I T A L I A N E C O L O G I C A L N E T W O R K THE ROLE OF THE PROTECTED AREAS IN THE CONSERVATION OF VERTEBRATES Ministry of Environment Nature Conservation Directorate University of Rome “La Sapienza” Animal and Human Biology Department In collaboration with: IE A Institute o f A p p lie d Ecolo g y Via L. Spallanzani, 32 - 00161 Rome - Italy Tel./fax: +39 06 4403315 - e-mail: [email protected] ISBN 88- 87736- 03- 0 Luigi B oit a ni ● A less a n d r a F a lcucci ● Luigi M a io r a n o ● A less a n d ro M o nte m a g gio ri I T A L I A N E C O L O G I C A L N E T W O R K THE ROLE OF THE PROTECTED AREAS IN THE CONSERVATION OF VERTEBRATES Luigi Boitani Animal and Human Biology Department, University of Rome “La Sapienza” Alessandra Falcucci College of N atural Resources, Department of Fish and W ildlife Resources University of Idaho, Moscow (USA) Animal and Human Biology Department, University of Rome “La Sapienza” Luigi Maiorano College of N atural Resources, Department of Fish and W ildlife Resources University of Idaho, Moscow (USA) Animal and Human Biology Department, University of Rome “La Sapienza” Alessandro Montemaggiori Animal and Human Biology Department, University of Rome “La Sapienza” Institute of Applied Ecology, Rome September 2003 Recommended citation: Boitani L., A. Falcucci, L. Maiorano & A. Montemaggiori. 2003. N ational Ecological Network: the role of the protected areas in the conservation of vertebrates. Animal and Human Biology Department, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Nature Conservation Directorate of the Italian Ministry of Environment, Institute of Applied Ecology. All the data utilized in the study relating to the National Ecological Network for Vertebrates are currently available on- line at the following URL: http://www.gisbau.uniroma1.it/REN/index.htm. All photographs by Alessandro Montemaggiori ©. Graphic design: Raffaella Gemma Printed by: Tipografia Eurosia, Roma I T A L I A N E C O L O G I C A L N E T W O R K THE ROLE OF THE PROTECTED AREAS IN THE CONSERVATION OF VERTEBRATES C o nte nts 1 Intro d uctio n 5 1.1 Ecological networks and biodiversity 6 2 Th e Protecte d A r e a s in It a l y 8 2.1 Type and size of the Protected Areas in Italy 12 2.2 Physical and geographic characteriz ation 14 3 N a tu r e 2 0 0 0 N et w o r k in It a l y 18 4 Th e Ecolo gic a l N et w o r k : a p a r a d ig m o f co nce p tu a l r e f e r e nce 22 4.1 Methodological approaches 23 4.2 Animal Database 24 4.3 Environmental suitability models for the various species 25 4.4 Validation of suitability models 28 4.5 Ecological networks 29 4.6 Comparison between networks 30 5 Co n gru e ncy a n a lysis of Protecte d A re a s b a se d o n n u m b er of v erte b r a te sp ecies 31 5.1 All species of vertebrates 32 5.2 Mammals 37 5.3 Birds 42 5.4 Reptiles 47 5.5 Amphibians 52 5.6 Fish 57 5.7 Endangered species 62 6 C o n g r u e ncy a n a l y sis o f Protecte d A r e a s b a se d o n irr e p l a ce a b ilit y 67 6.1 All species of vertebrates 70 6.2 Mammals 75 6.3 Birds 78 6.4 Reptiles and Amphibians 80 6.5 Fish 82 7 C o nclusio ns 84 8 Bi b lio g r a p h y 87 Italian Regions and main mountain chains. 1 I n t r o d u c t i o n 1 Intro d uctio n In 1999, the Ministry of Environment ( N ature Conser- conservation (Figs. 1-3). N evertheless, because of vation Directorate) approved a document outlining the their size and the criteria by which they were chosen, design parameters for the N ational Ecological N et- Italy’s protected areas are not sufficient to satisfy the work (RE N – Rete Ecologica N a zionale) and defining requirements of biodiversity conservation. They can be the structure and principal objectives of the system na- important nodes in an ecological network, as long as tionwide. Basically, RE N is an integrated programme they are considered within the context of the territory that aims to rebalance socio-economic development as a whole and their role is verified within an environ- trends within a framework of sustainable growth and mental infrastructure (protected areas and corridors) optimal biodiversity conservation and, as such, it takes that is also calibrated to take account of the biological the form of a complex network of programmes relating and ecological requirements of the various species to widely varying sectors of the economy, culture, terri- and habitats. torial management and, of course, ecology and biodi- The present document sets out, in a concise and read- versity mana gement, particularly with reg ard to able form, the results of an analysis of the content of species and types of habitat. protected areas in Italy, particularly in terms of verte- The new course of conservation policy follows the brate species. The aim of the study is to verify whether main European Directives on nature conservation, de- veloping them into a more holistic concept of the land and its natural and human components. It is also inte- grated with the renewed efforts of the C ouncil of Eu- rope to promote a more comprehensive, less fragment- ed approach to territorial administration, recently lead- ing to the adoption of the European Landscape C on- vention. In short, this tendency aims to do more than just emphasize the conservation of individual species or protected areas: the focus has shifted onto a system- atic policy involving all environmental components, in close connection with European strategies. Pollino N ational Park (C alabria – Southern Italy) The said document and related ministerial directives must now find support among the various disciplines the system of protected areas corresponds to the pat- for the definition of methods, guidelines and planning tern of biodiversity for vertebrates and to determine characteristics, so as to create the basic structure of a what sort of action should be taken in order to render national network. In particular, it seems a good time to the system more efficient in conserving this important set up a mechanism for calibrating the national eco- component of biodiversity. The study was carried out, logical network, with the specific aim, among other in response to a request from the Ministry of Environ- things, of conserving Italian biodiversity. ment, N ature Conservation Directorate, by the Animal Altogether, the protected areas in Italy (with the excep- and Human Biology Department University of Rome tion of the Sites of European Community Importance- “La Sapienz a ”, and is based on data resulting from SCI - and Special Protection Areas- SPA -, which are the study completed in February 2 0 0 2 on the defini- still at the approval sta ge) cover almost 1 1% of the tion of the N ational Ecological N etwork for the conser- country; in view of their natural features, they can be vation of vertebrates. considered one of the most important components of a potential ecological network dedicated to biodiversity 5 1 . 1 E c o l o g i c a l n e t w o r k s a n d b i o d i v e r s i t y 1.1 Ecolo gic a l n et w o r k s a n d b io d iv e rsit y Ecological networks are a conceptual tool of the ut- In practice, this “web of networks” can only be trans- most importance for nature conservation and sus- formed into an effective tool for managing the territory ta ina ble land use. Their theoretic al found ation lies by aggregating several similar areas so as to achieve deep in conservation biology and is b ased on the a level of detail that can be handled by the tools nor- obvious premises that all species, both animal and mally used for land use projects. To this end, it is help- vegeta ble, are distributed over the land with an ir- ful to reach the level of landscape characteristics, iden- regular p attern and that this discontinuity is due tifying the most homogeneous landscape units. W hile chiefly to intrinsic natural factors, which may also be this operation undoubtedly offers practical advan- tages, however, it must not be seen as satisfying the re- quirements of all species: there is no guarantee that a network identified at a macroscopic level in this way will help to conserve a significant proportion of animal and vegetable species, nor is there any guarantee that it will help to conserve endangered types of habitat. An ecological network drawn up only on the basis of landscape characteristics may therefore be entirely ir- relevant with regard to the functional objectives set. An alternative method, aimed at ensuring that an eco- logical network represents a useful compromise be- Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) tween the requirements of the species and those of land use, might be a network calibrated according to a ggravated by historic al and human fa ctors.