Search results for "Protected area"
showing 10 items of 180 documents
The effects of recreational Paracentrotus lividus fishing on distribution patterns of sea urchins at Ustica Island MPA (Western Mediterranean, Italy)
2006
This study evaluated the effects of recreational Paracentrotus lividus fishing on average density and size of this edible sea urchin, and its indirect effects on Arbacia lixula on barren substrates of Ustica Island MPA (SW Italy, Mediterranean Sea). Size, single and pooled species densities, density of large individuals (>40 mm long) and small individuals (<20 mm long) of the two species were estimated by scuba diving in autumn 2003, spring and summer 2004 at two sites impacted by P. lividus fishing (Punta Cavazzi and Pagliaro, take zone C) and one control (Cala Sidoti, no take zone). Two samplings were performed in each season. We found that reduced densities of P. lividus and A. lixula oc…
ForBioEnergy - Forest Bioenergy in the Protected Mediterranean Areas
2019
The ForBioEnergy project, funded within the INTERREG MED Programme 2014-2020, involved a Lead Partner (Regional Department for the Rural and Territorial Development, Sicily Region), 8 project partners from 4 Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Slovenia and Croatia) and 4 Associate Partners from Italy (Ente Parco delle Madonie, AIEL, Enviland, Petralia Sottana) and Croatia. It is an innovative project which bets on the chance to favor the sustainable development of the rural areas through the exploitation of the forest biomass for the production of bioenergy. However, most of the Mediterranean forests are within protected areas, where the current regulatory restrictions and the lack of ma…
Combining ecological engineering and plant conservation on a Mediterranean islet
2012
This paper reports the results of a bioengineering intervention within the Mediterranean Basin carried out at Lampedusa Island (Strait of Sicily) on the “Spiaggia dei Conigli”, the only sand shore of all Sicilian territory where the sea turtle Caretta caretta lays its eggs every year. The erosion of the steep slope over the beach itself caused sensitive changes in the grain size of shore’s sediment and reduced the area of the beach with fine sand suitable for C. caretta oviposition. In order to reduce surface water flow and to stop erosion, several bioengineering options were adopted using only native plant species to preserve local botanical heritage and to prevent the local extinction of …
Fitting the Stocking Rate with Pastoral Resources to Manage and Preserve Mediterranean Forestlands: A Case Study
2015
Pasture practices have affected Mediterranean forest ecosystems for millennia, and they are still quite widespread in mountainous areas. Nevertheless, in the last decades, the stability of forest ecosystems has been jeopardized due to the abandonment of traditional agro-pastoral practices, so that the gradual reduction of open areas due to progressive succession processes has caused a high increase of grazing pressure by livestock and wild ungulates feeding on forest areas. This paper aims at showing a methodological approach for evaluating the effect of applying measures in order to improve the grazing value of grasslands and ecotonal patches and lower the grazing impact on native woodland…
ForBioEnergy - Forest Bioenergy in the Protected Mediterranean Areas
2018
ForBioEnergy project, funded in 2016 within the INTERREG MED Programme 2014 – 2020, involves a Lead Partner (Regional Department for the Rural and Territorial Development, Sicily Region), 8 project partners from 4 Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Slovenia and Croatia) and 4 Associate Partners from Italy (Ente Parco delle Madonie, AIEL) and Croatia. The other Italian partners are Enviland s.r.l. and the municipality of Petralia Sottana. ForBioEnergy is an innovative project which bets on the chance to favour the sustainable development of the rural areas through the exploitation of the forest biomass for the production of bioenergy. In Mediterranean contexts, however, most of the fores…
From the sustainable forest management to the short wood-energy supply chain: the experience of the ForBioEnergy project in the Madonie Natural Park
2019
The ForBioEnergy Project (Interreg MED Programme), implemented as part of a partnership between four countries of the MED Area (Italy, Spain, Croatia and Slovenia), assessed the possibility of producing bioenergy using biomass from the sustainable forest management in the protected areas of the Mediterranean. In Italy, the pilot protected area was the Madonie Natural Regional Park (Sicily). After the establishment of the protected area (in 1989), both for socio-economic reasons and for the regime of the constraints introduced, the silvicultural activities were almost completely abandoned. On the one hand, this has made it possible to reduce the excessive exploitation of forest resources and…
Studies on the genus Capparis L. (Capparaceae) in Lao PDR. IV: A new species from the Khammouan Province
2020
A new species of Capparis, C. florida, is described and illustrated from the Hin Nam No National Protected Area, Khammouan Province in central Lao PDR. The new species, collected in forest habitats of the Khammouan karst, belongs to sect. Monostichocalyx. It is an erect shrub characterized by the widely ovate or elliptical leaf-blade, by the flowers serial in supra-axillary rows, and by the slender ovary with evident style. Its affinities with related taxa, such as the widespread C. micracantha, are discussed and its conservation status assessed.
ARE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAs) EFFECTIVE IN PROTECTING FROM INVASIVE SPECIES? THE CASE STUDY OF CAULERPA CYLINDRACEA SONDER (CAULERPALES, CHLOROPH…
2019
The main purpose of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is biodiversity conservation. The effects that invasive species have on MPAs, and vice versa, are still not completely known, even though their assessment is crucial for MPA management and conservation purposes. In this respect, monitoring plans are essential and the involvement of citizen scientists may be fundamental. Our experience of Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder 1845 monitoring within the Egadi Islands MPA highlighted that the alga is widespread within the MPA, mainly at Favignana Island, also threatening valuable habitats such as vermetid reef and coralligenous formations. Moreover, Favignana is the island of the Aegadian archipelago mos…
Citizen science: a successful tool for monitoring biodiversity in Marine Protected Areas
2018
In the last few decades, anthopogenic activities, introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS, i.e. organisms introduced outside of their natural range), and climate changes, have significantly affected Mediterranean marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (Coll et al., 2010). All that is also true for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), whose major aim is biodiversity conservation. Therefore, monitoring and surveillance plans are strongly needed, and the creation of public awareness campaigns might be effective tool to plan effective management and conservation strategies in MPAs. Since intensive monitoring programs could be very expensive, citizen science, the involvement of citizens in …
Forest ecosystems in the Monti Sicani Park (Sicily)
2022
The authors analysed the forest ecosystems in the Monti Sicani Park (Sicily). In particular, the state of the natural and non-native forests in the Site of Community Interest (SCI ITA040005) - Monte Cammarata, Contrada Salaci, was evaluated in terms of distribution, evolution of forest dynamics and, silvicultural activities. The evolution of vegetation within two different forest plots are analysed and management strategies are proposed. The finding on Mount Cammarata of seedlings of Fagus sylvatica in the undergrowth of a conifer afforestation is noteworthy.