Riccardo Santolini

Ecosystem services-based SWOT analysis of protected areas for conservation strategies

An ecosystem services-based SWOT analysis is proposed in order to identify and quantify internal and external factors supporting or threatening the conservation effectiveness of protected areas. The proposed approach concerns both the ecological and the social perspective. Strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats were evaluated based on 12 selected environmental and socio-economic indicators for all terrestrial Italian protected areas, belonging to the Natura 2000 network, and for their 5-km buffer area. The indicators, used as criteria within a multi-criteria assessment, include: core area, cost-distance between protected areas, changes in ecosystem services values, intensification of land use, and urbanization. The results were aggregated for three biogeographical regions, Alpine, Continental, and Mediterranean, indicating that Alpine sites have more opportunities and strengths than Continental and Mediterranean sites. The results call attention to where connectivity and land-use changes may have stronger influence on protected areas, in particular, whereas urbanization or intensification of agriculture may hamper conservation goals of protected areas. The proposed SWOT analysis provides helpful information for a multiple scale perspective and for identifying conservation priorities and for defining management strategies to assure biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provision.

Breeding habitat of red-backed shrike Lanius collurio on farmland hilly areas of Central Italy: is functional heterogeneity one important key?

This paper examines the relationships between breeding site selection of red-backed shrikes Lanius collurio and land-use features using GIS. We examine the habitat preference of this species in areas characterised by a temperate climate and by a prevailing agricultural cover. We focused on the occurrence of red-backed shrike in relation to fragmentation, patch diversity and a few habitat features of the farmlands, as a surrogate for functional heterogeneity. We also studied several parameters such as the number of closely located nests, minimum distance between the nests and elevation above sea level of the breeding sites. Our results confirm the importance of the marginal elements such as shrubs, hedgerows and scatter patches in farmlands, and could add an effective method for studying suitable habitats for L. collurio using few environmental parameters. Our results suggest that breeding sites of the species are located mainly in cultivated zones, characterised by the presence of dispersal shrub patches and high edge density values and in proximity to the roads. Our results confirm also that landscape heterogeneity is one of the key factors in the selection of breeding habitat for red-backed shrikes in farmland of Central Italy, and therefore should be subject to agricultural policies aimed at conservation and maintenance of these environmental features.

Heavy element accumulation in Evernia prunastri lichen transplants around a municipal solid waste landfill in central Italy

This paper presents the results of a biomonitoring study to evaluate the environmental impact of airborne emissions from a municipal solid waste landfill in central Italy. Concentrations of 11 heavy elements, as well as photosynthetic efficiency and cell membrane integrity were measured in Evernia prunastri lichens transplanted for 4months in 17 monitoring sites around the waste landfill. Heavy element contents were also determined in surface soils. Analytical data indicated that emissions from the landfill affected Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb and Zn concentrations in lichens transplanted within the landfill and along the fallout direction. In these sites moderate to severe accumulation of these heavy elements in lichens was coupled with an increase in cell membrane damage and decrease in photosynthetic efficiency. Nevertheless, results indicated that landfill emissions had no relevant impact on lichens, as heavy element accumulation and weak stress symptoms were detected only in lichen transplants from sites close to solid waste. The appropriate management of this landfill poses a low risk of environmental contamination by heavy elements.

Habitat structure, breeding stage and sex affect hunting success of breeding Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

Perch-sites are a necessary component for birds that employ a sit-and-wait foraging strategy, like Red-backed Shrikes (Lanius collurio). However, little is known about the influence of perch characteristics and its relation to the foraging substrate, elements that influence prey-capture success. This study was conducted in parallel in Italy and Poland and is based on > 5000 min of behavioural observations in the field. Our results show that perch type and foraging substrate characteristics affect the hunting behaviour of the Red-backed Shrike. The species utilises for its hunting activities mainly human-related structures. The foraging substrates most frequently used were ground (surface in cultivated, uncultivated, grassland and roads) and air; and secondarily the vegetation (mainly foliage of shrubs or trees). The average hunting success rate was 60%, but there were differences between Italy and Poland. Hunting success was highest for a combination of perch types (shrubs and foraging substrate on ground), and also from power lines in order to capture prey on roads. Although roads were less frequently used than other foraging substrates, they offered the highest hunting success. We found no effects of sex, period of day or weather conditions on hunting success. However, success rate increased during the last stages of the breeding season, i.e. during hatching and feeding of nestlings. The wide variety of preys and foraging substrates recorded in this study are typical for an opportunistic bird species. Open, warm spaces appear to constitute prime foraging habitat for the species, and some human-related structures as barbed wires, power lines and marginal hedges offer preferred support as perch-sites. Then, the presence and combination of some of these structures can help to improve the success rate of hunting attempts of Red-backed Shrikes. Our results can constitute a useful tool for ecological planning and enhance the conservation of this typical species of agricultural landscapes.

Land cover changes and impact on ecosystems services. The case study of Rimini (Italy)

Vengono presentati i risultati di un’analisi diacronica di paesaggio effettuata mediante il confronto fra carte di uso del suolo. L’area di studio e il comune di Rimini e il periodo di indagine (1955- 2003) e significativo dei principali cambiamenti avvenuti nei paesaggi del Mediterraneo negli ultimi 60 anni. Scopo dell’indagine e valutare intensita, pattern e gradiente di tali cambiamenti nonche valutare la perdita di servizi ecosistemici. Nel caso in esame, solo il 29% del paesaggio ha conservato i suoi caratteri iniziali e le trasformazioni sono state particolarmente intense nel periodo 1955-1976. L’analisi diacronica, unitamente alla valutazione dei servizi ecosistemici, puo fornire dati utili per una futura pianificazione sostenibile del territorio in esame

Assessing the quality of riparian areas: the case of River Ecosystem Quality Index applied to the Marecchia river (Italy)

ABSTRACT Riparian areas support a set of river functions and of ecosystem services (ESs). Their role is essential in reducing negative human impacts on river functionality. These aspects could be contained in the River Basin Management Plan, which is the tool for managing and planning freshwater ecosystems in a river basin. In this paper, a new index was developed, namely the River Ecosystem Quality Index (REQI). It is composed of five ecological indices, which assess the quality of riparian areas, and it was first applied to the Marecchia river (central Italy). The REQI was also compared with the Italian River Functionality Index (IFF) and the ESs measured as the capacity of land cover in providing human benefits. Data have shown a decrease in the quality of riparian areas, from the upper to lower part of river, with 53% of all subareas showing medium-quality values. This explains the vulnerability of these areas when exposed to any action taken in the management of natural resources. The REQI is closely related (R2 = 0.71) to ESs. A lower regression was shown in the case of riverine quality, measured by the IFF. The opportunity to add such an assessment to the traditional indices used to assess river quality in the management of aquatic–terrestrial transitional zones was finally discussed.

Habitat Preferences and Spatial Overlap Between Three Species of Bunting (Emberiza hortulana, emberiza cirlus, miliaria calandra) in Farmlands of Central Italy

ABSTRACT: Buntings species are mainly associated to agricultural landscapes and constitute a high conservation concern because farmlands are ecosystems subject to rapid changes and may cause the loss of animal species in just a few years. We studied the occurrence of Ortolan Bunting, Cirl Bunting and Corn Bunting (Emberiza hortulana, Emberiza cirlus, Miliaria calandra) on farmlands of Central Italy, considering the landuse composition, crop typologies and several structural parameters of environment occupied by these species, as presence of power lines, road type and Shannon biodiversity index of landscape. Furthermore the geographical overlap among the three bunting species was studied, in order to find witch species show an habitat overlap. The study was carried out in central-eastern Italy, between the end of April and mid-July 2010, through 159 sampled sites, uniformly distributed on in the study area. Cirl Bunting is the most widespread species of Bunting in the farmlands that were studied. Ortolan Bunting and Corn Bunting are the two species with greater spatial habitat overlap, even though land-use composition in their territories was different. However, Ortolan Bunting can be found at a lower altitude range than Corn Bunting (less 550 m a.s.l.) and it is associated to territories with minor landscape heterogeneity. Preferences by crop types seem to be a possible cause of the spatial habitat overlap between Ortolan and Corn Bunting (both species had selected sugar beet, and coriander, avoiding mainly vegetables, vineyards and orchards). On the other hand, Cirl Bunting was less related to crop types.

Pianificare territori sostenibili e resilienti: la prospettiva dei servizi ecosistemici

Through the delivery of eco systemic services (ES), the ecosystems of an area provide irreplaceable support to the quality of life of its inhabitants and the basic factors for lasting economic development. These services constitute the natural capital of a geographical area and also a sort of insurance policy against extreme events. The fi rst results of an original and fast method are presented here. It was found that each year Italian eco systems deliver goods and benefi ts equivalent (if their absence is hypothesised) to euro 71.3 billion. The trends for these values are more important: in just ten years some provinces seem to have lost more than 3% of their total value and up to 18% in the case of specifi c Ess. The prospects for Ess integrated in geographical assessment and planning could be supported by development strategies that are more aware of ecological processes and that are more farsighted.

Spatial Methods to Measure Natura 2000 Sites Insularization in Italy

It is interesting to notice how Nature 2000 is described as an instrument of “widespread ecological network throughout the EU territories”, insisting in a definitional imprecision that has been dragging on for more than twenty years, and that was often, also authoritatively, criticized by many. Undoubtedly, many of these elements constitute the focal point of local ecological networks for species conservation importance, but their functionality depends on equally undoubtedly by the presence of ecologically permeable matrices that enable the biotic flows dynamics. The Italian Regions are the subjects of this study, as an expression of homogeneous forms of territorial government and as a reference on the administrative level for the implementation of Community policies for Nature 2000 network. The method followed in the work refers to an evaluate spatial fragmentation conditions methodology and the SCIs are the evaluated patches, which have a high dispersion on the national territory. This research has been conducted to show how the central issue of habitat and species conservation is still currently the fragmentation provoked by mobility infrastructures and urban growth.

Ecological Functions, Biodiversity and Landscape Conservation

The Italian strategy for biodiversity underlines the necessity to integrate nature conservation policies with the active participation of stakeholders and of the government at any level. Moreover, there is a need to combine ecology and economy in a framework where natural conservation is an added value of social and economic development. Policies based on ecosystem services (ESs) and sustainable activities are able to reduce the marginalization of the local productions and to improve new economies fitted on the local resources. In this framework, the park’s role is not only linked to the natural conservation aims but it is becoming critical for an innovative development, based on the huge nature role for the overall collective wealth. The Natural Capital value includes all benefits provided by nature to ecosystems and human habitats. It is a new concept that has to be considered developing green economy. Biodiversity and ecosystem status are critical to underpin the landscape resilience and to adapt the territorial systems to climate change. It is urgent to develop a policy framework that recognizes the interdependence of climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem service and that implements concrete actions at any levels: global, national, and regional, based on the quality improvement of ecosystems and the ESs. Suitable indicators assessing the ecological quality of a landscape and the policy effectiveness should support the policy framework provided in order to restore ecological function to the overall system.