The Brabbia marsh
One of the most important marshland areas of northern Italy, it presents visitors a series of interesting landscape views and birdwatching opportunities. It is part of the list of wetland areas of international importance compiled by the Ramsar Convention. From 1994, the Province of Varese has signed an agreement for the management of the area with LIPU (Italian League for the Protection of Birds).
This is a very interesting biotope, situated between the basins of Lakes Varese and Comabbio, and included in the municipal districts of Biandronno, Cazzago Brabbia, Inarzo, Ternate, Varano Borghi and Casale Litta. The Brabbia Marsh represent one of the best-preserved examples of flat peatbog in the Alpine foothills. The area is clearly of post-glacial origin, dating back to the last 20,000 years. In this period, the water level of the extensive lakes system comprising what are now Lakes Varese, Comabbio and Biandronno gradually dropped, leaving an extensive area of marshland in its place. Today, the whole area is criss-crossed by channels, and dotted with areas of free water.
The central area of the marshland habitat comprises fenland in which the predominant species is Calamagostis canescens, with vast reed beds in the areas with most water. At the edges of the marshes there are large shrubland areas with grey willow and woods of black alder. The pools of water in the shade of these trees are home to large numbers of the rare water violet (Hottonia palustris), which is sometime accompanied by the fern Matteuccia struthiopteris. There are small areas of peat moss beds, in which the relicted species Drosera rotundifolia (sundew), Viola palustris (marsh violet) and Rhinchospora alba (white beak sedge) thrive. The areas of free water are an ideal habitat for extensive floating vegetation, with water lilies and various species of duckweed (Lemna sp., Spirodela polyrrhiza). In addition, there are other species that are rare in the Po valley plain habitat and the Alpine footlands, such as Utricularia australis, Orchis incarnata (early marsh orchid) and Hybiscus palustris. The latter thrives particularly as a result of its cultivation by man, and the same is true of lotus flowers, intensively grown in the past.
As regards fauna, the most important inhabitants of the marshes are without doubt birds, with about 170 species including the ferruginous duck (Ayatha nyroca), with some pairs nesting here, the common gadwall (Anas strepera), and the Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris). There are many species typical of reed beds and areas of grey willow, primarily the sedge warbler, with many pairs nesting here.
In the south of the Nature Reserve, there is also a colony of Ardeidae (heron colony), with over a hundred nesting pairs, amongst which the grey heron (Ardea cinerea), the purple heron (Ardea purpurea) and the black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).
As regards mammals, there are large populations of harvest mice, water voles (Arvicola terrestris) and the Mediterranean water shrew (Neomys anomalus). The six amphibian species include the Lataste frog and the viviparous lizard (Lacerta vivipara), for which the Brabbia is one of the very few lowland habitats in Italy. Generally this species is found in the Alps and subalpine areas, generally at heights of around 2,000 metres.
This is a very interesting biotope, situated between the basins of Lakes Varese and Comabbio, and included in the municipal districts of Biandronno, Cazzago Brabbia, Inarzo, Ternate, Varano Borghi and Casale Litta. The Brabbia Marsh represent one of the best-preserved examples of flat peatbog in the Alpine foothills. The area is clearly of post-glacial origin, dating back to the last 20,000 years. In this period, the water level of the extensive lakes system comprising what are now Lakes Varese, Comabbio and Biandronno gradually dropped, leaving an extensive area of marshland in its place. Today, the whole area is criss-crossed by channels, and dotted with areas of free water.
The central area of the marshland habitat comprises fenland in which the predominant species is Calamagostis canescens, with vast reed beds in the areas with most water. At the edges of the marshes there are large shrubland areas with grey willow and woods of black alder. The pools of water in the shade of these trees are home to large numbers of the rare water violet (Hottonia palustris), which is sometime accompanied by the fern Matteuccia struthiopteris. There are small areas of peat moss beds, in which the relicted species Drosera rotundifolia (sundew), Viola palustris (marsh violet) and Rhinchospora alba (white beak sedge) thrive. The areas of free water are an ideal habitat for extensive floating vegetation, with water lilies and various species of duckweed (Lemna sp., Spirodela polyrrhiza). In addition, there are other species that are rare in the Po valley plain habitat and the Alpine footlands, such as Utricularia australis, Orchis incarnata (early marsh orchid) and Hybiscus palustris. The latter thrives particularly as a result of its cultivation by man, and the same is true of lotus flowers, intensively grown in the past.
As regards fauna, the most important inhabitants of the marshes are without doubt birds, with about 170 species including the ferruginous duck (Ayatha nyroca), with some pairs nesting here, the common gadwall (Anas strepera), and the Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris). There are many species typical of reed beds and areas of grey willow, primarily the sedge warbler, with many pairs nesting here.
In the south of the Nature Reserve, there is also a colony of Ardeidae (heron colony), with over a hundred nesting pairs, amongst which the grey heron (Ardea cinerea), the purple heron (Ardea purpurea) and the black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).
As regards mammals, there are large populations of harvest mice, water voles (Arvicola terrestris) and the Mediterranean water shrew (Neomys anomalus). The six amphibian species include the Lataste frog and the viviparous lizard (Lacerta vivipara), for which the Brabbia is one of the very few lowland habitats in Italy. Generally this species is found in the Alps and subalpine areas, generally at heights of around 2,000 metres.
