The WWF Cave Oasis of Noale is made up of a group of ponds with very variable depths and this has allowed the colonization of a great variety of animal and plant species.
Rich in birdlife, every year the oasis hosts three nesting pairs of purple herons, an increasingly rare species in lowland environments; among the main species present in the oasis are: the gray heron, the little egret, the night heron, the bittern, the little bittern, the water rail, the marsh bunting, the coot, the moorhen, the kingfisher, the little grebe; in the shallower ponds, various species of waders (wood sandpiper, carrier) can be seen. Of note is the occasional presence of the marsh harrier and the knight of Italy. Noteworthy is the presence of the pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), now a rare and endangered species.
The Cave Oasis of Noale is located in the Municipality of the same name and is part of a Site of Community Importance (SIC IT3250017). These 18 hectares of land are now managed by the WWF under concession from the Municipality of Noale, which owns them.
Due to the excavation activity, large depressions have been created in this place. After the abandonment of the activity, thanks to the action of rainwater, groundwater and Rio Draganziolo, these depressions filled up to form ponds of variable depth. The different depths between one pond and another have allowed the colonization of a great variety of animal and plant species. The initial pioneer vegetation then gave way to luxuriant marsh vegetation and shrubby trees. For the marshy environment, the flora includes species of Phragmites australis (marsh reed), Carex elata and Carex riparia (sedges), Typha latifolia and Typha angustifolia (cattails) and the increasingly rare Nymphaea alba. The most common tree species, on the other hand, are Salix alba, Salix cinrea, Populus nigra, Populus alba and Alnus glutinosa. Today this wetland is home to various species of birds, fish and amphibians, including the gray heron, the egret, the night heron, the bittern, the little bittern, the water rail, the reed bunting, the coot, the moorhen, the kingfisher, the little grebe; in the shallower ponds, various species of waders can be seen.
Translated by Google •
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