Wetlands are the most productive among coastal areas. Wetlands are defined “swamps and marshes, peat, or

natural or artificial ponds, permanent or temporary, with stagnant or flowing water, fresh, brackish or salt, including

areas of marine water whose depth doesn’t exceed 6 meters at low tide ."

The Wetlands

Classification of wetlandsNatural Enviroment

Lakes (mountain, insides, inshore)

Rivers

Marshes

Pond

Fen

Turbary

Fish farms

Lagoon

Artificial Enviroment

Canal

Storage basins

Salt

Wetlands and coastal areas have become a

crossroad and a stopover for migratory birds that

are reaching Africa in the fall or spring in Europe. In fact in the south-eastern Sicily the birds find more favourable conditions for

rest, feeding and replenishing their energy

supplies needed to continue to migrate in

search of environments that can offer them a

better habitat.

The Megarian salt pondsThe most important coastal wetlands in the province of Syracuse include a large lagoon

system, once used as a salt pond, which developed in the area of Augusta. This area is

characterized by the presence of various species of birds that make it interesting from a

naturalistic point of view.

FAUNS

The Megarian salt ponds FLORA

The flora is organized in plant associations which take the form of more or less

concentric belts.

From what we have said it’s evident that the ex-salt ponds of Augusta have a greatly

important role in the migration and life of many European birds. For this reason the

establishment of a wildlife Reserve would be a way to revitalize Augusta.

The Ciane

The Cyane river is a short watercourse in Southern Sicily, Italy. The river has its origin from two different

water springs: Pisima and Pisimotta. It flows in correspondence of Syracuse port, after a run of 8 km

having received the waters from the Anapo river.

With its dense papyrus vegetation, the Cyane spring has always been considered a place of great beauty

and evocation as well as naturalistic curiosity, as this plant is only found in a natural setting along the

Nile river banks in Egypt.

The CianeFLORA

The Porcaria torrentThe Porcaria

stream flows from the spring between

Villasmundo and Carlentini. The

waters of eleven springs feed the

short course, and it takes the name of Brucoli Canal close

to its mouth.

Today, even though anthropic disorder, the riparian vegetation it wasn’t changed; the vegetation is

typical of Iblean caves.

The Porcaria torrentFLORA