The State forest
In recent decades, in the grounds of the state forest of Pietralunga – Bocca Serriola interesting courses of regeneration have been established, both natural (process of secondary succession with gradual passage from the uncultivated to underbrush and then to forest) and by men (conversion from copses to tall trees), so today we face one of the most extensive and best preserved hill forest complex of our country: a perfect area for the study and scientific divulging of hill ecosystems.
Protected areas
Within the European project NATURA 2000, the Region of Umbria has identified two sites of community interest (also called S. I. C. areas, under protection territories of high natural importance which have to be safeguarded due to specific habitats) in the evaluated territory:
1) Woods of Pietralunga– 1487,00 hectares with the well-preserved edges of the downy oak forest, tended to tall trees, and with habitat of particular merit: edges of riparian forest of Salix apennina and underbrush of Juniperus oxicedrus;
2) Woods of Mount Rosso and Mount Sodolungo – 2597,00 hectares with extensive woods of Turkey oak and black Hornbeam interrupted by grazings of Centaurea bracteata and Bromus erectus and camefitiche formations (made by plats that have gems growing a little above the ground) of Coronilla emerus and Boswellia monspessulanum.
Moreover, the Province of Perugia has identified two Oases for the protection of wildlife within the state forest:
3) Oasis of Varrea– 950.00 hectares, entirely contained in S. I. C. area of the woods of Pietralunga;
4) Oasis of Candeleto – 1100,00 hectares with naturaliforme woods (mixed artificial forest) which alternate Turkey oak and Black hornbeam with extensive Black pine forests.