Ausoni and Aurunci mountains (2860)
Italy, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Monti Ausoni e Aurunci
Central coordinates: Latitude: 41.3667, Longitude: 13.5000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1533
Area of KBA (km2): 917.77002
Protected area coverage (%): 68.68
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A mountain complex bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, north of the towns of Terracina and Gaeta. Habitats include maquis, broadleaved evergreen woodland, garrigue, pastures and rocky cliffs. The main human activities are agriculture, forestry and hunting.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (25%) | forestry (10%) | hunting (50%) | tourism/recreation (10%) | urban/industrial/transport (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 18 | |
| Shrubland | 30 | |
| Forest | 39 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 13 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threats are the strong hunting pressure; fires that are illegally started every year to burn scrub and create new pasture; and overgrazing.