The fauna of the lakes
Among the fauna of the Italian Lakes, freshwater fish occupy a prominent place. Among the most common are trout, eel, tench, sturgeon and pike. Somewhat rarer, bleak, chub and shad still swim in the waters of Lake Como and Lake Garda. Several species of birds inhabit the lake areas; many of them are protected. The most common are ducks, swans, cormorants, gulls, kingfishers and herons. Among the game that still persists in the surrounding valleys and on the heights are wild boar, roe deer, foxes and hares.
At the level of Lake Garda, below the town of Arona, there is the protected area Lagoni di Mercurago. This wooded area also includes numerous swamps and peat bogs. There are several walks in this area where you can see wild animals and game. Moreover, during the migratory flights, many birds can be observed from here. One of the particularities of this park is the presence of a particular species of mushroom called Crepidotus roseoornatus.
The Val Grande Park has been named by the World Wilderness Association as "the only natural area in Europe that has retained all of its original environmental characteristics. "This includes a unique and impressive vegetation where chamois, foxes, deer and eagles find shelter.An extraordinary flora
Intimately linked to the climate and the relief, the vegetation of the Italian Lakes is of an amazing diversity. Forests and meadows cover the slopes of the Pre-Alps. As the altitude rises, oak and chestnut trees give way to beech trees, then to conifers (larch, fir, Scots pine). Around the Italian lakes, this mountain flora is often replaced by an almost Mediterranean vegetation made of palm trees, cypresses and laurels. The particularly mild climate favours the development of olive trees, lemon trees and oleander. In the lakeside gardens (for example those of Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo and Villa Taranto in Verbania), the Mediterranean plants create an almost riviera atmosphere with a profusion of camellias, magnolias, rhododendrons and azaleas (see the dossier "The lakes, garden side").
An ecosystem turned upside down
The lake of Orta was polluted by discharges of copper sulphate and ammonium as early as 1926 and for several years. The cause was industrial activity by the Bemberg textile company. In the 1960s, the heavy metals discharged accentuated the problem, until 1989, when the lake was the deepest acidified lake in the world. From then on, liming was put in place to bring the PH back to neutral values. Then, sewage collectors were built, followed by the closure of toxic waste sources.
If today the lake has been cleaned up, the ecosystem, notably the plankton and fish, has been totally disrupted: a large quantity of fish had disappeared for years, before gradually returning.
Another lake experienced a major episode of industrial pollution between the 1970s and the 2000s: Lake Maggiore. It was heavily polluted with mercury, DDT and arsenic. It is mainly the bottom of the lake that is contaminated. Some sandy beaches - which are the closest to the chemical company Tessendorlo - are also contaminated at the mouth of the Toce. Although DDT was banned in 1970, the company continued to produce 500 tons of it per year until 1996.
However, rest assured that many areas of the lakes have very good water quality and are safe for swimming.
Lake Maggiore and the Brissago Islands
Located in the northern part of the lake, in Swiss territory, these islands form the Ticino Botanical Park. They are also part of the Swiss network Gardens of Switzerland, which lists the most beautiful gardens in the country.
The Small Island is covered with spontaneous vegetation, all kept in its natural state. The Big Island is home to a culture of subtropical plants from the North and South. Little by little, the Big Island has become an exotic garden. There is an area devoted to Central America, South Africa and Oceania with plants from Australia and New Zealand. In total, more than 1,600 different species are represented.The peat bogs of Lake Iseo
A few kilometres south of Iseo is the 360-hectare nature reserve of the Sebino peat bogs.
It is a great birdwatching spot, with some twenty species present, including the purple heron, marsh harrier, black kite and bittern. But the area is also considered as a nesting site for some seventeen other bird species, including the red-backed warbler, the effarvatte warbler, the little blongios, the little grebe, the water rail and the reed bunting, red-winged warbler, common locust, teal, spotted crake, whip-poor-will, cuckoo, reed warbler, coot, mallard, moorhen, Cetti's warbler and other migratory species. The best time to visit is undoubtedly in late spring when the birds are migrating and the waters are covered with water lilies. The particular conditions and the shallow waters also make it a place where the flora is different: many species coexist, including some exotic plants.
