban Interference.