Naturalistic planning for the conservation and management of SACs and SPAs: ecotourism experiences and perspectives

Il presente lavoro ripercorre innanzitutto le tappe fondamentali relative all’istituzione di parchi, riserve, biotopi e aree di reperimento in territorio regionale. Vengono illustrati i principali progetti ed interventi gestionali effettuati in aree protette dagli anni Ottanta ad oggi, approfondendo in particolare le attività e gli interventi effettuati nelle ris. nat. reg. Foce dell’Isonzo, Laghi di Doberdò e Pietrarossa, Lago di Cornino. Vengono quindi descritte le strutture naturalistiche attrezzate e i centri visite realizzati in Friuli Venezia Giulia, interpolando la presenza di tali opere con la distribuzione dei Siti di Interesse Comunitario sul territorio regionale. Una seconda parte della presentazione è dedicata alle problematiche naturalistiche, logistiche e finanziarie che derivano da un orientamento gestionale mirato alla fruizione ecoturistica all’interno dei SIC. Sono indirizzate questioni relative all’istituzione di specifici enti gestori, alla creazione di centri visite, all’allestimento di strutture parafulmine per soddisfare la ‘fame ecoturistica’ senza impattare sul territorio, alla costruzione di percorsi di vario genere per visitare i SIC senza danneggiare gli habitat che li caratterizzano e arrecare disturbo alla fauna in essi presente. Si fa poi una carrellata sulle potenziali fonti di finanziamento, sia pubbliche che private. Si passa quindi alla discussione delle valutazioni d’incidenza all’interno dei SIC. Viene fornito un elenco delle normative comunitarie, nazionali e regionali in merito, per poi offrire una descrizione degli obiettivi e delle attività legate a tali valutazioni. Infine, vengono portati alcuni esempi di analisi e valutazioni d’incidenza all’interno di SIC regionali, con illustrazione dei progetti e delle opere di mitigazione e compensazione in essi effettuate. Infine, vengono descritte alcune attività di pianificazione naturalistica del territorio, finalizzate in particolare all’incremento della biodiversità, ed interventi di ingegneria naturalistica effettuati in territorio regionale.This work presents the basic phases that lead to the institution of parks, reserves, biotopes in the regional territory. The main projects and interventions that have been carried out in protected areas since the Eighties are described, especially considering the activities carried out in the reserves of Isonzo River Mouth, Doberdò Lake and Cornino Lake. The naturalistic infrastructures and visitor centers realized in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region are then described, also considering their distribution within the regional SACs. The second part of the presentation is dedicated to the naturalistic, logistic and financial problems deriving from a management that is oriented towards the ecotourism fruition within SACs. The following aspects are considered: definition of specific management bodies, creation of visitor centres and of other structures that satisfy the tourists without impacting on the territory, building of naturalistic trails that allow to visit SACs without damaging the habitats and disturbing the fauna present. An overview of the financial sources available is also given. The final part of the presentation discusses the assessment of projects within SACs. A list of community, national and regional regulations is given, and a description of the objectives and activities related to such assessments is also provided. Finally, some examples of analysis and assessment in regional SACs are given, with the description of projects and mitigation interventions carried out. Also, some examples of naturalistic territorial planning, aimed in particular at the increase of biodiversity, and of naturalistic engineering nterventions carried out in the regional territory are given

Global and Regional IUCN Red List Assessments: 5

In this contribution, the conservation status of four vascular plants according to IUCN categories and criteria are presented. It includes the assessment of Arceuthobium oxycedri (DC.) M.Bieb., Ionopsidium albiflorum Durieu, Trifolium latinum Sebast., and Vicia incisa M.Bieb. at a Regional level (Italy)

Coenological shift following fertilization in a Mediterranean grassland.

In Rome both meadows of CentraI-European affinity and Mediterranean dry grasslands are presento We studied a site (Parco Regionale Urbano de] Pineto in Rome) with very diverse vegetation, where species belonging to both coenologica] groups oceur. Wc fertilized a grassland with a combination of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). After fertilization diagDostie species of Helianthemetea guttati (Thcrophytes) dccrease while species of MolinioArrhenatheretea (Hemicriptophytes) increase. In a climate as that of Rome, transition between Mediterranean (with summer drought) and Central European (without summer drought), nutrients availability modulates the distribution of vegetation Classes with respectively Mediterranean or Central-Europe affinities

COENOLOGICAL SHIFT FOLLOWING FERTILIZATION IN MEDITERRANEAN GRASSLAND

In Rome both meadows of CentraI-European affinity and Mediterranean dry grasslands are presento We studied a site (Parco Regionale Urbano de] Pineto in Rome) with very diverse vegetation, where species belonging to both coenologica] groups oceur. Wc fertilized a grassland with a combination of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). After fertilization diagDostie species of Helianthemetea guttati (Thcrophytes) dccrease while species of MolinioArrhenatheretea (Hemicriptophytes) increase. In a climate as that of Rome, transition between Mediterranean (with summer drought) and Central European (without summer drought), nutrients availability modulates the distribution of vegetation Classes with respectively Mediterranean or Central-Europe affinities

Vegetation ecology of Castelporziano woodlands

In the present work the results of a three-year ecological study carried out in 11 forest sites of the CP Estate, are discussed. Three different data set, ecological-floristic, edaphic and microclimatic, have been collected through phytosiological relèves, soil profiles and microclimatic measurements. The Ellenberg model (1974) has been applied to the floristic matrix to obtain for each community indicator values for light, temperature, continentality, soil moisture, soil reaction and soil nutrients. A statistical treatment of data showed several significant correlations between ecological indicators of species and communities and variables of soil and microclimate measured in the field. In particular, a strong relationship between soil moisture indicator value and Available Water Capacity measured in the soils (AWC) has been found. Microclimatic data focus on a remarkable heterogeneity of the Castelporziano woodlands, showing different seasonal trends as well as different critical periods during the year. In particular, different associations can be ordered according to a gradient of a few correlated parameters: temperature, yearly thermic excursion, air moisture. The seasonal trend of different microclimatic parameters varies along this gradient, and it seems that not average values but seasonal variaton is the key factor in structuring vegetation. Microclimatic parameters are also correlated with chemical soil parameters: for instance, high soil temperature correlated with high soil water capacity increases microbial activity and consequently influences the cycles of nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus. The whole of the correlations suggests the strenght of the interactions existing between plant communities and environmental measured variables, indicating a rather coherence of the ecological processes in the forest habitat of the CP Estate