Bosco Fontana - Italy

Bosco Fontana is an ancient primary woodland and represents one of the last remnants of the original Po plain forest. The historic events that have influenced the area are the fragmentation and the decrease of the forest habitat surface, the modification in the forest composition and structure. One of the most relevant events happened is the heavy storm in 1949, which uprooted more than 1500 m3 of wood, leaving “naked” a 50 ha area. The consequent reforestation with allochthonous species (plane tree and red oak) constitutes another alteration of the natural ecosystem. The allochthonous species are progressively eliminated to reconstitute the original oak-hornbeam woodland. From a faunistic point of view, the area represents a “tank” of forest species disappeared or extremely rare in the other areas. The central grassland, used for grazing till 70s, is now treated with scheduled mows.