Pseudodoline of Pian d’Oneto
Pian di Oneto: The Hidden Doline Between Passo del Biscia and Monte Chiappozzo
In the heart of Passo del Biscia and Monte Chiappozzo lies Pian di Oneto, a vast depression that tells the long geological history of the area. From a geomorphological perspective, this site can be defined as a doline, a clear testimony to the karst evolution of the Ligurian landscape, where water has slowly sculpted the rock, transforming the terrain into a broad plateau.
The Birth of a Karst Landscape
The formation of Pian di Oneto is linked to the dissolution of limestone by surface water. Over time, a wide depression developed, in some areas marshy, representing the visible sign of an underground world shaped by water. Beneath the surface, the morphology resembles a steep funnel, over 50 meters deep, gradually filled with sediments and natural debris.
Sinkholes and Marshes: Water Shaping the Land
Rainwater infiltrates through several sinkholes, including an active one visible along the western edge of the plateau, a few meters deep. During periods of heavy rain, these absorption points cannot handle all the water, and the doline transforms into a vast marsh, creating a unique and valuable wetland environment.
A Refuge for Biodiversity
Pian di Oneto is not only geology: its moisture fosters a rich and interesting hygrophilous vegetation. Among the most notable species are the narrow-leaved cattail, marsh grass-of-Parnassus, and the aquatic orchid, making this wetland a natural treasure hidden among the Ligurian mountains.”
Source
Regione Liguria, “95_Catasto Geositi Liguria. Pseudodolina di Pian d’Oneto”;
https://www.regione.liguria.it/contenuti_statici/geositi/95_Catasto%20geositi.pdf;
Dentone M., Lanata I., Mussi S., “Progetto d’iniziativa regionale. Ecomuseo della memoria”, Regione Liguria, Regione Emilia Romagna, Regione Toscana e Istituto Internazionale di Studi Liguri, Colombo grafiche e Studio cartografico italiano, Genova, 2007
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