Among coastal ponds of peninsular Italy, the “La Vota” paralic system, close to Capo Suvero, is the southernmost one. For its environmental importance it has been included in the conservation program of the Progetto Nazionale BioItaly (S.I.C. IT9330087).Therefore, a first multidisciplinary approach considers following items: morphology, sedimentology, environmental chemistry, mollusc biofacies and vegetation associations. The lively evolution of the area has been reconstructed as from 1870. Four basins were progressively isolated by spits and beach-ridges nourished by littoral gravelly-sandy sediments, mainly coming from north. Only the southernmost basin (Maricello) is, at present, artificially connected with the sea and used as marina. While the older basin (La Vota I) has muddy bottoms, in Maricello, La Vota II and III basins, mud is combined with gravelly-sandy sediments similar to those forming the beach-ridges. The two largest basins (La Vota I and Maricello) differ for amount and composition of particulate matter, concentration of organic carbon and metals in sediments. Also worth mentioning is the role of some streams as sources of heavy metals, phosphates and particulate matter. Mollusc associations from 12 bulk-samples collected from La Vota I and Maricello basins, record a lagoon setting with negligible fresh-water influence in the former and shallow marine environment in the latter. Several Microsigmeta are distributed according to distance from the coast, soil salinity and grain-size. The higher or lower salinity degree in the water is determinant to distinguish vegetation communities such as Ruppietum and Bolboschoenetum from Potamogetonetum and Shoenoplectetum respectively. Differently from other humid coastal areas of peninsular Italy, the strictly halophytic vegetation of Salicornietum is lacking. This study allows defining the essential elements for a correct management that doesn’t alter normal dynamics of the analysed system; latter seems to be extremely sensible to longshore sediment flow and to changes of stream water chemism.
Geomorphology and Environmental Aspects of some Coastal Ponds in Tyrrhenian Calabria (Southern Italy) / Caputo, Claudio; Baldassarre, MAURIZIO ALESSIO; Bellotti, Piero; Bernasconi, M; Davoli, Lina; DI PIETRO, R; Evangelista, Silvio; Petronio, B; Pugliese, Francesco; Raffi, Rossana. - STAMPA. - 7:(2009). (Intervento presentato al convegno 7th International Conference on Geomorphology Ancien Landscapes - Modern Perspectives tenutosi a Melbourne (Australia) nel 6 -11 luglio 2009).
Geomorphology and Environmental Aspects of some Coastal Ponds in Tyrrhenian Calabria (Southern Italy)
CAPUTO, Claudio;BALDASSARRE, MAURIZIO ALESSIO;BELLOTTI, Piero;DAVOLI, Lina;EVANGELISTA, Silvio;PUGLIESE, Francesco;RAFFI, Rossana
2009
Abstract
Among coastal ponds of peninsular Italy, the “La Vota” paralic system, close to Capo Suvero, is the southernmost one. For its environmental importance it has been included in the conservation program of the Progetto Nazionale BioItaly (S.I.C. IT9330087).Therefore, a first multidisciplinary approach considers following items: morphology, sedimentology, environmental chemistry, mollusc biofacies and vegetation associations. The lively evolution of the area has been reconstructed as from 1870. Four basins were progressively isolated by spits and beach-ridges nourished by littoral gravelly-sandy sediments, mainly coming from north. Only the southernmost basin (Maricello) is, at present, artificially connected with the sea and used as marina. While the older basin (La Vota I) has muddy bottoms, in Maricello, La Vota II and III basins, mud is combined with gravelly-sandy sediments similar to those forming the beach-ridges. The two largest basins (La Vota I and Maricello) differ for amount and composition of particulate matter, concentration of organic carbon and metals in sediments. Also worth mentioning is the role of some streams as sources of heavy metals, phosphates and particulate matter. Mollusc associations from 12 bulk-samples collected from La Vota I and Maricello basins, record a lagoon setting with negligible fresh-water influence in the former and shallow marine environment in the latter. Several Microsigmeta are distributed according to distance from the coast, soil salinity and grain-size. The higher or lower salinity degree in the water is determinant to distinguish vegetation communities such as Ruppietum and Bolboschoenetum from Potamogetonetum and Shoenoplectetum respectively. Differently from other humid coastal areas of peninsular Italy, the strictly halophytic vegetation of Salicornietum is lacking. This study allows defining the essential elements for a correct management that doesn’t alter normal dynamics of the analysed system; latter seems to be extremely sensible to longshore sediment flow and to changes of stream water chemism.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
