The Castelporziano estate, a former game reserve
along the Tyrrhenian coast near Rome, is a conserved
patch of pristine woodland, in which several species of the
Odonates breed in numerous small ponds and a few rivulets.
The odonate species of Castelporziano have been
recorded since the 1930s, with an in-depth survey carried
out in 1997–1998. The present, additional survey on the
odonate species of Castelporziano aims at contributing to
long-term ecological research, by assessing variations in
odonate fauna up to the present, and linking them to environmental
changes. The presence of adult Odonata species
was assessed in the field by two observers at 20 water
bodies (ponds and other sites) from mid-March to early
November 2012. The presence of shade, riparian and
submerged vegetation, fish and the number of drying-up
events during the past decade were also recorded. Results
showed a small reduction in the number of odonate species
for the entire estate, with several qualitative changes in
comparison with previous data. On the contrary, a sitespecific
analysis of changes from 1997–1998 to 2012 revealed
a significant considerable reduction in the average
number of species. This was linked to a decrease in riparian
and submerged vegetation. Drying-up events did not appear
to be a crucial factor, and fish and shade were
essentially unchanged. In conclusion, the Castelporziano
water environment seems to have deteriorated, probably as
a consequence of the trampling by wild ungulates in
woodland ponds.