Assessing common reed bed health and management strategies in Lake Garda (Italy) by means of Leaf Area Index measurements

During a 6-year monitoring program (2005-2010), LAI measurements were collected in the field and obtained from Remote Sensing data (GeoEye-1 image, 2010) to assess the health of common reed beds in the southern part of Lake Garda (Italy). In particular, data were gathered to assess the effects of management strategies on the physiological status of reed beds and to collect information for defining further conservation programs.Results point to the central role played by water levels both on reed plot re-growth efficiency and on reed health; cutting back the reeds, however, (which is done exclusively in winter) seems to have a negligible impact on common reed beds while removing detritus from their midst appears to have a positive effects on reed health and in general on the quality of the littoral zone in question.