Problemi e strategie di conservazione della Biodiversità: Parchi, Natura 2000 e Rete Ecologica Nazionale Problems and strategies for Biodiversity conservation: Parks, Natura2000 and National Ecological Network Carlo Blasi *, G. Capotorti, R. Copiz, L. Zavattero * Presidente Società Italiana di Scienza della Vegetazione
SUMMARY Biodiversity conservation issue Protected Areas and Biodiversity in Italy New national strategies
Biodiversity conservation: the International frame
Biodiversity conservation: National initiatives Recent research projects and scientific devices on plant biology field promoted by the Nature Protection Directorate in the frame of the national and international conventions and regulations
Biodiversity conservation: National initiatives Plant invasion rating in Italy Important Plant Areas (IPAs): recognition and mapping Old Growth Forest in the National Park: outline, location and characterization (flora, vegetation, lichens, fungi, forest structure,etc.) Landscapes conservation assessment in Italy and in the National Parks
Protected Areas network in Italy 2281 SCI 590 SPA 775 terrestrial Protected Areas (National Parks and Natural Reserves, Regional Parks and Natural Reserves in the EUAP -Official list of Protected Areas) 20.35 % of the National extent Natura 2000 EUAP
Vegetation and landscape diversity in Italy Natural Vegetation Potential Landscape heterogeneity 223 forest types 30 scrub types 15 herbaceous and chamaephytic types (alpine and oromediterranean) 5 hydrophytic and aquatic types 4 psammophilous coastal types (277 types in total) 3 Land Regions 24 Land Systems 149 Land Subsystems
Vegetation and landscape diversity in Italy Natural Vegetation Potential Landscape heterogeneity Natural Vegetation Potential reflects the diversity of terrestrial ecosystems integrating abiotic, biotic and biogeographic factors Landscape hierarchical classification reflects bioclimatic, lythological, morphological features and biological community distribution The very comprehensive biotic and abiotic data bank can be used to correlate the landscape maps with the vegetation series of Italy
Are Protected Areas representative of vegetational and landscape heterogeneity in Italy? Protected Areas are recognized as the most important core for in situ conservation (CBD, US ESA, Habitats Directive) Neverthless, existing Protected areas networks often do not represent and protect the whole biodiversity of a region (Rodriguez et al., 2004; Dietz & Czech, 2005) The Gap Analysis methods are useful instruments to identify elements that need further protection (Scott et al., 1993; Margules and Pressey, 2000, Maiorano et al., 2006)
Gap Analisys for Natural Vegetation Potential (Rosati, Marignani & Blasi, 2007, Fitosociologia 44/2) Data Map of Natural Vegetation Potential Map of SCIs, SPAs and Protected Areas Natura 2000 EUAP (Ministero dell Ambiente - Dip. Biologia Vegetale Univ. Sapienza University, 2005, Completamento delle Conoscenze Naturalistiche di Base ) (Ministero dell Ambiente - Politecnico di Milano, 2005, GIS NATURA: Il GIS delle conoscenze naturalistiche in Italia, DVD )
Gap Analisys for Natural Vegetation Potential (Rosati, Marignani & Blasi, 2007, Fitosociologia 44/2) Results 28% of Natural Vegetation Potential types are total gaps (78/277 not protected at National or Regional level) 48 types in Temperate Region + 30 types in Mediterranean Region mostly between thermomediterranean and mesotemperate bioclimatic belts (coasts, plains and hills)
Gap Analisys for Natural Vegetation Potential (Rosati, Marignani & Blasi, 2007, Fitosociologia 44/2) Applications Cyclamino repandi- Oleetum sylvestris - Total gap - >90% natural and seminatural vegetation cover Irido collinae- Quercetum virgilianae - Total gap - 96% agricultural cover Each non protected type of Natural Vegetation Potential must be analyzed in terms of current land cover to guide planning, management and conservation strategies at national scale
Gap Analisys for Landscapes types (Blasi, Capotorti & Smiraglia, unpublished work) Map of Land Systems Data Map of SCIs, SPAs and Protected areas Natura 2000 EUAP (Ministero dell Ambiente - Dip. Biologia Vegetale Univ. Sapienza University, 2005, Completamento delle Conoscenze Naturalistiche di Base ) (Ministero dell Ambiente - Politecnico di Milano, 2005, GIS NATURA: Il GIS delle conoscenze naturalistiche in Italia, DVD )
Gap Analisys for Landscapes types (Blasi, Capotorti & Smiraglia, unpublished work) Results % of land Systems extent in Protected Areas Land Systems in Mediterranean Region Land Systems in Temperate Region Land Systems in transition Region % of land Systems extent in Natura2000 network (SCIs) Gaps for land Systems are mostly in the Mediterranean Region (8/8 less than 6% in PAs and 5/8 less than 10% in SCIs) Gap values are not related to land Systems extent Natura2000 network is more representative than PAs system
New National strategies to fill the gaps
New strategies: IPAs II Important Plant Areas (IPAs) Key areas for biodiversity conservation, in terms of vascular plants, bryophytes, algae, fungi, lichens and plant communities IPAs represent an essential tool for the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Target 5 of the Strategy requires the protection of 50% of the most important areas for plant diversity by 2010 Three basic principles of IPA identification Criterion A. The site holds significant populations of one or more species that are of global or European conservation concern Criterion B. The site has an exceptionally rich flora in a European context in relation to its biogeographic zone Criterion C. The site is an outstanding example of a habitat type of global or European plant conservation and botanical importance (Palmer & Smart, 2001; Anderson, 2002)
New strategies: IPAs II First contribution to define Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in Italy - National level -
New strategies: IPAs II IPAs VENETO First contribution to define Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in Italy - Regional level, in progress- From the punctual distribution of species and habitats Nr. of species: 130 Nr. of habitats: 69 Nr. of species reports: 761 Nr. of habitats reports: 702
New strategies: IPAs II IPAs VENETO toward the value of individual grid s cell of 10x10 km The value of each cell is based on the number of species and habitats of high conservation priority (quality criterion) and the total number of species and habitats selected for the IPAs project (richness criterion)
New strategies: IPAs II IPAs VENETO to the definition of IPAs patches 15 IPAs in Veneto Region 11 of high level of quality and richness 3 of medium level of quality and richness 1 of medium level of richness
New strategies: IPAs II IPAs and Natura 2000 Network IPAs VENETO SCIs
New strategies: Red lists at National level Red list and action plan for landscapes Red list, top 100 and action plan for Plant species IPAs Landscape hierarchical classification Conservation assessment Floristic knowledge Old growth forest network Gap analisys
New strategies: Permanent plots National and Regional PAs Diacronic floristic sampling Synphytosociological analisys Response to climate change Structural data sampling Old age indicators
New strategies: National Ecological Network Background a natural environmental infrastructure which is orientated towards the goal of inter-relating and connecting areas endowed with a greater presence of naturality. (C.I.P.E. Delib. 22/12/98) based on network of Protected Areas. An approach for Italian Vertebrates conservation Boitani et al., 2002
New strategies: National Ecological Network IPAs Data PAs and Natura2000 Landscape Conservation Assessment Land Cover CKmap Natura 2000 EUAP
New strategies: National Ecological Network The Land Ecological Network at Province level (the Rome PTPG) Methods Pattern oriented approach Multi-taxon approach
New strategies: National Ecological Network The Land Ecological Network at Province level (the Rome PTPG) Methods Pattern oriented approach Multi-taxon approach
New strategies: National Ecological Network The Land Ecological Network at Province level (the Rome PTPG)
New strategies: National Ecological Network The Land Ecological Network at Province level (the Rome PTPG) ECOLOGICAL NETWORK Core Area Buffer Zone Connection (natural and seminatural pattern) Connection (agricultural area)