A minimum indicator set for assessing fontanili (lowland springs) of the Lombardy Region in Italy

Fumagalli, Natalia; Senes, Giulio; Ferrario, P.; Toccolini, A.

doi:10.1515/euco-2017-0001

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(18 reference statements)

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“…To regularly monitor the chemical-physical water parameters of springwells would be advisable, as well as of the aquifers in densely populated and industrialized areas (De Caro et al 2017) to highlight possible critical circumstances where to act for the conservation/restoration of these environments. Monitoring data of water and other ecological parameters could be useful to develop innovative instruments (or implement already existing ones) to help territorial managers to decide which wetlands need primarily an intervention of restoration, as realized by Almendinger (1998) and Fumagalli et al (2017). These instruments would be even more effective if supported by data collected in the field.…”

Section: Parametermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among GDEs, spring-wells are unique ecosystems dependent on the groundwater outflow (EC 2015). The spring-wells provide water with relatively constant temperature (8-15 °C) (Fumagalli et al 2017): seasonal variations affect the water temperature with a delay of 2-4 months, making the coldest period in April and the warmest in October, creating particular environments where rare plants and animals of community interest can live (Bertolani Marchetti 1959;Pisoni and Valle 1992;Viaroli et al 2003;De Luca et al 2005;Frattini 2008;Alessandrini et al 2011;Bischetti et al 2012). For this reason, the spring-wells are included in the Habitat Directive of the European Union (EC 1992) but most of them are currently at risk due to degradation processes happened mainly in the Sixties (Bischetti et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A large part of Po Plain falls within the Lombardy region which is one of the largest (23.800 km 2 ), most anthropized (10 million people) and productive regions of Italy and of the Alpine macro-Region (EUSALP). In the plains of Lombardy there are 1.160 (Fumagalli et al 2017) spring-wells that were not destroyed by the expansion of urban areas and/ or intensification of agricultural practices. Despite Fumagalli et al (2017) tried to evaluate all the springwells of Lombardy using a set of simple indicators to evaluate watering, ecological and recreational function, only for a few of these scientific studies relating to their biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem were carried out (Piazzoli Perroni 1959;Albergoni et al 1977;Bertuletti 1992;Cavagnis and Orsini 1992;Pisoni and Valle 1992;D'Auria and Zavagno 2005;Frattini 2008;Balestrini et al 2016Balestrini et al , 2021.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Vegetation and water of lowland spring-wells in Po Plain (Northern Italy): ecological features and management proposals

Giupponi

Borgonovo

Leoni

et al. 2022

Wetlands Ecol Manage

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Spring-wells (lowland springs, “fontanili”) are elements of Po Plain (Northern Italy) with ecological and historical importance. There, spring-water flows naturally and rises to the surface at a relatively constant temperature, generating unique ecosystems dependent on the groundwater outflow. Despite their importance, they are endangered by degradation processes as the expansion of urban areas and/or the intensification of agriculture, very marked in Po Plain. This research describes four spring-wells of Po Plain from a botanical and ecological perspective through phytosociological relevés and different ecological indexes. Water chemical-physical features are also considered (pH, temperature and ammonium ion, nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, chloride and organic matters contents). Plant communities of the spring-well beds show a low number of species (5.8 ± 2.9) but also no exotic species while the vegetation of the banks has a high number of species (32.4 ± 9.8) but several of them are exotic/ornamental. The low value of the Ecological Index of Maturity of the vegetation of the banks (EIM = 4.4 ± 1.5) indicate disturbances, however moderate compared to the surrounding corn fields (EIM ~ 0). All the water samples has high ammonium content (> 0.50 ppm), the water of the spring-well B results the most polluted and both algae and Callitriche obtusangula (rare native species) grow largely in it, while spring-well C has less phosphates and more nitrite and is marked by Equisetum telmateia. Management proposals to protect and enhance the studied spring-wells, as the gradual removal of exotic species and the planting of native species, are discussed.

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Section: Parametermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Vegetation and water of lowland spring-wells in Po Plain (Northern Italy): ecological features and management proposals

Giupponi

Borgonovo

Leoni

et al. 2022

Wetlands Ecol Manage

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“…These categories consider parameters and indicators which require analyzes of areas larger than the interface area, defined as the area consisting of the 50-meter width continuous to the PPA (Permanent Preservation Areas, according to Brazilian law), as specified by Rosso Pinto 2019. Thus, the area of 1-kilometer buffer around the spring was applied for this stage using GIS, as established by the protocol, which was based on Fumagalli et al (2017). For this phase, it was necessary to obtain and process spatial data, such as water network, identification of the springs, and the 1-kilometer buffer for mapping the land use and occupation classes.…”

Section: Protocol For Integrated Assessment and Monitoring Of Springs...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of the Conservation Status of Urbanized Tropical Springs in Southeastern Brazil

Resende

Pinto

Silva

et al. 2022

Anu. Inst. Geociênc.

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Springs are extremely important for the maintenance of the hydrological cycle, contributing to the improvement of the population's quality of life. In this sense, this research aimed to analyse the conservation status of three springs in the watersheds of Mineirinho and Paraíso streams located in the city of São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil, in order to understand the possible causes of its conditions. The Integrated Assessment and Monitoring Protocol for Springs of Water Streams (PANÁgua) was applied, whose structure is summarized in three stages: field assessment, bibliographic research and analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). As a result, it was identified that the three springs assessed in both watersheds are in a conservation status classified as “bad”. The main cause of this condition can be attributed to their locations, which are identified as urbanized areas, which results in a lack of natural vegetation, the presence of strong erosion processes and irregular dumping of sewage and rainwater. Furthermore, the disposal of various solid residues in the Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) of the studied springs was also observed. The results show the need to prioritize environmental management actions in urbanized watersheds, as well as expand research on the status of tropical watersheds in Brazil.

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“…In the Oglio River, the groundwater heads in the shallow aquifer of the higher plain are lowest in spring, at the end of the non-irrigation period, and increase by about 4 m during the irrigation period [40]. Numerous springs located in the spring belt area have null discharge for most of the year, with the irrigation period being the exception [58,80,81]. Recent studies have demonstrated that the main source of recharge (>50%) to the Oglio River higher plain aquifer is irrigation water [40].…”

Section: Irrigation As An Important Component Of the Hydrological Cycmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Flood Irrigation a Potential Driver of River-Groundwater Interactions and Diffuse Nitrate Pollution in Agricultural Watersheds?

Racchetti

Salmaso

Pinardi

et al. 2019

Water

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In the Po plain, northern Italy, rivers within agricultural basins display steep summer increases in nitrate (NO3−) concentrations. Flood irrigation in overfertilized, permeable soils may drive such diffuse pollution, facilitating interactions between NO3−-rich groundwater and surface waters. We discuss multiple, indirect evidence of this mechanism in the Adda, Oglio, and Mincio rivers. These rivers drain agricultural soils with elevated nitrogen (N) surpluses, averaging 139, 193, and 136 kg ha−1 in the Adda, Oglio, and Mincio watersheds, respectively. The three rivers cross a transitional area between highly permeable and impermeable soils, where summer NO3− concentrations may increase by one order of magnitude over short distances (8–20 km). Upstream of this transitional area, a major fraction of the river flow is diverted for flood irrigation, a traditional and widespread irrigation technique for permeable soils. We speculate that diverted water solubilizes soil N excess, recharges the aquifer, and transfers soil N surplus into groundwater, resulting in NO3− pollution. Groundwater–river interactions were estimated experimentally, via water and NO3− budgets in 0.3 to 1 m3 s−1 km−1 and in 1500 to 5400 kg NO3−–N day−1. The data suggest a pronounced east–west gradient of groundwater to river diffuse water inputs among the three adjacent basins, reflecting the soil permeability and the width of the river–groundwater interaction zone. Given the large stock of NO3− in groundwater, management interventions performed at the basin scale and aimed at decreasing N excess will not produce an immediate decrease in river NO3− pollution.

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A minimum indicator set for assessing fontanili (lowland springs) of the Lombardy Region in Italy

Cited by 13 publications

References 26 publications

Vegetation and water of lowland spring-wells in Po Plain (Northern Italy): ecological features and management proposals

Vegetation and water of lowland spring-wells in Po Plain (Northern Italy): ecological features and management proposals

Analysis of the Conservation Status of Urbanized Tropical Springs in Southeastern Brazil

Is Flood Irrigation a Potential Driver of River-Groundwater Interactions and Diffuse Nitrate Pollution in Agricultural Watersheds?

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