Murge (2799)
Italy, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Murge
Central coordinates: Latitude: 40.8833, Longitude: 16.4000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 340 to 679
Area of KBA (km2): 1432.09511
Protected area coverage (%): 88.92
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A very large area of steppe in southern Italy, including the village of Altamura, with areas of maquis and agricultural land.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: An important area for breeding raptors (especially Falco naumanni) and for larks and other steppic species, as well as for five of the 21 species of the Mediterranean biome. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Tetrax tetrax (rare resident).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (75%) | forestry (5%) | hunting (75%) | tourism/recreation (5%) | urban/industrial/transport (5%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 5 | |
| Forest | 7 | |
| Other | 19 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 69 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Part of the site has been proposed as a National Park. There are censuses and ongoing research on breeding Falco naumanni; research on raptors by LIPU was funded by the LIFE programme of the EU.