Torre Guaceto's Natural Reserve
The Marine protected area and the Natural Sate reserve of Torre Guaceto extends for about 1,000ha of land and 2000ha of sea, and overall protected stretch of coast of approximately seven kilometers.
The area is configured as a rectangle more or less regular, with an average depth of 3,000 meters, crossed and divided by the highway No. 379 Systems that develop upstream and downstream of the road are very different. Upstream is still a traditional agricultural system in the area, placed in continuity with the green cover outside the Reserve.
Upstream, in fact, remains an agricultural system typical of the area of Ostuni - Carovigno, place great continuity with the vegetation outside the reserve. Great olive groves carefully maintained the division of plots and reduce the road built with stone walls of local stone and still in the olive groves, red soil, not covered by vegetation and not covered by other cultures. The soil remediation (dating back to 1931) has determined the adjustment of boundaries and structure of the service road, the division into small properties, the construction of small buildings adjoining farmhouse (currently there are about hundred and fifty). The image area upstream of the highway is therefore that of an agricultural field drainage, characterized by the widespread presence of olive groves, crops and vegetables and mostly devoid of naturalistic skilled areas, except for small marginal plots. In the area located downstream of the highway land have made more of a natural.
The sequence space beach, dunes, Mediterranean maquis concludes with agricultural areas (mainly vegetables) and some reforestation of no great quality.
The second stretch of coastline, which extends to the south, or no dunes or beach. It is characterized as a low and rocky coast with small beaches and vegetation that extends from the coastline.
The area that develops behind the headland of the Tower of Guaceto was affected in the past by reclaiming land that remains in the track marks left by the channels. This remediation was used to drain water which is accumulated in this area due to the small steepness of the terrain and the outcrop of the aquifer of fresh water. However, part of the area has always remained moist.
Once abandoned agricultural use of reclaimed land, the waters again flooded entire industries, creating pools of standing water. Subsequently, the growth of reeds has partially closed the free surfaces of water
the system that resulted is something a lot of interest magazines environmental point of view, being a rest stop for many species of birds and, besides, being characterized by the constant presence of birds, amphibians and insects associated with wet systems.
That portion of land located downstream of the route of the highway is characterized by a low density settlement: the buildings are located on the coast of Punta Penna Grossa and the Tower of Guaceto, while the built in the hinterland is the home of the guardian and , over the stain from some houses. Besides that, there are the ruins of the facilities of a campsite dating back to the 80s always spare equipment and, finally abandoned destructive action of time and weather, is currently the subject of vandalism which undermine the already precarious condition |
