Considerazioni sul ruolo delle foreste di sughera in aree a gestione naturalistica

Cork oak (Quercus suber), native to Iberian Peninsula, is spread in Western side of Mediterranean area. The species plays a very important function in relation to the environmental and economic aspect. Particularly, its resistance to fire is very high. In Italy, the Sardinian region holds 90% of the stands, produces a valued cork and develops a modern processing industry. The cork oak forest gives rise to a vegetal secondary succession as a result of frequent fire event, with the formation of transitory pyrophyte associations. The progressive renaturalization of protected areas and parks could involve a cork oak stand reduction because of a greater competitiveness of holm-oak and Mediterranean maquis in non-intervention area, while in areas with durable activities cork oak stands must be kept through cultural practices and managed with sustainable interventions.