Panarella Flood Plain

From an environmental point of view, Panarella Flood Plain is the result of human action and of the creative power of nature. It has a considerable landscape value, since it is one of the largest flood plain formations and represents one of the most various and charming elements of the lower course of the river Po. In order to meet the need for conservation, but also to educate the visitors and make them respect the environment, the Municipal Administration of Papozze has required and obtained from the State Property Office an area of about 20 hectares, which is managed together with W.W.F. section of Rovigo. The renaturalization measures, carried out with the Community financing Leader II, has further requalified the whole flood plain, which has also been provided with trails for visits and for the observation of the fauna. As far as vegetation is concerned, the physiognomic aspect enables to divide the area into three zones: marshland, grassland, and woodland.

Marshland
These areas include two large basins of shallow waters. Pioneer vegetation grows on wet muds: Paspalum paspalodes, Anagallis acquatica, Ranunculus sceleratus, Juncus articolatus, Juncus bufanius, Lindernia anagallidea. Aquatic vegetation: Potamogeton nodaus, Potamogetus crispus, Paspalum paspalodes, Eleocharis palustris, Schoenoplectus triqueter, Scoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Menta pulegium.

Grassland
They are meadow areas that can be distinguished according to the degree of humidity. The wet meadows near the basins house herbaceous communities like: Juncus articolatus, Typhoides arundinacea, Paspalum paspalodes, Trifolium repens, Agrostis stolonifera, Epilobium hirsutum, shrubs of Salix alba. The meadows on moderately wet soil: Trifolium repens, Festuca pratensis. The westernmost areas, in particular the inner steep slopes of the embankments and the trails are populated by xerophilous herbaceous communities.

Woodland
They include more areas corresponding with the flood plains which have not been interested by the recent measures. The vegetation is represented by a willow grove mainly formed by Salix alba, growing sometimes with Salix purpurea, S. trianda, and Populus alba.

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Fauna

Birds represent the most important wildlife aspect, since marshlands, woodlands, and grasslands attract a great variety of species - not only nesting and wintering species, but also passage species. As a matter of fact, these environments represent an ideal place to find nourishment and to stop during the long migration. In the marshlands, the canebrakes offer shelter to the Reed Warbler, the Great Reed Warbler, the Bearded Tit, the Reed Bunting, the Little Bittern, the Water Rail, the rare Bittern, and the Purple Heron. In the most open areas there are the Little Grebe, the Garganey, the Mallard, the Coot, the Moorhen, the Redshank, the Black-winged Stilt, the Little Egret, the Squacco Heron, and the Kingfisher.
Higher, on the willows, the Penduline Tit, the Cetti's Warblers, the Nightingale, the Golden Oriole, and the Blackcap nest.
The grasslands house the Goldfinch, the Greenfinch, the Serin, the Stonechat, the Skylark and, in winter, the Northern Lapwing. Among the diurnal birds of prey, we can mention the Buzzard, the Marsh Harrier, and during the winter, the Hen Harrier.