Republic of Italy Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea Convention on Biological Diversity Fourth National Report 31/03/2009 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER I - Overview of status, trends and threats to biodiversity ................................................. 8 I.A THE COUNTRY ...................................................................................................................... 8 I.A.1 Geography and Geo-morphology................................................................................. 8 I.A.2 Climate overview ......................................................................................................... 9 I.A.3 Pedology..................................................................................................................... 10 I.A.4 Land cover and use .................................................................................................... 10 I.B BIODIVERSITY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... 14 I.B.1 Landscape and habitat ................................................................................................ 14 I.B.2 Marine environment ................................................................................................... 17 I.B 3 Terrestrial species: fauna and flora ............................................................................ 18 I.B 4 Marine species: Fauna and Flora ............................................................................... 28 I.B 5 Genetic Diversity ....................................................................................................... 30 I.C TRENDS UNDERWAY AND THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY ......................................................... 34 I.C.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 34 I.C.2 Main factors of threat: terrestrial habitats and species ............................................... 35 I.C.3 Main threat factors: marine habitats and species ....................................................... 47 Chapter II – Current status of national strategy and plans of action for biodiversity (NBSAP) ....... 49 Social and Administrative Framework ...................................................................................... 49 From the European Action Plan to National Biodiversity Strategy ........................................... 50 Strategic Area A –Biodiversity in Italy .......................................................................................... 51 II.A.1Strategic Objective 1: To safeguard the EU’s most important habitats and species ........ 51 II.A.2 Strategic Objective 2: To conserve and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services in the wider EU countryside ........................................................................................................... 60 II.A.3 Strategic Objective 3: To conserve and restore biodiversity and eocsystem services in the wider EU marine environment ......................................................................................... 64 II.A.4 Strategic Objective 4: To reinforce compatibility of regiona and land development with biodiversity in the EU ........................................................................................................ 69 II.A.5 Strategic Objective 5: To substantially reduce the impact on EU biodiversity of invasive alien species (IAS) and alien genotypes .................................................................................... 74 Strategic Area B –Italy and global biodiversity ............................................................................. 77 II.B.6 Strategic Objective 6:To substantiall strengthen effectiveness of international governance for biodiversity and ecosystem services ................................................................. 77 II.B.7 Strategic Objective 7: To substantially strengthen support for biodiversity and ecosystem services in EU external assistance ............................................................................ 77 II.B.8 Strategic Objective 8: To substantially reduce the impact international trade on global biodiversity and ecosystem services .......................................................................................... 78 Strategic Area C – Biodiversity and climate change ..................................................................... 80 II.C.9 Strategic Objective 9: To support biodiversity adaptation to climate change ................. 80 Strategic Area D – The biodiversity knowledge base in Italy ....................................................... 81 II.D.10 Strategic Objective 10: To substantially strengthen the knowledge base for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, in the EU and globally ................................. 81 Chapter III – Sector-based and intersector-based plans affecting biodiversity ................................. 83 III.A Safeguarding biodiversity in the plans and programmes of various sectors ...................... 83 III.A.1 rural development and Agriculture ............................................................................ 83 III.A.2 Forests ........................................................................................................................ 87 III.A.3 Fishing ........................................................................................................................ 89 III.A.4 Quarries and Mines .................................................................................................... 91 III.A.5 Tourism ...................................................................................................................... 92 III.A.6 Human Health Policies related to biodiversity .......................................................... 93 III.A.7. FOOD SECURITY .................................................................................................... 94 III.B International Biodiversity Agreements at the global, regional and European level .......... 95 III.B.1 Global biodiversity tools ............................................................................................ 95 III.B.2 Regional transnational biodiversity tools ................................................................... 96 III.B.3 European and Pan-European tools ............................................................................. 96 III.C Other conventions affecting biodiversity ........................................................................... 99 III.C.1 The other Rio Conventions ........................................................................................ 99 III.C.2 Other global and regional transnational tools that affect biodiversity ..................... 100 III.D Biodiversity in other national and sub-national strategies and programmes ................... 102 III.D.1 National Sustainable Development Plans and Activities. ........................................ 102 III.D.2 Local Action for Environmental Sustainable development ..................................... 102 Chapter IV – Conclusions: Progress towards the 2010 Target and Implementation of the Strategic Plan................................................................................................................................................... 103 IV.A. Progress Towards the 2010 Target............................................................................... 103 IV.B. Progress Towards the Goals and Objectives of the Strategic Plan of the Convention 104 IV.C. Conclusions .................................................................................................................. 104 Bibliography..................................................................................................................................... 107 Sitography ........................................................................................................................................ 111 Abbreviations and acronyms ............................................................................................................ 114 Appendix I– Information regarding reporting party producer and national report preparation ....... 115 A. Reporting Party ................................................................................................................... 115 B. Process of preparation of national report ............................................................................ 116 Appendix II – Additional sources of information ............................................................................ 117 Appendix III – Progress towards targets in the global plant conservation strategy and work programme for protected areas ........................................................................................................ 118 Progress towards Targets in the Global Plant Conservation Strategy ......................................... 118 Progress towards Targets of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas ................................. 126 Appendix IV – National indicators used in this report .................................................................... 134 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Italy is extremely rich in biodiversity and, within the European Union, it has the highest number and density of both animal