Work in progress: WETLAND RESTORATION

The “Taio di Nomi” wetland is situated in the Val d’Adige, just north of Rovereto, and is a Provincial Nature Reserve as well as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA), that is, Natura 2000 sites protected at European level under the Habitats and Birds Directives. 
The Taio di Nomi is a significant habitat because it lies along the important Val d’Adige migratory route, which birds use as a stopover point.

THE HISTORY OF THIS WETLAND
The area corresponds to an old meander of the River Adige, dating from before the straightening and canalisation works carried out in the late nineteenth century. It gradually shrank in size due to land reclamation works aimed at reclaiming land for cultivation. In the 1970s and 1980s, the last remaining part of the wetland was used as a landfill site. Placed under protection in 1989, it was restored in 1992, with a pond being re-established where the landfill site had previously stood. Between the late 1990s and the early 2000s, the site underwent a series of interventions carried out thanks to LIFE projects, which enabled the purchase of land surrounding the area to enlarge the existing bodies of water. Deep basins were created and the area was replanted with aquatic and hygrophilous species.

CURRENT CHALLENGES
Over the years, the area has achieved a certain degree of ecological stability. However, as these habitats were once periodically flooded by the river’s high waters, they require restoration work because, as time goes by, the reedbed tends to silt up excessively due to the accumulation of plant debris trapped between the roots, thereby reducing the water surface area, which is so vital for amphibian and bird species. 

WORK CARRIED OUT AS PART OF THE NATCONNECT2030 PROJECT
Old pools have been restored in the south-eastern part of the area, where the reedbed was particularly dense and overgrown, and water flow has been improved in the northernmost pool to maintain an adequate water level even during the driest periods.
The work carried out will undoubtedly benefit the amphibian species present, and above all the birds. 

Like all interventions forming part of the Life NatConnect2030 project, this too is a development of the actions set out in the provincial PAF. The PAF – Prioritised Action Framework – is a multi-annual document that plans and monitors the actions necessary for the conservation of Natura 2000 habitats and species.