River Mincio and Bosco Fontana (2726)
Italy, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Fiume Mincio e Bosco Fontana
Central coordinates: Latitude: 45.1833, Longitude: 10.7500
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 18 to 32
Area of KBA (km2): 38.40724
Protected area coverage (%): 72.68
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A river and its surroundings on the Padana plain, bordering the town of Mantova. The site is rich in freshwater wetland habitat, large reedbeds and areas of open water (Valli del Mincio) close to the river, while agricultural land and broadleaved forests (Bosco Fontana) predominate in the surroundings. Agriculture is the main human activity.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: An important site for breeding, migrating and wintering waterbirds. There is a large colony of tree-nesting herons (Garolda) and a colony of Chlidonias niger (Valli del Mincio). There used to be a large number of breeding Milvus migrans (min. 30 pairs), mostly at Bosco Fontana, until the 1980s. Counts for heronries refer to the 1990-1995 period.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (30%) | fisheries/aquaculture (10%) | forestry (3%) | nature conservation and research (60%) | tourism/recreation (50%) | urban/industrial/transport (10%) | water management (30%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 43 | |
| Other | 2 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 44 | |
| Forest | 11 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threats to the site come from unsustainable use of water resources for agricultural purposes, and from water pollution by agricultural sources (also much more from domestic and industrial sources in the past).