Broad-leaved woodlands
The broad-leafed woodlands are situated mainly along the norther margin of the Alta Murgia which faces towards the Adriatic sea and lie at an altitude of between 300 and 500 metres above sea level. The largest of these are the woods of Scoparella in the vicinity of Ruvo di Puglia. The predominant species are the Downy oak (Quercus pubescens) and the Turkey oak (Quercus cerrus). A thick undergrowth creates a resinous odour and fills the wood with berries in the autumn. The shrub growth is made up of the evergreen “Pistacia lentiscus” , the Terebinth or Turpentine tree (Pistacia terebinthus), the Common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and the Italian honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium). The woods are connected with the coastal area by channels eroded in the bedrock by rainwater. Indigenous animals include the porcupine, the badger, the doormouse, the weasel and the marten. Bird life includes the sparrowhawk, the long-eared owl, the great spotted woodpecker, the European green woodpecker, the European roller, the golden oriole, the lesser grey shrike and the woodchat shrike.
