PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Abruzzo region in central Italy supports remnant populations of three of the peninsula’s most threatened large mammals: the brown bear (Ursus arctos); the wolf (Canis lupus); and the Abruzzo chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornate) - a regional sub-species found only within the confines of the Abruzzo National Park. All three species are listed on Annex II of the Habitats Directive. There is an additional small nucleus of brown bears in the eastern Italian Alps, as bears recolonise naturally from neighbouring Austria and Slovenia
The situation of the Abruzzo chamois was highly precarious at the start of the project. For the other two species, the future was also uncertain because they were seriously threatened by major changes to large areas of formerly suitable habitat. Human activities and pressures had made many areas increasingly inhospitable and unsafe for large mammals and degraded habitat. Furthermore, damage to crops (by bears) and attacks on livestock (by bears and wolves) were creating human-animal conflict and leading to reprisals from farmers.
This project had two phases, with the first phase being the project LIFE92 NAT/IT/013000. The presentation below does not distinguish between the two phases which are seen as part of a united whole.
This project should also be seen in conjunction with its sister projects run by different beneficiaries as part of a coherent overall joint project on the three large mammals in Italy. One two-phase project (LIFE92 NAT/IT/013001 and LIFE95 NAT/IT/004800) was run by the Abruzzo National Park authority. The other (LIFE92 NAT/IT/013002 and LIFE95 NAT/IT/005907) was run by the Worldwide Fund for Nature - Italy).
OBJECTIVES
The overall multi-beneficiary project had a set of common aims. The beneficiary of each individual two-phase project also set specific objectives for their elements.
The overarching common objective was to improve and maintain the conservation status of the three target large mammal species in Italy. The overall planned approach for each species was:
Brown bear - reduce human-bear conflict and facilitate and encourage the on-going natural re-colonisation from Austria and Slovenia in the Alps.
Wolf - reduce human-wolf conflict and develop a captive-breeding programme to establish a nucleus of “pure” wolf genes.
Abruzzo chamois - establish new populations beyond the only remaining one in the Abruzzo National Park through reintroductions
The projects also sought to improve monitoring and understanding of the three target species.
This particular two-phase project, aimed especially to improve the conservation status and improve the chances of survival of the brown bear in the MRAAF-managed nature reserves of the eastern Alps and central Italy. It hoped to achieve this through a combination of habitat improvement measures, increasing natural food supplies and providing feeding dedicated points.
Planned habitat improvement measures included: restricting traffic on mountain roads to reduce disturbance; creating and restoring water supplies; ecologically sensitive forestry management practices.
To increase natural food supplies, the project intended to re-stock and re-introduce wild deer as prey. To avoid competition for grazing land and help the deer prosper, mountain pasture would be rented so that livestock could be excluded. The supply of fruits and other natural foods would be encouraged by the restoration of old and abandoned orchards and the planting of new orchards and fruit-bearing shrubs
Additional feeding points were planned in the form of non-protected plots of land sown with edible domestic and wild plants that the bears could eat freely and the installation of beehives. .
RESULTS
This sub-project produced some of the best practical results achieved thus far in Italy. The conservation measures were successfully implemented in the field and were an effective and documented benefit to the bears.
The project successfully improved the natural habitat of the bear through the following actions:
Three roads and 17 vehicle trails, with a total length of 50 Km, were closed to public vehicle access in central Italy.
Ten water supplies, averaging about 800 litres each, were created in key bear sites in Abruzzo.
The management of forest sites was modified - both small experimental plots and large forests. This mostly involved re-conversion from production-focused management practices towards much more ecologically sound management suitable for bears.
It managed to increase natural food supplies for the bears - which also serves to reduce the potential for human-bear conflict around farms or villages by:
re-introducing 110 red deer into the project areas of central Italy.
renting a 550 ha plot from June to September during the project period in an area important for bears (and its prey such as red deer). This reduced livestock numbers, decreasing competition with wildlife and potential human-wildlife conflict situations with herdsmen.
restoring 3 ha of abandoned orchards in central Italy.
planting about 15 000 fruit trees in central Italy.
The project also provided additional feeding points:
each year, about 2 ha of expendable crops were sown in the Alps, on small strategic plots
around 35 ha of expendable crops were sown in central Italy
eight feeding fields (2 500 - 10 000m²) were established in Abruzzo
temporary feeding sites were created in both in the Alps and the Apennines
60 beehives installed to improve pollination - some beehive frames, filled with wax and honey, were also placed within some of the artificial feeding points.
The project conducted a thorough investigation into the bears, analysing various aspects of bear ecology such as habitat selection, roaming distances and home range in central Italy. The data significantly added to current understanding of this large mammal and was made publicly available in various scientific seminars.
To raise public awareness and support for bear conservation, the project also produced and distributed posters, brochures and a video in targeted local areas and regional exhibitions. Awareness raising events were co-hosted with the WWF in Tarvisio and Abruzzo.This sub-project produced some of the best practical results achieved thus far in Italy. The conservation measures were successfully implemented in the field and were an effective and documented benefit to the bears.
The project successfully improved the natural habitat of the bear through the following actions:
Three roads and 17 vehicle trails, with a total length of 50 Km, were closed to public vehicle access in central Italy.
Ten water supplies, averaging about 800 litres each, were created in key bear sites in Abruzzo.
The management of forest sites was modified - both small experimental plots and large forests. This mostly involved re-conversion from production-focused management practices towards much more ecologically sound management suitable for bears.
It managed to increase natural food supplies for the bears - which also serves to reduce the potential for human-bear conflict around farms or villages by:
re-introducing 110 red deer into the project areas of central Italy.
renting a 550 ha plot from June to September during the project period in an area important for bears (and its prey such as red deer). This reduced livestock numbers, decreasing competition with wildlife and potential human-wildlife conflict situations with herdsmen.
restoring 3 ha of abandoned orchards in central Italy.
planting about 15 000 fruit trees in central Italy.
The project also provided additional feeding points:
each year, about 2 ha of expendable crops were sown in the Alps, on small strategic plots
around 35 ha of expendable crops were sown in central Italy
eight feeding fields (2 500 - 10 000m²) were established in Abruzzo
temporary feeding sites were created in both in the Alps and the Apennines
60 beehives installed to improve pollination - some beehive frames, filled with wax and honey, were also placed within some of the artificial feeding points.
The project conducted a thorough investigation into the bears, analysing various aspects of bear ecology such as habitat selection, roaming distances and home range in central Italy. The data significantly added to current understanding of this large mammal and was made publicly available in various scientific seminars.
To raise public awareness and support for bear conservation, the project also produced and distributed posters, brochures and a video in targeted local areas and regional exhibitions. Awareness raising events were co-hosted with the WWF in Tarvisio and Abruzzo.