Flora di Sicilia e delle isole circumsiciliane

Every day, the territory of Trapani and the Egadi Islands offer their inhabitants and the numerous tourists who visit them a landscape that is unique in the world for its natural and environmental characteristics and, at the same time, a territory that has been strongly shaped, and sometimes even altered, by man and his many activities over the millennia. Geographically positioned as an ideal bridge between Europe and North Africa, this territory offers, almost always in the same place, archaeological treasures that bear witness to a historical past of inestimable value and a unique natural landscape of great naturalistic value. Here, there are numerous endemic plant and animal species: exclusive, therefore, to this territory (or even only to small parts of it) and found nowhere else in the world. However, if Sicily is a metaphor for the world, as Leonardo Sciascia said, Trapani and its territory are a metaphor for Sicily due to the presence of numerous problems and many contradictions. 

As in many other places, not only in Sicily, the environment has been profoundly altered without a valid or satisfactory alternative, and problems remain regarding the conservation and enhancement of many natural areas. All this while scientific research documents the richness of this territory in terms of biodiversity and environmental value with new discoveries every day. Considering the large amount of naturalistic data that the Trapani area and the Egadi Islands offer, the aim of this book is to provide basic naturalistic knowledge that stimulates the reader to further knowledge and greater attention to this territory.