Evidence of dramatic biodiversity loss in a wet biotope calls for urgent conservation strategies

The small lake ‘‘Lago di Corree’’, located in the middle Volturno plain (Campania Region, Italy), is a biotope belonging to the Roccamonfina–foce Garigliano Regional Park. It is a ‘‘habitat island’’ in a landscape matrix characterised by intensive agriculture. In the present investigation, plant biodiversity loss, assessed by means of historical and recent field floristic surveys, is related to the lake dynamics and landscape transformation inferred using remote sensing (photointerpretation). A dramatic reduction of plant diversity, and the regional-scale local extinction of several aquatic species are reported.