• Getting about

    Getting about

    Back
    • Rentals
    • Taxi services
    • Bus services
    • Park areas
  • Stays
  • Eat
  • Sea

    Sea

    Back
    • Beaches
    • Bathing establishments
    • Diving centers
    • Sailing
  • Guided excursions
  • Sports
  • Places to see
  • Special offers
  • Last minute offers
  • Ferries
Infoelba
  • Get to Elba
    • How to get there Getting to the Island of Elba
    • Ferries The shipping companies that connect the island
    • Getting about on the island Public transport and taxis
    • Hire Car, motorbike and boat hire/rental
  • Stay
    • Accommodation that is open all year round Booking a holiday farm centre, hotel or B&B all open in winter too
    • Hotels Hotels to meet all needs
    • Residences For an independent holiday
    • Bed & Breakfasts Always ready to discover the island
    • Apartments Feeling at home in Elba
    • Small villas and detached houses For an autonomous holiday
    • Villas Surrounded by luxury and relaxation
    • Farm holiday centres Nature and flavours everywhere
    • Campsites Socializing and having a good time surrounded by nature
    • Camper and caravan Parking, water tank and facility areas
    • Farm holiday campsites An open air holiday
    • Luxury accommodation For a dream vacation
    • Tourist agencies and realtors Let your holiday be organised for you
  • Eat
    • Restaurants and Pizzerias Typical sea, home or more refined cuisine
    • Food & Wine Experience Experiences of gastronomy and wine tasting
    • Local recipes The best dishes of the Elba cuisine
    • Wines Aleatico, Moscato and Ansonica: Elba wines
    • Herbs and typical products Honey, beer, oil, wild and aromatic plants
    • Typical dishes History and origins of Elba dishes
  • Useful information
    • ElbaOK Insurance The anti Covid-19 policy and much more
    • Useful phone numbers and addresses Public and emergency utilities
    • Weather Temperatures and weather forecast
    • Webcams A window always open on the Elbe
    • Apps for your smartphone Elba on your mobile
  • Visit Elba
    • Beaches and coasts A different beach each day
    • Places to see Museums, ancient monuments, breathtaking views
    • Tuscan Archipelago National Park Seven pearls rising up from the sea
    • Guided excursions Letting others take you round the island
    • Useful advice What to do if...
    • Maps of the Island of Elba The Island in the palm of your hand
    • I am... Elba just as it suits you
    • Recommended itineraries What can we go and see today?
  • Sports and free time
    • Water sports Scuba diving, going snorkelling, fishing, sailing
    • Land sports Cycling, trekking, free climbing!
    • Elba not to be missed The unmissable experiences to do on holiday
    • Outdoor sports Elba: A paradise for lovers of outdoor sports
    • Enjoyment and relaxation Night life, cinemas and much more
    • Courses and study trips Learn while you have fun
    • Shopping Scents, colors and flavors of Elba
    • Special events and exhibitions What shall we do this evening?
  • Discovering Elba
    • How many beaches are there in Elba? 126 beaches of 1000 colours
    • Paths and tracksin Elba 1000 paths to live the island to the full
    • Elba in winter Making the most of Elba all year round
    • Interesting facts A different Elba
    • History of Elba Historical notes concerning Elba and its origins
    • Geology of Elba Geological origins of the Island of Elba
    • Towns of Elba Administration of Elba and its eight Communes
    • Media Gallery Live and feel Elba through photographs
  • Webcams
Infoelba - Dove natura è vacanza
  • 0

NAT-LAB - Portoferraio / Room 3

  • Looking for accommodation
  • Accommodation price and availability
  • Last minute booking
  • Offers
  • Ferry tickets
  • Real estate ads
  1. Island of Elba
  2. The Island of Elba
  3. Places to see
  4. Museums and archeological sites
  5. NAT-LAB
  6. Earth room

Earth room

This room represents a cross section of the land environment where you can find all the animals that live both on and below the ground, which means almost all the natural trophic levels in the food chain. You go from the grazers like grasshoppers and crickets to predatory animals and to detritivores.

There are also two "Dioramas" showing two natural scenes that can still be seen in real life on the Island of Elba. The one to your left shows a cork tree branch with a couple of "Oak beetles" walking along it as well as a Stag beetle (Lucanus tetraodon) in flight. The Diorama to the right portrays a typical dune setting where a predatory animal, the Scarites buparius, a beetle, is about to devour its favourite prey, a Pimelia.

In the corner on the left you can see an ecological succession of animals that are typically found on most of the Islands of the Tuscan Archipelago.

The detailed descriptions of all the species to be found in this room can also be found in digital form both on the tablet and in the app  that are there for the public to use and consult.

The ecological succession from the dunes to the mountains

If we start with the biggest island in the Tuscan Archipelago and go along the different environments one after the other that go from the beach to the mountains you can come across many different species of plants, some of which are very unusual for such a small, Mediterranean island. Today you can often see the colourful Hottentot fig trees (Carpobrotus acinaciformis) growing in the dune areas near the beaches, and they have become as rare as they are important for the coastal ecosystems, or some very unique species like the sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum), the silver ragwort (Senecio cineraria) and the European houseleek (Anthyllis barba-jovis). On the steep cliffs on the other hand we can see: the phoenician juniper (Juniperus phoenicea) and the red juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus). Among the scrubland we can see rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), rock rose (Cistus monspeliensis, incanus and salvifolius, helichrysum (Helicrysum italicum), lavender (Lavandula stoechas and viscous inula (Inula viscosa, all very typical of sunny, dry areas on the island.

Where the greenery is taller, but that is also slowly becoming rarer and scarcer, it is classed as the Mediterranean bush that is so typical of the Mare Nostrum, although fortunately many of the evironments in Elba as yet are still rich in lush Mediterranean bush.

If we go inland and follow any of the roads and paths up the mountains we can find some species that are not very common for a Mediterranean archipelago like the black hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) as well as several Alpine and Appenine species like the yew (Taxus baccata) and holly (Ilex aquifolium). Along the ditches we find the black alder (Alnus glutinosa) that grows as far down as the cane thickets (Arundo donax). We can also find many orange lilies (Lilium bulbiferum croceum) and fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium. Chestnut trees (Castanea sativa) are also very common but they tend to grow more on the western and more shady parts of the island, and you can often come across some that are extremely large because they are centuries old.

Request a free quote 0 My choice
ElbaOk

Ensure your holidays with ElbaOK: the first insurance policy against any unexpected outcomes caused by the Coronavirus emergency, and much more.

Read more

You might also like...

NAT-LABNaturalists in historyWater roomAir room

Related links

English Fort
  • Get to Elba
  • How to get there
  • Ferries
  • Getting about on the island
  • Hire
  • Stay
  • Accommodation that is open all year round
  • Hotels
  • Residences
  • Bed & Breakfasts
  • Apartments
  • Small villas and detached houses
  • Villas
  • Farm holiday centres
  • Campsites
  • Camper and caravan
  • Farm holiday campsites
  • Luxury accommodation
  • Tourist agencies and realtors
  • Eat
  • Restaurants and Pizzerias
  • Food & Wine Experience
  • Local recipes
  • Wines
  • Herbs and typical products
  • Typical dishes
  • Useful information
  • ElbaOK Insurance
  • Useful phone numbers and addresses
  • Weather
  • Webcams
  • Apps for your smartphone
  • Visit Elba
  • Beaches and coasts
  • Places to see
  • Tuscan Archipelago National Park
  • Guided excursions
  • Useful advice
  • Maps of the Island of Elba
  • I am...
  • Recommended itineraries
  • Sports and free time
  • Water sports
  • Land sports
  • Elba not to be missed
  • Outdoor sports
  • Enjoyment and relaxation
  • Courses and study trips
  • Shopping
  • Special events and exhibitions
  • Discovering Elba
  • How many beaches are there in Elba?
  • Paths and tracksin Elba
  • Elba in winter
  • Interesting facts
  • History of Elba
  • Geology of Elba
  • Towns of Elba
  • Media Gallery
  • Webcams

Infoelba non si assume alcuna responsabilità per l'uso di marchi e slogan usati dagli inserzionisti e per eventuali errate indicazioni.

Informa inoltre che i listini prezzi, orari, date o altro materiale informativo pubblicato su questo sito è suscettibile a variazioni.

:: Siete quindi invitati a chiedere conferma alle strutture interessate ::

Infoelba

©1999-2023 Infoelba s.r.l. Unipersonale - Viale Teseo Tesei, 12 - Centro Servizi Il Molino - 57037 Portoferraio (LI)

P. IVA e C.F. 01130150491 - capitale sociale €10.000,00 i.v. - registro imprese numero 01130150491 - REA: LI - 100635

infoelba® it is a registered trademark - all rights reserved - Accesso all'area riservata - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy