PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Heathlands are mostly habitats of anthropic origin, which have flourished thanks to active human management and relevant socio-economic activities such as the exploitation of heath and pastures for agriculture. In the last decades, as a consequence of the abandonment of traditional activities, the target area has been subjected to major environmental changes. In fact, the original dry heath vegetation cover is being replaced by trees and shrubs. These changes are leading to the reduction of suitable breeding areas and feeding grounds for many birds listed in the EU Birds Directive.
OBJECTIVES
Situated in the in the Natura 2000 network site, "Pastures and mountain bushes of Pratomagno" (IT5180011), the LIFE GRANATHA project’s overall aim was to improve the conservation status of the populations of several Annex I-listed species of the Birds Directive. The target species were: the Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata), woodlark (Lullula arborea), red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), tawny pipit (Anthus campestris), European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus), and the European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus).
In particular, the project aimed to reverse the negative trend affecting the conservation status of the heathland habitats (due to the abandonment of traditional activities), and to ensure their sustainable management in the long term, i.e. by restoring their ecological functionality (mainly through the removal of invasive trees and shrubs) and by fostering the development of the production and marketing of brushes and related products/tools from the heath scrubs.
Specific objectives were to:
- Improve the conservation status of Dartford warbler, woodlark, red-backed shrike, Montagu's harrier, tawny pipit and European nightjar and to increase their population counts by restoring their nesting habitat;
- Improve the conservation status and increase the populations of short-toed snake eagle and European honey buzzards through the restoration and improvement of their feeding habitats;
- Launch a local chain for the production and sale of household products/tools made from a perennial evergreen shrub, Erica scoparia, thus linking socioeconomic activities and Natura 2000 network habitat management under the EU Business and Biodiversity Initiative; and
- Identify a management model of heathland habitats that could improve the conservation status of the target species.
RESULTS
The main outcomes of the project are the following:
• The interventions implemented by the project (through manual and mechanised cuts, as well as prescribed fire) have restored 172 ha of heathlands extended in different environmental areas. 80 ha of those are areas characterised by a continuing coverage of Erica scoparia, the rest covering an area with a diverse and rich environment.
• The monitoring carried out for Habitat 4030 indicated that the shrub-arboreal component, different from heaths, has decreased significantly in the areas of intervention, thus improving the quality of the habitat and to all its ecological functionalities.
• The implementation of cutting or prescribed fire on Erica stumps has shown this species’ ability to resprout, even in older plants featuring no management for longer periods of time. On average, every stump produced about 60 resprouts.
• The interventions carried out by the project had important positive effects on seven of the eight target species: Short-toed eagle, Montagu's harrier, Nightjar, Dartford warbler, Woodlark, Tawny pipit and Red-backed shrike. All these species have recorded increases or trends of increase of more than 20 percent. Four species (the Short-toed Eagle, Hen Harrier, Tawny Pipit and Red-backed Shrike) have colonised at least one of the two macro-areas of intervention (where they were not present before the interventions). For these, an increase in suitable Habitat between 50 and 100 percent was assessed. For the remaining species, an increase between 20 and 40 percent in suitable habitat can be assessed, consistently with the population trend.
• Important positive effects were registered for species characterised by very different ecological needs, particularly regarding the size of their territories: from the few hectares occupied by a pair of Dartford warblers to douzens of square kilometres occupied by a pair of Short-toed Eagle.
• The involvement of private owners ensured the availability of heathlands for active management: six private landowners were made available to the project, completely free of charge, for more than 52 ha of heathland areas for restoration.
• The establishment of the Granatha Cooperative devoted to guaranteeing the conservation status through sustainable management and production of heaths, representing an element of reactivation of certain social dynamics in a mountain territory.
• Of the 172 ha covered by the project, about 74 ha have been given in concession to the Granatha Cooperative, which will manage them according to sustainable production criteria. These are heaths with a productive purpose, characterised by greater Erica cover and favourable access and morphology conditions. For the other areas of public property, their management will be ensured by the application of the Management Plan of the Pratomagno Valdarno Regional Forest Complex, managed by UCPRATO.
• A marketing and production chain of Erica made brooms from sustainably managed heathlands was activated (9 commercial and supply agreements were signed).
• Guidelines and protocols for the sustainable management of heathlands were developed, to be applied in other similar contexts, also involving regional administrations responsible for the management of Natura 2000 sites.
• An increase in awareness was achieved in local communities by targeting students of primary and middle schools of the municipalities of the SPA, as well as the resident population, on the importance of the management of the habitat 4030 and the conservation of the relevant target species.
