One of the peculiarities of the karstic environment is the almost total absence of surface water.  

This condition is mainly due to the permeability of the richly fissured rock substrate. Water therefore flows preferentially along underground routes, leaving the surface devoid of water environments.  

The main exceptions are the lakes of Pietrarossa and Doberdò, in the Isonzo Karst, and the Rosandra torrent in the province of Trieste. The ponds, small depressions in the terrain in which rainwater collection was facilitated by the addition of clay material, were used for watering and supplying the population with water.  

It is difficult to define a zoning of the vegetation affecting these bodies of water, as it varies greatly depending on the structure, depth and exposure of the pond.  

At Carsiana there are three ponds, a larger pond with a more natural shape and two smaller, shaded concrete ponds.  

In the large pond adjacent to the mowing meadow, it is possible to admire hygrophilous species characteristic of these environments, such as the yellow flag (Limniris pseudacorus) and marsh ragwort (Jacobaea paludosa subsp. paludosa), which occupy the strip subject to surfacing and immersion. The banks are home to rushes (Juncus inflexus and Juncus articulatus). In the central area, one can admire leafy species such as the white-water lily (Nymphaea alba) and the yellow water-lily (Nuphar lutea).  

The shadier pool, in the bottom of the dolina, on the other hand, has steep banks and cannot host any riparian vegetation, but for some years now has thick stands of hottonia (Hottonia palustris) interspersed with yellow water-lily (Nuphar lutea).  

All these collections of water, although small in size, are also essential for the wildlife that not only goes there for watering but also uses them in some cases for reproduction: in the Carsiana ponds it is in fact possible to observe as many as four species of amphibians, demonstrating the high biodiversity that characterises them. The common toad (Bufo bufo spinosus) and the agile frog (Rana dalmatina) make their way to the ponds between February and March just to lay their eggs: long dark cords in the case of the toad and spherical agglomerates that soon fall apart in the case of the frogs. The adults move away immediately, but their larvae will be visible in the water for the next few months, then metamorphose and disperse into the surrounding green areas, ready to return to the water to lay once they have developed into adults.   

 On the other hand, newts, the smooth newts (Lissotriton vulgaris meridionalis) and Italian great crested newts (Triturus carnifex), can be seen in the pools throughout the spring and summer months, sometimes even hibernating in the water. They can be seen performing complex nuptial dances where the male, using his tail as a fan, sends his pheromones towards the female, trying to persuade her to mate.  

These watery environments, as rare as they are precious, are also a destination for many species of aquatic insects that carry out part of their development here: dragonflies and damselflies with evocative names, water beetles, ephemeroptera and many other species that swim, crawl or glide along the surface of the water.  

Even the smallest puddles, formed naturally on the limestone by the slow action of rain, can be a source of amazement, when we pause and notice the movement of plankton, clearly visible even to the naked eye. The ostracods with their two distinct valves, the copepods with their long antennae and the daphnia with their reddish colour and characteristic hopping movement are some of the easiest species to observe, but every small body of water is a mystery to be unravelled.