Description
The origin and evolutionary history of the Ecchen Fens are very complex and extremely significant.
This wetland is referred to as a 'glacial-karstic basin' in relation to its origin and structure, which can be attributed to the concomitance of glacial and karstic phenomena. Basically, a small lake was established in a depression of the moraine material abandoned here by the Atesine glacier of the Würmian period, which was then slowly filled in. However, the situation was complicated by the subsequent occurrence of karst phenomena, which are still evidenced by the presence of at least three doline-shaped depressions along the north-eastern edge. These karst phenomena have the characteristic of 'draining' water, and thus the peat bog is the result of this sort of 'competition' between the impermeable portion that collects water in a basin and the karst portion that drains it away.
In the centre of the wetland, a veritable lake forms during heavy rainfall, which then empties very quickly. In times past, such a lake was perhaps more permanent, but it certainly appeared and disappeared (as evidenced by both the many different common and proper names given to it and the definition of 'intermittent lake' given to it by Cesare Battisti at the end of the 19th century).
The evolutionary history of the Ecchen peat bog is written in the sediments accumulated at its bottom. Extensive studies have uncovered this submerged 'book' and read and interpreted it. In the karstic sector, where water cannot remain and soak into the soil, peat cannot form, whereas it is present and abundant in the other portion.
Analysis of the composition of the peat revealed the alternation of different marsh species, probably in relation to different phases of the 'competition' mentioned above and the interference of particular climatic moments. There is even a period when the peat bog was invaded by the surrounding forest and then became treeless again.
There are as many as seven different plant associations in the nature reserve, all typical of bogs but well separated into two groups:
- those developed on peat substrate, which occupy the impermeable part,
- those on inorganic substrate, which are distributed around the sinkholes.
Among the most notable of these plant communities are the bulging sedge (Carex rostrata), spondicola sedge (Carex elata), gracile sedge (Carex gracilis) and Davall's sedge (Carex davallianae), as well as the laminar vegetation of the Potamogeton natans ponds.
The pools and ponds of the peat bog are the breeding habitat for the alpine newt (Triturus alpestris), the mountain frog (Rana temporaria) and the common toad (Bufo bufo). These amphibians are the usual prey for the grass snake (Natrix natrix), a snake that is very closely associated with aquatic environments.
The Biotope, probably in relation to its small extension and high altitude, does not host any aquatic avifauna species, but there are numerous entities, some of them interesting, linked to the wet meadows and mowed meadows included in the protected area. Among them is the presence of the corncrake (Crex crex), a very rare and highly endangered bird.
Visiting facilities
- visitor trail
- visitor centre (Maso Spilzi, Municipality of Folgaria)
The visitor trail
The entrance to the biotope's visitor trail is near the village of Colpi, at the forecourt of the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie.
The route is "a ring", which can be completed in about an hour and a half, at a leisurely pace and taking into account brief stops to observe, photograph, write and rest.
The route does not involve any technical difficulties and takes place on almost flat terrain. The naturalness of the place suggests discreet clothing and, above all, appropriate footwear.
Along the route, 13 points of special interest are indicated, at which there is a table with a short illustrative sentence.
Suggested themes: the panorama; the intermittent lake; the woods in the background; the outflow; lichens; hedges; borders; the swamp; marsh vegetation; animals; the golf desert; the old hawthorn; miniature gardens.
The Visitor Centre
The visitor centre is located a few hundred metres from the biotope in a particularly attractive location. In fact, it occupies part of Maso Spilzi, one of the oldest and best-preserved farmsteads in the area (maso = house with farm and livestock). The Visitor Centre is very large and its many sections deal with many themes, the common thread of which is the natural environment of the Folgaria plateau - in particular the Ecchen forest and peat bog - and the centuries-old relationship between this and the local communities.
Publications
- brochure
- route guide (3)
Studies
- naturalistic and cadastral definition project
- studies by the Scientific Commission