S Italy Is a Contracting Party to All of the International Conventions a Threat to Some Wetland Ibas (Figure 3)

Important Bird Areas in Europe – Italy ■ ITALY FABIO CASALE, UMBERTO GALLO-ORSI AND VINCENZO RIZZI Gargano National Park (IBA 129), a mountainous promontory along the Adriatic coast important for breeding raptors and some open- country species. (PHOTO: ALBERTO NARDI/NHPA) GENERAL INTRODUCTION abandonment in marginal areas in recent years (ISTAT 1991). In the lowlands, agriculture is very intensive and devoted mainly to Italy covers a land area of 301,302 km² (including the large islands arable monoculture (maize, wheat and rice being the three major of Sicily and Sardinia), and in 1991 had a population of 56.7 million, crops), while in the hills and mountains traditional, and less resulting in an average density of c.188 persons per km² (ISTAT intensive agriculture is still practised although land abandonment 1991). Plains cover 23% of the country and are mainly concentrated is spreading. in the north (Po valley), along the coasts, and in the Puglia region, A total of 192 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are listed in the while mountains and hilly areas cover 35% and 41% of the land present inventory (Table 1, Map 1), covering a total area of respectively. 46,270 km², equivalent to c.15% of the national land area. This The climate varies considerably with latitude. In the south it is compares with 140 IBAs identified in Italy in the previous pan- warm temperate, with almost no rain in summer, but the north is European IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989; LIPU 1992), cool temperate, often experiencing snow and freezing temperatures covering some 35,100 km². Some of these original IBAs have been in winter, with rainfall more evenly distributed through the year. grouped for the current inventory: former site IT081 has been The 5,000-km-long coastline comprises a mixture of sandy beaches merged with IT082 to form current site 119; former sites IT086 and with sand-dunes, brackish lagoons, and marshes, and sections of IT087 now form site 133; IT089 and IT100 are now site 141; and cliffs and offshore rocky islands and islets. The three main estuaries IT104 and IT106 are now site 149. Of the 17 subsites listed in 1989 are those of the Po, the Tiber and the Arno rivers. for the IBA ‘River Po from Dora Baltea mouth to Scrivia mouth’ Out of 262,028 km² of agricultural land, 90,123 km² are arable (former site IT005), four have been excluded from the current and 48,776 km² are permanent pasture. The average agricultural inventory (they do not meet the revised IBA criteria) while the holding covers 7.5 ha, and the number and average area of holdings remaining 13 have been grouped into four discrete IBAs (‘new’ have decreased by 7.5% and 5% respectively following land sites 017, 020, 025 and 027). The name or boundaries of some Table 1. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Italy. 192 IBAs covering 46,270 km2 IBA 1989 code code International name National name Administrative region Area (ha) Criteria (see p. 11) 001 — Mont Blanc (Italian side) Monte Bianco (lato italiano) Valle d’Aosta 11,300 A3, C6 002 — Monte Rosa (Valle d’Aosta side) Monte Rosa (versante valdostano) Valle d’Aosta 8,200 C6 003 IT002 Anzasca and Antrona valleys Valle Anzasca e Val Antrona Piemonte 42,600 A3, C6 004 IT001 Antigorio and Formazza valleys Val Antigorio e Val Formazza Piemonte 50,000 A3, B2, C6 005 IT003 Val Grande Val Grande Piemonte 29,000 C7 006 IT014 Mount Tabor Monte Tabor Lombardia 28,000 C7 007 IT012 Pian di Spagna and Lake Mezzola Pian di Spagna e Lago di Mezzola Lombardia 3,400 C7 008 IT004 Gran Paradiso Gran Paradiso Piemonte, Valle d’Aosta 110,000 A3, B2, C6 357 Important Bird Areas in Europe – Italy Table 1 ... continued. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Italy. 192 IBAs covering 46,270 km2 IBA 1989 code code International name National name Administrative region Area (ha) Criteria (see p. 11) 009 — Lake Maggiore Lago Maggiore Piemonte, Lombardia 21,600 C6 010 IT017 Campo dei Fiori, Valganna and Cuvia valley Campo dei Fiori, Valganna e Val Cuvia Lombardia 24,500 C7 011 IT016 Grigne Grigne Lombardia 14,038 B2, C6 012 IT013 Orobie Orobie Lombardia 107,000 A3, B2, C6 013 IT015 Camonica valley Val Camonica Lombardia 15,000 B2, C6 014 IT018 Brabbia peatland and Lake Varese Palude Brabbia e Lago di Varese Lombardia 1,960 A1, B2, B3, C1, C6 015 — Lake Garda Lago di Garda Lombardia, 38,000 A4i, B1i, C3 Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto 016 — Lake Viverone Lago di Viverone Piemonte 930 B3 017 IT005 Novara heronries Garzaie del Novarese Piemonte 50 A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 018 — Ticino river Fiume Ticino Piemonte, Lombardia 25,000 A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C3, C6 019 IT020 Iseo peatlands Torbiere d’Iseo Lombardia 325 B3, C6 020 IT005 River Sesia heronries Garzaie del Sesia Piemonte 500 A1, A4i, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C6 021 IT006 Lake Candia Lago di Candia Piemonte 295 B3 022 IT023 Heronries of Pavia province Garzaie del Pavese Lombardia 1,173 A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, C2, C4, C6 023 IT022 Adda Sud Park heronries Garzaie del Parco Adda Sud Lombardia 1,000 A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 024 IT007 Susa and Chisone valleys Valle di Susa e Val Chisone Piemonte 60,946 A3, B2, C6 025 IT005 Vercelli rice-fields Risaie del Vercellese Piemonte 15,000 A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 026 — Trebbia river (lower course) Fiume Trebbia (basso corso) Emilia Romagna 30 C6 027 IT005 River Po: from Dora Baltea mouth Fiume Po: da Dora Baltea a Scrivia Piemonte 14,000 B2, B3, C2, C6 to Scrivia mouth 028 IT024 River Po: from Ticino mouth to Adda mouth Fiume Po: da Ticino a Adda Lombardia, Emilia Romagna 25,000 A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 029 — Marengo heronry Garzaia di Marengo Piemonte 30 A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 030 — Stirone stream Torrente Stirone Emilia Romagna 2,400 B2 031 IT042 Taro river Fiume Taro Emilia Romagna 6,000 B2, C2, C6 032 IT043 Torrile LIPU reserve Oasi LIPU Torrile Emilia Romagna 200 C6 033 — Scrivia stream Torrente Scrivia Piemonte 3,000 B2, C6 034 IT008 Crava–Morozzo lakes Laghetti di Crava-Morozzo Piemonte 300 C7 035 IT010 Maritime Alps Alpi Marittime Piemonte 95,400 A3, B1iv, B2, C5, C6 036 IT009 Mount Beigua Monte Beigua Liguria 10,000 B1iv, C5, C6 037 — Finalese Finalese Liguria 3,750 C6 038 IT011 Ligurian Alps Alpi Liguri Liguria 15,000 B2, C6 039 — Alpi Apuane Alpi Apuane Toscana 16,800 B2, C6 040 IT049 Apennines from Passo del Cerreto to Appennino dal Passo del Cerreto a Toscana, Emilia Romagna 45,000 B2, B3, C6 Monte Caligi Monte Caligi 041 IT027 Stelvio National Park Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio Lombardia, 134,621 A3, B2, C6 Trentino-Alto Adige 042 — Dolomites Dolomiti Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto 48,507 A3, C6 043 IT036 Carniche Alps Alpi Carniche Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 30,000 B2, C6 044 IT037 Tarvisio forest Foresta di Tarvisio Friuli-Venezia Giulia 23,300 B2, B3, C6 045 IT028 Adamello–Brenta Adamello–Brenta Lombardia, Trentino-Alto Adige 112,800 A3, B2, C6 046 IT029 Lagorai mountains Catena dei Lagorai Trentino-Alto Adige 40,000 B2, C6 047 IT038 Carniche pre-Alps Prealpi Carniche Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 63,000 A1, B2, C1, C6 048 — Middle course of Tagliamento river Medio corso del Tagliamento Friuli-Venezia Giulia 3,579 C6 049 — Cividalese and upper Torre valley Cividalese e Alta Val Torre Friuli-Venezia Giulia 28,400 A1, B3, C1, C2, C6 050 IT031 Belluno Dolomites Dolomiti Bellunesi Veneto 31,512 A1, B2, C1, C6 051 IT032 Lago di Busche and Vincheto di Cellarda Lago di Busche e Vincheto di Cellarda Veneto 125 C7 052 — Giulie pre-Alps Prealpi Giulie Friuli-Venezia Giulia 39,400 C6 053 — Magredi of Pordenone Magredi di Pordenone Friuli-Venezia Giulia 6,814 B2, C6 054 — Mount Grappa Monte Grappa Veneto 40,000 A1, B1iv, B2, C1, C5, C6 055 — Piave river Medio corso del Fiume Piave Veneto 10,000 B1iv, B2, C5, C6 056 — Assa valley Val d’Assa Veneto 2,000 A1, C1, C6 057 IT030 Lessini mountains Monti Lessini Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto 39,000 C6 058 IT019 Alto Garda Bresciano Alto Garda Bresciano Lombardia 38,269 C6 059 — Middle course of River Brenta Medio corso del Fiume Brenta Veneto 1,100 B2, C6 060 — Quinto heronry Garzaia di Quinto Veneto 50 B2, C2, C6 061 IT033 Caorle lagoon Laguna di Caorle Veneto 2,200 A4i, B1i, B2, B3, C2, C6 062 IT039 Grado and Marano lagoon Laguna di Grado e Marano Friuli-Venezia Giulia 21,000 A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, C2, C3, C4, C6 063 IT040 Isonzo mouth, Cona island and Foci dell’Isonzo, Isola della Cona e Friuli-Venezia Giulia 5,000 B1i, B2, C2, C3, C6 Panzano Gulf Golfo di Panzano 064 IT034 Venice lagoon Laguna di Venezia Veneto 50,000 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3, C4, C6 065 IT021 River Mincio and Bosco Fontana Fiume Mincio e Bosco Fontana Lombardia 8,000 A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C3, C6 066 IT041 Carso Carso Friuli-Venezia Giulia 18,950 B2, C6 067 IT026 Boscone island Isola Boscone Lombardia 200 A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 358 Important Bird Areas in Europe – Italy Table 1... continued. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Italy. 192 IBAs covering 46,270 km2 IBA 1989 code code International name National name Administrative region Area (ha) Criteria (see p. 11) 068 IT025 River Po: from the mouth of Adda river Fiume Po: da Adda a Ostiglia Lombardia, Veneto, 30,000 A4i, B1i, B2, B3, C2, C6 to Ostiglia Emilia Romagna 069 — Codigoro heronry Garzaia di Codigoro Emilia Romagna 60 A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 070 IT035 Po delta Delta del Po Veneto 17,000 A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, C2, C3, C4, C6 071 — Valle Bertuzzi and Goro lagoon Valle Bertuzzi e Sacca di Goro Emilia Romagna 4,000 B1i, B2, B3, C2, C3, C6 072 IT044 Valli di Comacchio and Bonifica Valli di Comacchio e Bonifica del Emilia Romagna 28,570 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C3, del Mezzano Mezzano C4, C6 073 IT045 Valli di Argenta Valli

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