Reintroduction of Myricaria germanica in Italy - an overview

Myricaria germanica (L.) Desv (German tamarisk), a pioneer shrub of natural Alpine and pre-Alpine rivers, is declining in Europe as a result of human disturbance, which has reduced the spontaneous river dynamics, the input of sediments and the river corridor width. Since all the Italian rivers are subject to some form of human disturbance, conservation of M. germanica should be ensured by river restoration, active management of riparian habitats or reintroductions. The reintroduction of M. germanica has recently been the subject of projects of national and international interest. M. germanica can reproduce easily by cuttings or seeds, but translocations have a variable success rate. Some reintroduction projects have also been performed in Italy. For example, the Emilia-Romagna region coordinated the Life project Taro-Requalification of Taro fluvial habitats vital to avifauna (LIFE 98NAT/IT/5138) in which thousands of new M. germanica plants, grown in nurseries, were produced and planted. The plant nursery of the Veneto region produced hundreds of plants of M. germanica in the last 20 years.In South Tyrol a wide range of river enhancement programmes have been carried out since 1999. In many river sites, the Office for Mountain Basins of the Civil Protection Agency of the Autonomous Province of Bozen/Bolzano has planted thousands of rooted cuttings of M. germanica, which have generated some new vital populations. We confirm that M. germanica is a good indicator of natural riverine conditions. Therefore a successful reintroduction of M. germanica can be used to assess the environmental success of a river enhancement work.