LIFE Project Number LIFE11 NAT/IT/00210 (CUP n. I92D12000100006) One deer, two islands Conservation of Red Deer Cervus elaphus corsicanus in Sardinia and Corse THE SARDINIAN-CORSICAN RED DEER Cervus elaphus corsicanus The Sardinian-Corsican red deer belongs to the family Cervidae and to the genus Cervus, which includes numerous species observed in Europe, North America, in most part of the Asian continent and in some areas of North Africa. The origin of the Sardinian deer is most likely related to human action. The most reliable theories consider the Sardinian deer as a distinct subspecies (C. e. corsicanus). Besides, given the complete lack of fossil remains, they suppose that its presence on the island and in the neighbouring Corse may be the consequence of the introduction of individuals from the Middle East or North Africa, occurred in the last period of the Bronze Age (1200 - 700 BC.). Sardinia In the past the deer lived in all wooded areas of Sardinia. Its presence is attested since the Nuragic period by numerous bronzes statues depicting deer in various activities. Historical accounts show that between late 1700s and early 1800s, the species was still abundant on the island and was highly regarded as hunter prey and for its economic value. In fact there’s evidence of the trade of living deer, skins and antlers. In the following years, however, the condition of the Sardinian deer worsened dramatically, due to many factors acting together. In the last post-war period, in spite of the prohibition of hunting established in 1939, the range of the species was further reduced: apart from the mountains of Sulcis, Arburese and Sarrabus, there were only relic cores nuclei. The main causes that led to the depletion of the Sardinian deer and to the local extinction of the species in most part of Sardinia are the indiscriminate logging of forests, excessive hunting, fires and the increase of domestic animals breeding. This has led to the fragmentation of the suitable habitat and a remarkable reduction of the population size, two conditions particularly dangerous for the species conservation. 2 The loss of a suitable habitat has de facto isolated the different populations (with the interruption of exchanges of individuals between different nuclei), thus reducing the genetic variability of the populations and, consequently, their adaptation skills to the environmental variability. In addition, the low density of population exposed the isolated nuclei to the threat of extinction: a low number of individuals, in fact, makes them less resistant to random catastrophic events (fires, poaching, particularly dry summers, etc.). Decline in range of Cervus elaphus corsicanus from 1850 to 1970. The last natural populations of deer in Sardinia were all located in the province of Cagliari (Sarrabus, Sulcis, Arburese) and the nuclei within these ranges occupied a total area of about 300 square kilometres. Thanks to the awareness raising campaigns and to conservation actions, in recent years there has been an increase both in the number of individuals and in their distribution (due to reintroduction programs). Despite that, the residual poaching activities observed in these delicate habitats still require a surveillance of the territory. In 1988 the total population of deer was made up of about 850-870 individuals: it is currently estimated at about 7,000 deer. 3 Numbers of deer in Sardinia 2013 1. Sulcis 2075 heads (15,046 ha) 2. Sarrabus 1175 heads (5,471 ha) 3. Montimannu 275 heads (1,490 ha) 4. Villasalto 240 heads (1,245 ha) 5. Arburese 1500 heads (12,977 ha) 6. Laconi 40 heads (1,598 ha) 7. Usellus 60 heads (1,472 ha) 8. Pabarile 60 heads 9. Perdasdefogu not available 10. Montarbu 80 heads (2,700 ha) 11. Urzulei 25 heads 12. M. Lerno 415 heads (3,000 ha) 13. M. Olia 205 heads (4,157 ha) Deer ranges Corse Until the thirties of last century, the main cause of local extinctions of deer was the indiscriminate hunting. Later, human activities such as the cutting of forest and the heavy hunting after the Second World War have reduced dramatically the size of the remaining nuclei. Despite the deer hunting was definitively prohibited in 1948, the poaching continued until the complete extinction of the species in the island in 1970. Immediately after the extinction, a series of projects were planned in order to reintroduce deer, bringing founder individuals from Sardinia. The first bilateral project started in 1975 and was aimed at creating natural populations in both islands to ensure the conservation of the taxon, also in conjunction with local disasters such as epidemics or fires. The project included also a program of captive breeding, with the creation of breeding fenced areas also in Corse. It began with a first fenced area in Quenza, on the side of Mount Incudine, which was followed by the construction of other fences in Casabianda, on the east coast, and in 1994 in Ania, in the mountain area of Fium'Orbu. The first four deer were transported from Sardinia in the fenced area of Quenza in 1985 and other four in 1987. Then other individuals were released in the fences of Casabianda and Ania. In the following years the increase of nuclei in the fenced areas experienced a variable trend, due in part to the different environmental characteristics of the areas. 4 Extinctions and reintroductions of the deer in Corse. a) extinction date in various areas; b) location of the three enclosure for captive breeding program; c) location of the three reintroduction sites (da Kidjo et al., 2007). Since 1998 reintroduction in nature was realized in three Corsican areas. At present the deer distribution on the Island involves 6 different populations. With the roar censuses, in 2012, it was possible to estimate a total amount of 835 deer, with population density ranging from 2.5 to 7.1 heads / km2. 5 Legal status of Cervus elaphus corsicanus Berne Convention It is included in Annex II of the Bern Convention, which identifies the "strictly protected species of fauna". Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC It is listed in Annexes II (Animal species of community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation) and IV (Animal and plant species of community interest in need of strict protection). French National Law – July 26. 2000, n. 698 - modified The red deer is an hunting species, however in Corse the hunting of the subspecies is prohibit. Italian National Law - February 11, 1992, n. 157 It is inlcuded in the list of specially protected species, art. 2, paragraph 1. Law of Region Sardinia - July 29, 1998, n. 23 It is included in Annex 1, which lists the mammal and bird species especially protected under Article 5, paragraph 3. PROJECT LIFE NATURE "ONE DEER, TWO ISLANDS" The deer conservation program in Sardinia and Corse is part of an organic action, aimed at the full recovery of this taxon, already started in the past with: the reintroduction initiatives realized by the Forest Authority of Sardinia; the establishment of wildlife areas reserved to the nuclei of reproduction; the reintroduction initiatives carried out since the 90s of last century in Sardinia and Corsica. The project involves the Forest Authority of Sardinia (Ente Foreste Sardegna), The Province of Medio Campidano, the Province of Ogliastra, the Regional Park of Corse and the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA). The LIFE project aims are: 1. establishing new wild populations of deer in Sardinia; 2. increasing the number of individuals in the populations inhabiting Ogliastra; 6 3. promoting the natural expansion of the deer populations that live close to the reintroduction areas in Sardinia; 4. increasing the genetic variability of deer populations inhabiting Corse; 5. creating a metapopulation, through ecological corridors identified by models of habitat suitability developed for the Sardinian-Corsican red deer, in order to allow the interconnection between all the populations present in nature; 6. involving all sectors of society implicated in the wildlife management (hunters, environmentalists, farmers) in order to create a shared positive attitude towards the activities of conservation and wildlife in general. Areas of intervention The conservation program will be implemented in 5 Sites of Community Importance (SCI) of Sardinia and in 3 of Corse. Monte Arcuentu e Rio Piscinas (ITB040031). The site covers a surface of 11,487 ha and is characterized by disused mining sites and a coastal area of great ecological relevance, due to the presence of one of the most important dune areas in Europe. The cliff vegetation includes many endemic species. The sandy and rocky coastal strip is covered with Mediterranean scrub, with a predominance of Juniperus oxycedrus and Pistacia lentiscus. The reliefs are covered with forests of holm oak (Quercus ilex) and cork oak (Quercus suber). In the SCI there are: 43 species of endemic plants, 14 species of reptiles (including Emys orbicularis, Eupletes European, Algyroides fitzingeri), amphibians of conservation interest such as Speleomantes genei and Discoglossus sardus and 63 species of birds, of which 16 are listed in Annex I of Directive 2009/147/EC. In the same area there is also a historical population of Sardinian-Corsican red deer, made up of about 2,000 individuals, which will be used as the main source of deer for reintroductions. In addition, in the same S.C.I. will be realized environmental management actions, focused particularly to the creation of ecological corridors for deer. Golfo di Orosei (ITB020014). With a surface of 28,941 ha located in the north-east coast of Sardinia, it consists of about 40 km of limestone cliffs, dotted with numerous coves known as "codule". The SCI is characterized by a predominance of woods of holm oak (Quercus ilex) and juniper (Juniperus spp.).