PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Mont Avic nature park contains three sites of Community interest: "High-altitude ophiolythic environments of the Mont Avic park", "Broad-leaved and conifer forests of the Mont Avic park" and "Bogs of the Mont Avic park". The park includes alpine habitats, with many high altitude alpine lakes and large expanses of coniferous forests. It hosts typical alpine species, such as the golden eagle, the goshawk, the black grouse, etc.. Several of the habitats of Community interest identified in the park are listed as priority ones(e.g. active raised bogs).
Human activities have a major impact on these high altitute and fragile montane ecosystems.In particular, visitors hiking through especially vulnerable areas caused serious forms of erosion.
The vegetation is also damaged by excessive livestock grazing while old drainage systems have a negative impact on the hydrological balance, specially in the bog habitats.
OBJECTIVES
The establishment of the Mont Avic Park, in 1989, allowed the launch of a series of conservation actions in the valley of the Chalamy mountain stream. Nevertheless, there were still various factors threatening the natural heritage. The specific factors having a negative impact on the sites have been analyzed in detail to plan for a proper management.
The LlFE project’s main aims were to control and drive tourist access and maintain traditional livestock grazing as to guarantee the conservation of threatened habitats. In fact, grazing with a low livestock density was beneficial for the conservation of biodiversity in these habitats, allowing the resident people to practice a sustainable use of the pastures.
The trails network in the park was to be improved with a particular attention to be paid to sites subject to erosion and located near vulnerable sites. Public access was to be channeled towards the trails, that were to be regulated and kept under surveillance by the park’s personnel.
Finally, specific information and awareness raising programmes targeted specially towards the users of the park were to be launched.
The results of the project were to be disseminated in the scientific circles.
RESULTS
The project has achieved its expected results. Tourist and livestock access to the mountain in the most sensitive and vulnerable sites have been regulated. This has resulted in a reduction of the erosion and of disturbance to habitats and species of Community importance. These field actions have been supported by scientific research and by an awareness raising campaign.
As a preliminary phase, the beneficiary realized a number of scientific analyses regarding the vegetation of bogs and alpine water bodies, lichens and beetles to assess the degree of degradation,which was actually not as relevant as previously supposed. The results have confirmed the naturalistic value of the sites also through the identification of rare and previously unknown species in the area. Further botanical and zoological analyses were carried out in connection to the project with the parks' own funds. The impact of hikers and livestock, the main threats to the most sensitive habitats, has been significantly reduced. A total of more than 9500 m of paths has been restored in the most sensitive sites and a total of 112 drainage canals has been realized. All the works were carried out with environmentally friendly techniques. Maintenance of paths was carried out on 14.000 m. Finally an educational "lichens" trail has been realized. The optimisation of the trail network permitted to limit soil erosion, decrease the disturbance to the species of EU interest (Lagopus mutus helveticus, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and to limit the damages to the bogs and forests listed in the Habitats Directive. Mobile fences (electric-conductor strips) have been placed for a total of 1250 m in five sites. These fences allowed to reduce the pressure of livestock on pasture and bogs in selected sites. In mid October 2000, a severe flood affected the entire area and did not permit to finish the placement of the 10 panels and the maintenance of the trails. Moreover, the meteorological event damaged part of the trails realised with the project. The beneficiary committed himself to carry out maintenance of the trails, to place the panels and to restore the damaged trails with Park’s funds after the end of the project. Surveillance was carried out by the Park’s personnel (5 guards), during the period of the project and continued after its end. Awareness raising was realized through press releases, articles published on a number of local and national magazines, one programme broadcast on a national TV, public meetings with local people, tourists and local administrations. Three booklets of 16 pages (20.000 copies each) were produced, one for each one of the three pSCIs, and one leaflet was realized to introduce to the educational lichens trail (30.000 copies). Informative signs treating 10 themes linked to the project were placed in the sites. A poster was distributed in many local festivals. Finally, the beneficiary presented the results of the project in several international meetings and a number of scientific articles has been published. Local population fully supported the project also as a result of the intensive awareness raising activity and of the employment of local personnel, 11 persons out of 600 inhabitants. Sensibilization activities also contributed to correct the idea of incompability between tourism and pastoral activities in protected areas.
