PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Several plant species of EU importance, listed in the annexes of the Habitats Directive, are found in the Majella, Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise national parks and the Sirente Velino regional park. The species are under threat for several reasons. In particular, they are adversely affected by the growing impact of tourism, resulting in the unsustainable exploitation of the environment and its resources. Other factors include: the (illegal) collection of plants by tourists and locals; poor management and exploitation of pastures and grasslands through grazing and mowing; forest fires; and the natural dynamics of vegetation encroachment, the latter of which is leading to a general increase of the forested areas in the project sites.
OBJECTIVES
The main project objective of FLORANET LIFE was to improve the conservation status of several plant species of EU concern, and listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive, with particular emphasis on three priority species for conservation: Klasea lycopifolia, Jacobea vulgaris subsp. gotlandica(synonym: Senecio jacobea subsp. gotlandicus) and Astragalus aquilanus. The other target species were: Cypripedium calceolus, Iris marsica, Adonis distorta and Androsace mathildae.
The target areas covered Natura 2000 network sites in three of the main protected areas of the Apennines i.e., the above-mentioned Majella, Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise national parks, and the Sirente Velino regional park.
In line with Italy’s National Strategy of Biodiversity, in-situ conservation activities, along with a variety of ex situ conservation measures, would be carried out on Cypripedium calceolus, Adonis distorta, Androsace mathildae, Iris marsica and Astragalus aquilanus in the Majella National Park; on Klasea lycopifolia, Jacobaea vulgaris subsp. gotlandica, Astragalus aquilanusand Adonis distorta in Sirente-Velino regional park; and on Cypripedium calceolus and Iris marsica in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise national parks.
Measures to protect the sites from grazing, mowing and tourism were expected to be considered, along with the adoption of environmentally-friendly restoration techniques, including the production of plants grown ex-situ, analysis of germination processes of the germplasm of the targeted species, propagation in nursery and the cultivation in botanical gardens.
Finally, the project aimed to increase awareness about the conservation issues in the target areas, particularly among local people and visitors to the parks.
RESULTS
FLORANET LIFE improved the conservation status of seven plant species included in Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive, in 8 Natura 2000 sites in Italian Natural Parks of the Abruzzo Apennine. These were lady's-slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus),Adonis distorta, Androsace mathildae, Iris marsica and Astragalus aquilanus in the Majella National Park (PNM); Klasea lycopifolia, Jacobaea vulgaris subsp. gotlandica, Astragalus aquilanusand Adonis distorta in the Regional Park Sirente-Velino (PRSV); and Cypripedium calceolus and Iris marsica in the Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise National Park (PNALM).
The project team:
- Updated knowledge on the distribution and richness of the populations of the target plant species in the three areas, inside and outside of Natura 2000 sites. This data, together with that from herbaria, allowed the implementation of a geodatabase, including data on species distribution and on the interventions carried out, and the proposal to the competent office of Regione Abruzzo of an update to the Standard Data Forms and the enlargement of four Natura 2000 sites (SACs).
- Created accession collections of seeds for the target plant species, conserved at the Maiella Germplasm Bank in Italy and duplicated at the Millennium Seed Bank of the Royal Botanic Kew Gardens in the UK (an extremely important long-term contribution for the conservation of these species at pan-European level).
- Improved knowledge on the physiology of germination of botanical species of conservation interest, which allowed the development of germination protocols and the establishment of best practices for plant reproduction techniques.
- Secured taxonomic determination thanks to the genetic analysis of Iris marsica and of Iris germanica and possible hybrids of the two species.
- Achieved the successful in vivo reproduction of Androsace mathildae, Iris marsica, Astragalus aquilanus, Jacobaea vulgaris and Klasea lycopifolia, and in vitro reproduction of Cypripedium calceolus.
- Successfully transplanted in the field the obtained seedlings of Astragalus aquilanus (200 plants in PNM and 100 plants in PNALM); Androsace mathildae (35 plants in PNM); Iris marsica (50 plants in PNALM); Jacobaea vulgaris and Klasea lycopifolia (105 and 140 plants in PRSV, respectively).
- Improved conservation status for the target species Cypripedium calceolus, Astragalus aquilanus, Iris marsica, Klasea lycopifolia, Jacobaea vulgaris subsp. gotlandica, Androsace mathildae, through restoration and improvement of their sites with silvicultural interventions, slope protection interventions and fencing, and elimination of threats.
The best practices for the reproduction techniques of the plant material for the species of conservation interest also have a high demonstration value.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).
