[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Some time ago, we had been keeping an eye on an ancient fountain, dating back to 1906, located in the municipality of Barrea. Aware of the importance of these water sources for many animal species in the area, we rolled up our sleeves and, thanks to a small fund we had managed to raise, we were able to restore it and complete work that had already been started by the National Park. <\/p>\n
Our intervention focused on the pipeline system that connects the two catchment basins of the fountain, and after a long time, water finally started flowing again.<\/p>\n
But why are these interventions so important?<\/strong><\/p>\n The central Apennines is one of the most important karst areas in Europe. In Abruzzo, in particular, the karst phenomenon affects more than a third of the regional surface, deeply shaping the landscape of the great massifs of Gran Sasso, Maiella and Sirente-Velino. This is an area sculpted by the dissolution of carbonate rocks-mostly limestone and dolomite-that, over millions of years, have given rise to a complex underground world of caves, sinkholes, underground rivers and vast aquifers. A huge underground “sponge”<\/strong><\/p>\n The carbonate massifs of central Abruzzo are home to some of the most important aquifers in the entire Mediterranean basin. The Gran Sasso, for example, constitutes a limestone-carst hydrogeologic system of about 1,000 km\u00b2, with stored water volumes estimated in the order of billions of cubic meters and a network of springs that supplies water to large portions of the region and beyond. Why karst creates water supply problems<\/strong><\/p>\n Unlike porous aquifers (such as sandy or gravelly ones), karst aquifers have very “rapid” and uneven hydrological behavior:<\/p>\n This means that the system is highly sensitive to climatic variations. In fact, in recent decades, the central Apennines have been experiencing: <\/p>\n Several studies on the carbonate basins of the Apennines show that aquifer recharge is closely linked to the duration of the snowpack and its gradual melting, which is one of the main “slow feeds” of the springs. When the snowpack diminishes or melts too rapidly, the aquifer receives less water and in a more unstable manner. <\/p>\n The result is a system that alternates between phases of abundance and periods of severe water deficit, with direct consequences on water supplies.<\/p>\n Climate crisis amplifies system fragility<\/strong><\/p>\n Climate change acts as a multiplier of vulnerability. In an already naturally “fast” system such as the karst, these factors make it more difficult to ensure stable water availability throughout the year. Puddles and fontanili: forgotten ecological infrastructure<\/strong> Indeed, puddles – natural or artificial – and abandoned fountains play a crucial role because they retain water in dry periods, reduce the distance between species and water sources, create stable microhabitats in increasingly arid landscapes, and promote ecological continuity between different environments. The value to biodiversity (and to the Apennines’ iconic wildlife)<\/strong><\/p>\n Puddles and fountains are essential for many wildlife species, especially in karst mountain environments where surface water is rare. Benefiting from them are amphibians (such as newts and Apennine frogs) that depend on small bodies of water for reproduction, aquatic invertebrates that support entire food chains, pollinating insects that use these spots as sources of moisture, large mammals, including deer, roe deer, and wild boar, and iconic species such as the Marsican brown bear, which uses wetlands to drink and feed indirectly through the trophic network. <\/p>\n For a highly mobile but ecologically demanding species like the bear, in fact, the widespread availability of water points is a crucial determinant of habitat quality, especially in the increasingly dry summer months.<\/p>\n Restoring what the territory has lost<\/strong><\/p>\n The gradual abandonment of agro-pastoral activities has led to the disappearance of many historic fountains and the failure to maintain numerous artificial pools. In a rapidly changing climate, this represents a significant ecological loss. Restoring and maintaining these structures does not mean “going backwards,” but strengthening the resilience of the land. Relatively simple interventions-cleaning, natural sealing of ponds, vegetation management-can make a real contribution to increasing local water availability, supporting wildlife, reducing the distance between functional habitats, and mitigating the effects of summer droughts. <\/p>\n \n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Some time ago, we had been keeping an eye on an ancient fountain, dating back to 1906, located in the municipality of Barrea. Aware of the importance of these water sources for many animal species in the area, we rolled up our sleeves and, thanks to a small fund we had managed to raise, we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases"],"yoast_head":"\n
The result is a spectacular landscape on the surface, but above all a delicate and highly vulnerable hydrogeological system. <\/p>\n
These systems function as huge natural reservoirs: rainwater and water from snowmelt infiltrate rapidly underground, feeding deep circuits that then emerge in springs even far from the infiltration points.
This very feature makes karst a strategic resource, but also an element of fragility. <\/p>\n\n
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In the Apennine karst context:<\/p>\n\n
It is no coincidence that many springs in the central Apennines show greater variability in flow rates today than in past decades.<\/p>\n
In this scenario, an often underestimated but crucial element is the temporary puddles and traditional fontanili, which, in recent years, have been the subject of a series of interventions we have been working on thanks to the Drop By Drop project, funded by EOCA (European Outdoor Conservation Association) with the aim of safeguarding Apennine biodiversity by protecting wetland habitats. <\/p>\n
In the Apennine context, where surface water availability is limited and seasonal, these structures represent real “ecological nodes” in the environmental network.<\/p>\n