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Climate and Natural Enviroment in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

There are considerable differences between the climate of the coastline where the sea has a marked influence and that of the inland mountainous areas. While average temperatures fall progressively from the sea towards the north, the precipitations increase up to a maximum of over 3,000 mm. in the pre-alpine zone, decreasing to lower values (1,500-1,600 mm. annually) in the Carnic and Julian Alps. Nearly everywhere the wettest months are in autumn and spring.

The centre of Musi (635 m.) in the Julian Prealps is considered to be the wettest place in Italy, with 3,346 mm. per year. Another climatic feature is the Bora, a strong cold wind which often blows in winter across the eastern part of the Province from north-east. Woods cover 22% of the region and are mainly in Carnia. Up to an approximate altitude of 500 m., there are chestnut and oak trees, followed by beech which, above 1,000 mm, is replaced by conifers, mainly Norway spruce. At roughly 800 m. a low bushy zone (rhododendrons, dwarf pines, junipers) separates the conifer belt from the high pastures.

For the purpose of reforestation, large pine woods have been planted along the coast, as at Lignano Sabbiadoro and Belvedere. The flowers of this area are exceptionally beautiful and interesting. Together with typical mountain flowers such as the edelweiss and rock rampion, distinctive indigenous species, such as lilium carniolicum and the attractive Wulfenia carinthiaca grow here. The Karst region is one of the most famous zones in Italy for surface and underground phenomena giving rise to the typical Karst topography (dolinas, pools, furrowed or rutted fields, caves, and the like), with many characteristic indigenous animals and plants.

Another typical and almost unpolluted environment is that of the lagoons. The Marano and Grado lagoons, though separate from each other, form a fairly homogeneous stretch of water covering 16,000 hectares, for approximately 32 km. between the Isonzo river to the east and the Tagliamento river to the west. The principal wildlife consists of large flocks of aquatic birds, including mallard, garganey and coot.

Worthy of mention is the Parco Marino di Miramare, near the famous castle of the same name, stretching for approximately thirty hectares in an area particularly suited to marine plants and animal life, and also the barren magredi, on the high Friuli plain, very permeable rough alluvial land, bare except for thin grass providing, at the most, meagre grazing.

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