Over the years 2003-2004, we have worked on an ongoing project called “Studio C.8.4.: Management of a nursery of halophilous plants in the Isola dei Laghi” for the management of a nursery the use of which was discontinued in 2001, when the Project “LIFE –BARENE 1999” ended. The aim of the project is to regenerate the nursery and thus provide sufficient halophilous plants for ongoing and future projects of morphological restoration of saltmarshes  by the Water Authority.

The nursery is near Burano, in an area of 0.46 ha called “Palude dei Laghi”, and is composed of:

• four basins with different depths, to satisfy both the plant requirements and production needs;
• a cold glasshouse for wintering plants;
• a container used to store equipment, a water tank, and a pool for decomposing material.

Once the area is restored, the area surrounding the nursery is monitored to identify eroding saltmarshes, from which sagging turfs and stolons are collected. Turfs are processed at the nursery to provide different vegetal species required for transplants: coir turfs, coir stolons and plant mats. Other plants are obtained from germinating seeds transplanted in the pools.

Production therefore includes the supply of plants, turfs and seeds, but also their maintenance and development to provide seasonal lots which are transplanted in the following spring-summer.

The estimated annual production is of 25,000 plants, most of which are typical sandbank grasses - Puccinellia palustris e Spartina maritima - as well as a few other typical halophytes, like Aster tripolium, Limonium narbonense, Halimione portulacoidesand Sarcocornia fruticosa. Grasses are produced in larger numbers because these plants have greater adaptive capacities and higher survival rates, both during production and after transplant.

Turf with Spartina collected from an eroding sandbank and ready to be packaged				Detail of Spartina stolons ready for transplant
	Turfs with Spartina used for transplants are processed and grown in pools			Turfs with Spartina used for transplants are processed and grown in pools

Transplants generally occur after the stabilisation of banks and the accumulation of sediments are carried out, contributing towards the consolidation and efficiency of these interventions over time. This phase requires a specific plant species, one that takes root in the hosting soil and passes unfavourable conditions efficiently, and which is selected according to the type of sediment, and influence of the tide.