The golden yellow colour of the "cogoli" stands out among the
stones along the shore: rounded stones frequently odd in shape, locally
known as "cogoli" which are the result of a particular lithogenesis
which chemically aggregates the sand into these spherical shapes. The pebble
beach hosts unusual and rare, shore environment marine biocoenesis; in the
past it was used as a convenient gravel and stone quarry for paving materials
loaded directly onto the ships. Historical documents are testimony that
this activity was carried out for several hundred years, with exportation
of material to Ravenna, Rimini and the other coastal cities; towards the
end of the late 1900s this quarry shipping activity came to an end. In fact,
the old cobblestone streets of the city of Pesaro and park villages were,
at one time, constructed from these stones. Over the centuries, this activity
was not beneficial to the current stability of the coastal strip of the
sea-cliff; instead, it definitely accelerated the erosion process and in
recent years this has led to the need for interventions at sea through surface
and submersed reefs, and consolidation of the steep cliff walls to safeguard
the local population.
The dynamics of the sea-cliff and the composition of the terrain which forms
it conditions the vegetation. In fact, both the steep nature of some of
the cliffs as well as the essentially mineral character of the substrate,
are only sufficient for a pioneering vegetation mostly made up of Plinio
Reed (Arundo plinii), which represents the most extensive natural
typology of the territory. The character of this initial stage tends to
remain constant in the steeper slopes where frequent slides and crumbling
impede the cane thicket from evolving to more advances stages; in the dryer,
more stable soil we find Perfumed Broom (Spartium Junceum), and
where the slope is less steep and a certain amount of humus accumulates,
it is possible to find madder (Rubia peregrina), Etruscan honeysuckle (lonicera
etrusca), young Aleppo pine plants (Pinus halepensis) certainly
originating from spontaneous insemination following reafforestation.
In the valley lines which retain more humidity even during the dry summer
months, there are white poplar, black poplar and, more rarely, white willow.
Arundo donax is more common is several areas. There are also rare species
like maritime flax (Linum maritimum)
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