The Natural Park of Bracciano-Martignano is the newest of the parks in the region and well represents the typical volcanic landscape of northern Lazio. Between the provinces of Rome and Viterbo, includes two lakes homonyms – the surface of which covers approximately alone 40% the sparse – and the adjacent countryside. The lakes occupy the bottom of a basin-related activities of the ancient volcano sabatino, which reached its peak around 400.000 years ago. A depression more pronounced today than it appears to the eye, if it is true that the depth of the waters of Bracciano up to 165 meters below the surface.
The most common tree is the chestnut, probably introduced by the RomansPastures and crops around the park depicting a country which is still a human scale, particularly in some of the protected areas such as the keeping of Vicarello. In the hilly woods most common tree is the chestnut, probably introduced by the Romans, but there are beech forests of tall trees of great beauty as those of Orion and the upstream limit (Bassano Romano), Cerreti and some areas of Mediterranean.
A survey of 2002 has detected the presence of 159 species of birds, of which 72 definitely nesting in the Park. Particularly, the complex of the two lakes is inferior only to Lazio in the Natural Park of Circeo to the presence of wintering waterfowl. Their number increased sharply after the extension of the hunting ban to the entire body of water: first it was almost exclusively concentrated in the bend of Trevignano called “We Pantane”, The only area closed to hunting, Today it is possible to observe groups of ducks and coots some’ everywhere.
Among the most significant aquatic species: coot, present with flocks consist of thousands of specimens especially in’ Trevor loop and along the coast between Trevor and Anguillara, the pochard, typical diving duck, widgeon wintering and feeding on large lawns Martignano, the great crested grebe, Herons and egrets are observed in almost all periods of the yearthat the lake is home to the highest number in our region, the small grebes of which you can see a bit dense small groups’ anywhere on the banks and the cormorant dives to’ pursuit of big fish and stay on trees and poles to dry large black wings. We should also mention the mute swan, man-introduced in the past and now naturalized in, which builds large nests along the shores of Lake, in quieter areas and repaired. Herons and egrets, observable in almost all periods of the year especially in “Pantane” Trevignano, but do not nest in, as well as birds of prey (Black Kite, harriers, Marsh Harrier), but assiduously attending the lacustrine.
Mammals are represented by the species that inhabit the woods Italian (ghiro, marten, porcupine, rate, fox, weasel, hedgehog) and large animals once introduced for hunting purposes as the deer, mouflon and, in increasing numbers, the boar of race-center European. Along the shores of the lake is fairly large one introduced species of South American origin, the otter, escaped from fur farms and now naturalized. The coypu, escaped from fur farms, it is now naturalized.Of great value also represented the population of bats from well 12 species, many of them classified as endangered or vulnerable in Europe.
The fish population of the lake has undergone profound changes compared to baseline, due to the introduction of numerous species such as, eg, whitefish, originating in the pre-alpine lakes and bluegill. Among other species representing the pike, the perch, the rudd, the rovella, the tinca, carp, the Anguilla, latterino, the mullet. Finally, numerous, although not particularly studied, species of amphibians and reptiles, which include toads, newts, salamandre, Toads, frogs, Tree Frogs, tartarughe e Bisce.
Photo: Courtesy Andrea Franciosi
