This riparian grove is one of the many naturalistic jewels of the Appia Antica and Caffarella park. This wetland develops around the Almone river, whose waters originate on the Colli Albani and are fed by the many springs still present in the park.
The grove developed on the bank of the Almone river and continues to expand. The group of elm trees once present died a few years ago following a violent attack by Ophiostoma Ulmi, a fungus that caused the disappearance of this tree species in the first decades of the 20th century following its arrival in Italy from the Asian continent . The Appia Antica Regional Park Authority, of which the Caffarilla valley is part, has promoted a series of initiatives for the environmental and hydraulic redevelopment of the Almone river and the two marranos. The objective is to restore the pre-existing agricultural environment, safeguard and enhance the vegetation of the valley bottom and riparian environments. This project involved the creation of a wetland: the poplar grove pond. This is a humid area that allows us to improve the quality of the ecosystem of the Caffarella valley, guaranteeing passing birds a real rest area. It also plays a key role in the conservation of the biodiversity of this site. This area was created by diverting the waters of the right marrano, subject to frequent flooding, which damaged the surrounding agricultural land. Once the waters have crossed the pond, they flow further downstream, in the old course of the Marrana. The quality of the water in this point is high, as demonstrated by the presence of roaches and sticklebacks, fish that live in intact environments.
Recall that a "riparian" area is the interface between land and a surface-flowing stream. The plant communities along the river edges are called riparian vegetation, characterized by hydrophilic plants. Riparian zones hold important significance in forestry, ecology, environmental management and civil engineering due to their role in soil conservation, their biodiversity and the influence they have on aquatic ecosystems.
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