Po River basin, Italy Photograph by A. I. Solyom   Southern Europe: Northern Italy stretching to the shore of the Adriatic Sea Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests   16,400 square miles (42,400 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Massachusetts Critical/Endangered

· Fertile Basin
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Fertile Basin

Beside the longest river in Italy, the Po, lies an area with a rich history of. Not much original vegetation is left here. But where natural forests do remain, reptiles, birds, and mammals thrive.

Special Features

The Po River originates on Italy’s western border and flows for 405 miles (652 km) before entering the Adriatic Sea. Many small rivers drain into the Po, flowing down from the Alps in the north and the Apennines in the south. The landscape surrounding the river is a lush, fertile basin with a long history of human settlement. The terrain is generally flat, punctuated by tall, upright European hornbeam trees. This species is a member of the birch family and has a narrow oval crown and pale yellow flowers. Hornbeams are mixed with European oak and turkey oak trees above an understory of sweet William pink, a shrub with bright pink flowers. European ash can also be found here, growing above the sticky sage wildflower.

	Spadefoot toads are named for the single, sharp-edged black horny knob, or "spade," on each hind foot, which enables them to burrow downward into sandy or loose soil. Spadefoots can remain underground for weeks or months at a time, coming out only after heavy rains.

Wild Side

The rich river basin is a haven for reptiles and amphibians. One of Europe’s threatened amphibians, the Italian agile frog, is found in humid deciduous forests, but its range is decreasing. The Italian subspecies of spadefoot toad is also found here but is increasingly endangered by agricultural practices. Reptiles include the European pond terrapin, green lizard, Italian wall lizard, and viperine snake. The viperine snake lives by the water, becoming fully aquatic in the hot summer months. Mammals include wild boars, fallow deer, hedgehogs, weasels, beech-martens, badgers, foxes, and red deer. The most interesting birds are those attracted by the wetlands near the Po. Tufted ducks, purple herons, reed warblers, terns, plovers, and kingfishers can all be found here. This ecoregion is also an important stopover point for migratory birds journeying from other parts of Europe and from Africa.

Cause for Concern

Very little original vegetation remains in this fertile farming region. The river is polluted by agricultural and industrial runoff. Mudslides and flooding are also serious concerns.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.