Integrated plan of action to protect two NATURA 2000 sites

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The Tarvisio forest, strategically located where the borders of Italy, Austria and Slovenia meet, is being used as a corridor by bears from these two countries to recolonize Italian habitats. Because the forest is also important for many bird species of Community interest, the site manager, the Ministry for Agricultural Policy, has launched the administrative procedure to have it designated SPA. The two pSCIs already present at the site display a very rich and heterogeneous vegetation: considerable tracts are covered in Pinus nigra forests, mixed beechwoods, Alpine calcareous grasslands, Alpine and subalpine heaths and Nardus grasslands. Besides the brown bear, other priority species such as the wolf and the beetle Rosalia alpina occur.

Summer and winter tourism is the main human impact, and it is often disorganized, taking no account of the forests' equilibria and the biological cycles of wildlife. Hunting, directed with particular intensity at ungulates and at game birds, comes on top of tourism. The abandonment or modification of traditional forest grazing means that the meadows are shrinking and the typical creatures of the forest environment are declining.

OBJECTIVES

The project intended to introduce an integrated system of wildlife management and forest grazing to the two pSCIs to allow conservation to be wedded to social and economic objectives. One of the first targets was to have the Tarvisio Forest designated SPA under the Birds Directive. Elaboration of a management plan was to be accompanied by a series of actions geared towards the preservation of the 7 habitats and 14 species of Community interest occurring there. Bringing some order to tourism, elaborating a management plan for hunting and involving local interest groups in forestry and livestock management would, together with PR work, aim at reducing human pressure. Actions in the forestry sector, besides improving the habitats, would aim at maintaining and expanding populations of Rosalia alpina, Lynx lynx, Canis lupus, Ursus arctos and various bird species listed on Annex I of the Birds Directive.

RESULTS

The project has obtained a great part of the foreseen results. The main objectives of the project were 1) the designation of the whole of the Tarvisio Forest as SPA, 2) the elaboration of a management plan to be applied also in other forested alpine areas and 3) the conservation of species such as Lynx lynx, Canis lupus, Ursus arctos, Rosalia alpina and various birds (especially owls, woodpeckers and grouses). At the end of the project a SPA had been instituted, even though smaller than foreseen, and a series of actions aimed at involving local interest groups in the elaboration of a sound agro-silvo-pastoral management plan had been elaborated. The actions aimed at improving habitats and at protecting some sensitive sites were carried out as foreseen. The surveys completed within the project have furnished further important information on the distribution of species of EU interest and of their ecological needs. Among the main results there were:

Elaboration of a hunting management plan, of a livestock management plan and of a agro-silvo-pastoral management plan. Data concerning zootechnical, forestry and faunistic aspects of two pSCIs and the Tarvisio Forest as a whole have been considered.

Collection of data on animal species distribution. The fauna analysis has been divided into three groups: birds, ungulates and large carnivores.

Restoration of more than 16 ha of grassland through cutting of shrubs in six grasslands (called “malghe”). Sowing of 14 ha of grasses in pasturelands. Restoration of 21,5 km of forestry roads between two “malghe”. Planting of 320 fruit trees.

Forestry works on 88,5 ha. Works also included specific actions addressed to wildlife management, such as maintenance of ecotones and creation of clearings. Further 8,9 ha of wood have been interested by interventions for Rosalia alpina.

Restoration and maintenance of trails (27 km) and placing of 17 signposts.

Public awareness activities and products, including organization of training courses, production of posters. a video, brochures and

The legal protection of the site “Vallone del Rio Bianco” and of the forest patches recognised as nesting sites for birds of prey and woodpeckers will benefit the Natura 2000 network and a sound implementation of the Habitats and Birds directives. A sound management of the site is guaranteed by the improved knowledge on habitats and species occurring in the area and the availability of the agro-silvo-pastoral management plan.

The project stimulated the dialogue among the competent administrations. Networking activities led to the development of several Interreg projects proposals which should provide the necessary means to continue the work started with the LIFE Nature project.

The monitoring studies on species and habitats carried out during the project can be used as a basis for further monitoring actions to be carried out in the coming years in order to assess the effectiveness of the activities carried out during the project.