PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The dry grasslands, ‘magredi’, are characterised by coarse soils deposited by the pre-alpine rivers Tagliamento, Cellina and Torre. The high permeability of the subsoil creates particular conditions of dry soil that are very unusual in a rainy area such as northern Italy. The bulk of these dry grasslands have been destroyed by agricultural development over the past half century. Several dry grasslands were ploughed, fertilised and irrigated for cultivating soybean and maize. The only remaining dry grasslands are concentrated in lands owned by the region and the state, but they are under natural pressure from the growth of bushes and the colonisation of invasive alien species.
OBJECTIVES
The general objectives of the project are to stop the degradation of the habitat ‘Eastern submediteranean dry grasslands’ in the 'magredi' of the Friuli lowlands and to improve its extension through the transformation of cultivated lands and scrubland. The production of seeds and plants of the typical native species will take place in a nursery. Their use will improve the habitat’s flora composition, speed up the natural re-colonisation of the lands and efficiently replace non-native species. The project will increase the connectivity of the dry grassland habitat. Such an increase will be useful to the species linked to grasslands, such as reptiles, invertebrates and some birds. The connectivity of the habitat will be improved through the selection of lands to be restored in order to create a network of grasslands that now are isolated. The terrestrial fauna (mainly reptile and invertebrate) and birds of open land habitats (e.g. the corncrake - Crex crex) will benefit from this action. Species will be monitored by the specific monitoring programmes planned in the framework of the Natura 2000 site management plan. Soil preservation, carbon storage, landscape enhancement of the dry grasslands for tourists and improved awareness are other expected results. An important result will be the transfer of know-how on habitat restoration. Another objective is the reduction of the alien invasive plants through elimination, the restoration of degraded land (e. g. abandoned cultivated lands), ant the seeding and planting of native species to prevent invasive alien species from growing.
Expected results:
- Restoration of dry grasslands on 119 ha of cultivated land;
- Scrub clearance on 141 ha of dry grasslands.
- Restoration of dry grasslands on 105 ha by removal of the alien shrub Amorpha fruticosa;
- Restoration of dry grasslands on 53 ha of scrubland;
- Production of 60 000 pot-grown seedlings of grassland plants;
- Delivery of four management plans for the SCIs targeted by the project;
- Dissemination materials, including a website, 10 000 copies of two publications about dry grasslands; 3 000 copies of a handbook on grassland conservation; and
- 160 days of environmental education, including a contest: ‘Knowing the dry grasslands’.
