Description
After the retreat of the glaciers, a pond probably formed, which then gradually silted up, turning first into a swamp and later into the present peat bog.
The peat bog is fed by rainwater and melting snow, while a drainage canal in its southern portion drains the water into a stream that flows into the Chiese River.
This peat bog is of the 'transition' type, as it is at an advanced stage of evolution from the lowland bog to the highland bog.
The saddle where the peat bog is located was formed prior to the Quaternary glaciations following the detachment, from the slope of the Pissola peak, of the enormous rock mass that currently makes up Mount Melino. The small valley occupies the detachment niche that was thus formed.
During the glacial era, the area was completely covered by glaciers, whose thickness exceeded 1,400 metres; with their movement, they modelled the valley, leaving unmistakable traces of their passage, such as some moraine circles abandoned by the retreating tongue of ice.
The raised bog is a type of peat bog that is uncommon at our latitudes, as it forms in cold and wet conditions. The presence of stagnant water prevents normal oxidation processes from taking place, so that the dead parts of plant organisms, instead of degrading, slowly tend to accumulate, giving rise to peat deposits.
In the Boniprati nature reserve, the thickness of the peat is quite substantial, reaching a maximum of 70 centimetres.
The peat bog is of considerable naturalistic value, as it is home to plant species of great interest.
This environment presents very special ecological conditions (constant presence of water, soil acidity, lack of minerals) that only a few very specialised plants are able to cope with.
The vegetation of the raised bog is characterised by the presence of sphagnum (Sphagnum spp.), special mosses that are arranged to form characteristic mounds alternating with constantly damp depressions. In the Boniprati peat bog, there are small mounds of sphagnum mosses and some species typical of evolved peat bogs, including the insectivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia.
The biotope also includes marshy areas with large sedges (the plant associations Caricetum elatae and Caricetum paniculatae) and wet meadows, environments of considerable naturalistic interest.
The biotope is not particularly rich in terms of fauna, however it is home to some noteworthy species, such as the mountain frog (Rana temporaria), the common toad (Bufo bufo) and the grass snake (Natrix natrix).
Visiting facilities
- Visiting path
Publications
- trail guide (in draft)
Studies
- naturalistic and cadastral definition project
