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Torbiere del Sebino Nature Reserve, acknowledged as “wetland of international importance” by the Ramsar Convention, the Special Conservation Zone (SAC), and the Special Protection Zone (SPA) of the Natura 2000 Network, is located on the southern shore of Lake Iseo and is the most significant wetland in terms of extension and ecological importance in the whole province of Brescia.

It is considered a priority area for biodiversity in the Po River Valley. This is due to its variety of habitats and species, aquatic-marsh, Community interest, as well as rare or endangered species protection in Lombardy and in Italy.

Nonetheless, this is a rather small area, only 890-acre-wide, and mainly made of reeds and bodies of water surrounded by cultivated fields or manmade structures (roads, residential buildings, etc.).

THE VEGETATION

The vegetation of this Reserve is quite variegated, especially when compared to what it used to be a century ago: a mere, flat environment made of wet grassland and a thick reed bed with some large sedge marsh formations.
The excavation of peat has radically altered the original landscape, endangering households as well as numerous animal species. On the other hand, it contributed to the creation of several different environments that intersect into a comprehensive “ecological mosaic” of great biological value.
The very depth of the water in the reserve is the main reason for such biodiversity and an impressive number of different plant species.

In the deep waters, there are typical species like eelgrass (Vallisneria spiralis), American waterweed (Elodea canadensis), coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum), common watermilfoil and whorl-leaf watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum and M. verticillatum), curled pondweed, shining pondweed, and common pondweed (Potamogeton crispus, P. lucens and P. natans).

At medium depths, the vegetation is mostly made of hydrophytes and subalophiles species, like duckweed (Lemna spp. ), white water-lily (Nymphaea alba), and yellow water-lily (Nuphar lutea). In this very environment, there’s also peculiar bladderwort (Utricularia australis), an aquatic and carnivorous species with golden yellow flowers and leaves equipped with vesicles to catch microorganisms.

In shallow waters and on the shores (when sloping), there are mostly common reed (Phragmites australis), bulrush (Typha latifolia and T. angustifolia), and club-rush (Schoenoplectus lacustris).

In the periodically flooded areas, typical of hydrophytes and subalophiles plant species, there are sedges (Carex spp.), and a lot of tussox sedge (Carex elata).
There is also purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), marsh-bedstraw (Galium palustre), swamp sawgrass (Cladium mariscus), and marsh fern (Thelypteris palustris). The latter indicates the potential growth of a hygrophilous black alder forest (Alnus glutinosa).

At the edge of the reed bed, in addition to sedges, there are splendid blooms of water iris or yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus), featherfoil (Hottonia palustris), and simplestem bur-reed (Sparganium erectum).

In this reserve, there are also some hygrophiles prairies of galingale (Cyperus longus), with the most typical look of hydrophytes and subalophiles plant species; on flooded patches of ground there’s mouse garlic (Allium angulosum) and, on drier soil, there are large areas of false oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius).

Finally, there are hints of hygrophilous forest formations, with willows, poplars and alders.
All over this reserve, there is no shortage of exotic invasive species, such as desert false indigo (Amorfa fruticose), and tall goldenrod (Solidago gigantea). The latter is constantly monitored for the conservation of the phytodiversity in the Natural Reserve.

Text source: https://www.torbieresebino.it/lambiente-naturale/flora/

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