Rome, the pine forest of Castel Fusano destroyed by cochineal. Risk of collapses and fires

There Pine forest Of Castel Fusano it has the color of mourning. The protected area between Ostia and the capital now at times resembles a post-atomic scenario. It’s as if pieces of the park had been hit by the fatal wind of a thousand bombs, the high ones pines scarred, broken, devoured from the inside by the most ruthless killer, the turtle cochineal. The parasite has forever disfigured the 900 hectares of green lung, falling within the Roman coast state nature reserve, established in 1996 by the Ministry of the Environment. The treasure more precious than the Lido di Rome, frequented every day by thousands of runners, athletes and families, is rotting. Under everyone’s eyes. In silence and in the absolute immobility of the institutions.

Pine cemetery

Castel Fusano, killed byepidemicit’s a graveyard. Entering the area from via della Villa di Plinio, the most crowded from picnic and green lovers, i corpses of the tall ones pines they stand out very black against the blue sky. Some are fatally injured, the bare branches sway under the sea breeze, dangerously poised above the paths of the undergrowth: in the peace of the forest their moans can be heard, the wood grating against the wood. Of others only the trunk arid and barethe once green hair is grey, dull, withered by decline inevitable. There is no green looking up. All is ash.

Fires and cochineal

What didn’t kill thefire devastating attack of 2017, he ate itinsect alien. The bodies left on the grass cannot be counted, there are hundreds in this slice of pine forest alone, the one in the worst conditions. But evil spread without it obstaclesskipped fire roads, passed the Christopher Columbus. He took it as well Host and he’s not done yet. On the way to Castel Fusanoa fundamental connection with the via del Mare, until five years ago there was a green tunnel that shone above passing cars. They have arrived chainsaws to eliminate the unsafe pine trees that cast shadows on passing cars. The pine forest of Procoio, the younger sister of Castel Fusano, which branches out between the houses of Ostia, was also attacked.

The contagion

In the town the cochineal (the scientific name is Toumeyella parvicornis) has acted leopard spot. One healthy pine, three dead. A massacre. The corpses of the pines now in the final stage of illness you recognize them immediately, even from the Colombo front: black like all the rest of the once dazzling panorama. Darkness envelops the pine trees of Via del Lido di Castelporzianolike those of the estate of the President of the Republic and those in front of the Grassi hospital, up to the Infernetto and Casalpalocco. On Via dei Pescatori the blackened foliage alternates with the shimmering ones of the holm oak groves. Trees that were majestic until five years ago, bent by a tiny insect. Botanists and biologists came from all over the world to study the extraordinary ecosystem of Castel Fusano, now changed forever.

Fire risk

A catastrophe environmental, but also a gigantic trigger for fires. One will be enough spark to raise hell among the dry wood and abandoned. With the arrival of summer and scorching heat, the risk is constantly increasing and the pine forest has already paid a very high price: first with the gigantic fire in 2000 which razed half the trees to the ground, then the other one in July 2017 with deep wounds still visible. Yet the cochineal was a disaster announced since 2018with the first sightings nearby Campania. Year after year, no one, from the Municipality to the Ministry, has lifted a finger to save the arboreal heritage. Only chainsaws to eliminate the damage and some spot work. The Castel Fusano funeral has been underway for a long time.

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April 29, 2024

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