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AGROECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN IMPACT THROUGH MELLIFEROUS AREAS 241
Figure 2. Pastures of Apiarian Interest: map of Fragmentation.
mainly characterized by widespread reforestation with where the presence of infrastructure, produces a high
Eucalyptus sp. and intensive arable farming, while natural fragmentation of agricultural farms.
habitats are reduced and degraded. Particularly widespread
are homogeneous agricultural landscapes, often without DISCUSSION
connections to natural systems. The surfaces of these
provinces have a percentage of 78.72% and 78.84% Good Sicily, thanks to its diversity of the flora (Conti et al., 2005)
apiarian interest respectively. This fact is due to the wide and vegetation, but also for the presence and richness of its
spreads of arable lands, to the intensive mixed/unimixed agricultural landscape, is an area with a high vocation for
crops, to the presence of grasslands and abandoned pastures. beekeeping. The mapping of the nectariferous areas showed
That’s why the most of Umbellifere and multifloral honeys the presence of both natural vegetation aspects (Brullo et al.,
are produced in these areas 2002) and of agroecosystems of high apiarian interest
The provinces of Palermo, Agrigento and Trapani are the (De Leonardis et al., 1994; Ferrauto et al., 1996; Tomaselli et
ones with the greatest number of areas of Limited and al., 1999). However, most natural environments are quite
Occasional apiarian interest: the percentage are 9.75% and fragmented in the territory because of strong anthropic
15.43% for Palermo, 11.96% and 15.92% for Agrigento, impact and the larger surviving unspoilt areas are mainly
9.25% and 33.74% for Trapani. confined to mountainous and inaccessible areas, such as the
In particular,the province of Trapani has the highest degree highlands of the Nebrodi, Madonie and Peloritani mountains
of fragmentation and insularisation of nectariferous areas and chains.
the most intensive concentration of roads and urban areas Most of the region of Sicily is characterized by the presence
of all the Sicilian provinces. Most of these areas are of agroecosystems. Extensive arable and horticultural crops,
characterized by areas of occasional or no apiarian interest, chestnut woods, Citrus orchards, Eucaliptus plantations,
a condition that affects both natural and agroecosystems. The
landscape is mainly characterized by complex crops:
fragmented and irregular patches, close to urban centres,
