Torbiere del Sebino

Project for Securing the Medium-Voltage Power Line Serving the Torbiere del Sebino Nature Reserve

Project description

The Torbiere del Sebino Nature Reserve is one of the most important wetlands in the Po Valley and represents a site of fundamental importance for biodiversity conservation. In particular, it hosts an exceptionally rich and diverse bird community, with numerous species using the area throughout the year for breeding, migratory stopovers and wintering.

To help protect these birds, the project aims to significantly reduce the risk of bird collisions with power lines and electrocution along a section of the electricity line crossing the eastern part of the Reserve through two types of intervention:

Insulation of medium-voltage power line sections through the application of insulating covers to live conductors.
Installation of visual warning devices, such as spiral line markers or coloured spheres, to increase the visibility of the power line.

Issues

Herons, birds of prey, waterfowl and many other bird species move daily between feeding grounds, resting areas and nesting sites. The presence of different habitats, including reed beds, open water, meadows and woodland areas, supports a range of species of high conservation interest, such as the Western Marsh Harrier, the Black Kite, the Purple Heron, the Pygmy Cormorant, the Black-crowned Night Heron and the Eurasian Bittern.

In this context, the medium-voltage power line represents a potential source of concern, as it crosses areas frequently used by birds when moving within the Reserve. The cables, particularly in conditions of poor visibility or near vegetation, can be difficult to detect in flight and may cause collisions. Furthermore, the power line supports can pose a risk of electrocution, particularly for larger species, such as birds of prey and herons, which may use them as perching sites. Over the years, dead birds have been found in the vicinity of the infrastructure, confirming that the power line may be a cause of mortality for avifauna.

Reducing the risks associated with the power line therefore represents an important conservation measure, aimed at making existing infrastructure more compatible with the Reserve’s high natural value and its biodiversity conservation objectives.

Objectives

The main objective of the project is to reduce the risk of bird mortality caused by the medium-voltage power line.

The project also pursues the following objectives:

Improve the ecological connectivity of the Reserve, facilitating bird movements between feeding grounds, resting areas and nesting sites.
Protect species of high conservation interest present in the area, particularly birds of prey and herons, such as the Western Marsh Harrier, Black Kite, Purple Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron and Pygmy Cormorant.
Reduce the impact of one of the anthropogenic pressures affecting the area, by improving the safety of existing infrastructure within the protected area.
Assess the effectiveness of the measures implemented over time through specific monitoring activities.

This initiative contributes to the conservation objectives of the Nature Reserve and the Natura 2000 site, promoting land management that integrates existing infrastructure with biodiversity protection.

Expected results

The implementation of the planned measures will enable approximately 1,600 metres of medium-voltage power line to be made safer, reducing the risk of bird collisions and electrocution for species inhabiting the Reserve.

The installation of insulation and visual warning devices will help reduce the impact of the infrastructure on birdlife by improving cable visibility and making the areas most frequently used as perching sites safer. The expected benefits will be particularly significant for larger species, such as birds of prey and herons, which are more exposed to the risk of interaction with power lines.

In the long term, the project will contribute to biodiversity conservation within the Reserve, strengthening the role of the Torbiere del Sebino as a strategic area for bird conservation and as an example of how existing infrastructure can be made compatible with the protection of natural heritage.

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