Belforte Peat Bogs
Origins and Some History
Large area situated in the
west of the town of Belforte, in the Municipalities of Gazzuolo and
S.Martino dall'Argine, in the north of the drainage channel "Acque
Alte", it is delimited by an ancient meander of the river Oglio and has
been deeply shaped over the centuries by the peat extraction activity:
its use as a fuel dates back to the first half of the 20th century.
Today, after the land reclamation works carried out with the creation
of a thick network of drainage channels, almost the whole area is
designated to poplar cultivation, precious broadleaf trees, and crop
rotation. The two remaining natural nuclei are situated in the southern
stretch of the area and extend for about 18 hectares.
The relict
natural environments, of great natural value since they represent
landscapes and ecosystems of the peat bog depressions near the rivers,
give the whole valley a significant ecological value.
A
cycling-pedestrian route and an equipped picnic area called Le
Margonare, situated in the territory of San Martino dall'Argine near
some renaturalized quarries, favor the access and visit to the site.
Vegetation
The two nuclei characterized by
natural vegetation are dominated by wetland formations with a different
evolution degree; the drainage channels and the ponds with good-quality
hydrobiological features are covered by marshy herbs and floating
vegetation and are surrounded by arboreal and shrubby formations.
Further info (Italian text)
