Chestnut groves and mixed forests of Somma

The chestnut groves characterize the northern slopes of the mountain sum at altitudes between 250 and 1100 meters. Introduced in the past for their usefulness, today the chestnut groves are often abandoned by man and object of recolonization of other native tree species, which increase the complexity of the association, but unfortunately also by phenomena of invasion of Robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia), pioneer and strongly invasive North American species, introduced massively at the beginning of the twentieth century and became in many cases a pest, with consequent ecological imbalances.

In general, chestnut groves, such as the one reproduced in the diorama, have coverage values between 60 and 90%, leaving little room for other species, mainly represented by Neapolitan Alder (Alnus cordata), Antelope (Fraxinus ornus), Oak (Quercus pubescens), and have a shrubby and herbaceous layer variously diversified according to the arboreal cover and orography of the area, often characterized by wide and deep valleys, which determine a marked heterogeneity of microclimatic conditions and microclimate of the area, often characterized by large and deep valleys, which determine a marked heterogeneity of microclimatic conditions.