• D.1: Wildlife Monitoring

    ACTION D.1: Wildlife Monitoring

    The monitoring of the conservation status of the wildlife populations of the two project areas is strictly necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the restoration actions of the targeted habitat (91E0*, 3170*, 5230* and 91M0). The maintenance of the demographic trend of populations is considered as an indicator of success. The action is also deemed necessary to keep improving the knowledge of the distribution and composition of the habitats as well as to permit making corrections and adjustments on the planned conservation actions.

    The target species of community interest (Habitat Directive 92/43/CEE, Ann. II and IV) are the following: Emys orbicularis (habitat 3170* and 91MO), Testudo hermanni and Callimorpha quadripunctuaria* (habitat 91E0*, 5230* and 91M0), Phasianus c. colchicus (habitat 3170* and 91E0*). The latter lives exclusively in the Nestos area. Other important species are Carabus alysidotus (Coleoptera, Carabidae), Triturus vulgaris, Hyla italica (Amphibia), Elaphe quatuorlineata, E. longissima (Reptilia), Hystrix cristata, Muscardinus avellanarius, Meles meles (Mammalia). Presence/absence is also recorded for bird species either nesting and wintering in the target habitats. The sensitivity to the environmental changes as well as the patterns of feeding, distribution and habitat usage, make all these species suitable bio-indicators for the evaluation of the habitats and ecosystems conservation status.

    The area subjected to the monitoring comprehends the whole site of Community Interest of Palo Laziale Wood and Nestos Delta but, eventually, it might be enlarged to the surrounding areas in consideration of the vagility of the targeted animal species.

    The monitoring is performed according to a Monitoring Protocol which sets both qualitative (direct/indirect opportunistic observations) and semi-quantitative methods (e.g. pitfall traps for soil macro-invertebrates, linear transects for terrestrial vertebrates, singing surveys through linear transects and from listening spots for birds, surveys though map sampling for all). The surveys are performed by a team of experienced naturalists/biologists which will provide detailed reports at the end of each field campaign.

    In particular, the populations of Emys orbicularis is surveyed through a non-invasive method (i.e. floating traps) that exploit the basking attitude of the turtles (sun exposition of the animal for raising the body temperature). Testudo hermanni is instead sampled through CMR methods (capture-mark-recapture) along fixed transects (50 m x 1 km). Callimorpha (Euplagia) quadripunctuaria* is sampled along transects of 5/10 m x 100 m in homogeneous vegetation plots. Where appropriate, it will be also considered a method based on the attraction to the artificial lights of the adult moths in nocturnal activity.

    At the end of each annual monitoring session will be drafted a report, the check-list of the surveyed species and the distribution maps.

    Beneficiary responsible for implementation:

    HSPN is responsible for the monitoring either in the Nestos Delta and Palo Laziale.

    HSPN employs:

    1 Senior Zoologist Expert, with at least ten years of experiences in the field of wildlife monitoring to supervise and validate the monitoring protocol, the field campaigns, the elaboration of the data collected, and the related monitoring reports.

    1 Zoologist Expert, with at least seven years of experiences in the field of wildlife monitoring, in particular of those listed in the Annexes of Directive Habitat and Birds and in-depth knowledge of the Nestos area. He/she will (i) elaborate the monitoring protocol for both the two project areas, (ii) carry on the data collection in the SCI of Nestos, and supervise the data collection in the SCI of Palo Laziale, (iii) elaborate the data collected in the two project areas, (iv) draft the final monitoring report.

    1 Zoologist Expert, with at least four years of experiences in the field of wildlife monitoring, in particular of those listed in the Annexes of Directive Habitat and Birds and in-depth knowledge of the Palo Laziale area. He/she will (i) support the elaboration of the monitoring protocol for both the two project areas, (ii) carry on the data collection in the SCI of Palo Laziale, (iii) support the elaboration of the data collected in the two project areas, (iv) support the drafting of the final monitoring report.

  • D.2: Monitoring of the ecosystem decline and of parasites and pathogens impact

    ACTION  D.2: Monitoring of the ecosystem decline and parasites and pathogens impact

    A permanent monitoring of pests and pathogens within the Palo Laziale's wood and Nestos Delta is necessary to monitor the effectiveness of the concrete conservation actions. These actions should improve the environmental status and encourage the ecological recovery of forest vegetation by reducing stress factors, such as the tree pathogens. The monitoring is also useful to verify, and eventually to re-adapt, the interventions in progress and planned.

    The monitoring starts from assessing the presence of opportunistic pathogens already detected in Palo Laziale, such as Biscogniauxia mediterranea. The pathogenicity of this fungus has increased over the past decades along with the environmental stress conditions of the wood of Palo Laziale, causing the death of most of the adult oak trees. Before the beginning of the Project, tree canopy was reduced by about 80% compared to the first appearance of the pathogen in 1995 (but the pathogen peak occurred after the summer of 2003 when about 40% of the trees were found died).

    The fungus is still present in the woodland but probably in dormant status as the death of the host halts its pathogenic phase. Forest stands composed of tree individuals in good vegetative condition, or new seedlings are immune to its attack. The recovery of the ecological conditions and the conservation status of the forest ecosystem as a whole, is therefore at the cornerstone, in particular supporting the growth of the existent seedlings (Action C2) and planting healthy vegetation (Action C1, C6).

    The presence and the status of opportunistic pathogens are monitored through field surveys. In particular, visual detection and assessment of symptoms in infected and non-infected individuals, together with sampling and laboratory analysis of biological and molecular samplings (see below), will be carried out over Palo Laziale's forest. Appropriate indicators of disease, such as incidence, severity, mortality and disease index, will be used to quantify the extent of any new infections and their effects on vegetation.

    The gathered data will be aggregated within a georeferenced database and used to run statistical and spatial comparisons (e.g. spatialisation using kriking methodologies). For example, the data are used to update the currently available information, such as the Incidence Index Distribution Map (see below). After the conservation action, it is expected that the distribution of the areas with an index equal or lower to 0.6 will be larger after the restoration activities.

    The monitoring will be carried out every year in spring and fall from 2020; annual reports and a final report will be drafted at the end of the Action.

    Beneficiary responsible for implementation:

    DEB is responsible for the monitoring action, also in Greece, even if in Nestos there is no evidence of infection to date.

    DEB employs:

    • an Associated Professor of the Department, expert in phytopathology, to supervise the preparation of the monitoring protocol, the laboratory activity, and the annual and final reports;
    • a Forestry Phytopathologist (external), experienced in phytopathological monitoring and the related laboratory activity, to implement and apply the monitoring protocol through relevant field surveys, laboratory analysis, and data processing, and to prepare the annual and the final reports;
    • a Laboratory Technician to support the laboratory analysis.
  • D.3: Monitoring of the temporary ponds’ plant species

    ACTION  D.3: Monitoring of the temporary ponds’ plant species

    This action is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the concrete actions implemented for the restoration of the Mediterranean temporary ponds (habitat 3170*). It aims at assessing the presence of plant species associated with the ponds according to the European, Greek and Italian Interpretation Manual of Natura 2000 Habitats. The conservation actions will be controlled and calibrated on the basis of the monitoring results, carried out annually.

    The presence and the cover percentage of the plant species and plant communities are recorded in the belt situated along the ponds' edge (2m inward from it and 3m outwards). The annual temperature trend is taken into consideration as the lowering of the water level in the temporary ponds due to water evaporation, allows the identification of most of the characteristic species of this habitat. These are mostly little therophytes and geophytes typically growing in shallow water bodies and with a late-winter/spring phenology. The most common are species belonging to the family Callitrichaceae (Callitriche truncata, very rare, C. stagnalis and C. hamulata) and Ranunculaceae (Ranunculus ophioglossifolius, R. aquatilis, R. peltatus and R. trichophyllus). Other typical species are Isoetes spp., Damasonium alisma and Alisma lanceolatum, featured by a fast growing and which grow on very wet soil or with a wet phase particularly long. At the same time, these are annual species that need also a dry phase in their life cycle. The oscillation between the dry (late spring/summer) and the wet phase (autumn/winter) assume therefore the most critical importance for the proper development of this vegetation.

    Isoetes app. from Palo Laziale (Italy).

    Mediterranean temporary pond in Nestos Delta (Greece).

    The surveys will be carried out during the spring/summer period of each year, starting after the restoration of the temporary ponds (Action C2), until the spring/summer of 2021. Two intermediate and one final report will be issued.

    Beneficiary responsible for implementation:

    DEB will implement the action in Italy and HSPN in Greece

    DEB employs:

    1 Researcher of the Department, who will be responsible for the scientific supervision of the monitoring activity and the report validation.

    1 Botanist Expert with experience in the monitoring of flora and vegetation in the context of Natura 2000 habitats, who will implement the monitoring protocol, the floristic inventories and the vegetation surveys, the data analysis and the production of intermediate and final reports.

    HSPN employs:

    1 Researcher, who will be responsible for the scientific supervision of the monitoring activity and the report validation.

    1 Botanist Expert with experience in the monitoring of flora and vegetation in the context of Natura 2000 habitats, who will implement the monitoring protocol, the floristic inventories and the vegetation surveys, the data analysis and the production of intermediate and final reports.

  • ACTION  D.4: Monitoring of the Structure and Dynamics of Wood Ecosystem

    The structure, the composition and the renovation of the Palo wood and Nestos Delta forests (regarding only priority habitats 3170* and 91E0*) will be surveyed to assess the characteristics and dynamism of the forest ecosystems after that the restoration actions have been implemented. The surveys will be carried out in the same stands and with the same methodology applied in Action A5 "Analysis of the structure and dynamism of the forest".

    The surveys will define the composition (percentage of the different tree and shrub species), densities (plants per hectare), coverage (basin area per hectare), average tree height. The diametric distribution curves will be computed through the Weibull function. The value of the renewal index (cm of regeneration per square meter) will also be derived to express the ongoing regeneration rate. The average regeneration height will also be calculated to obtain a qualitative parameter.

    All this source of information will be therefore used to conclude on the state of the forests and the dynamics and ecological processes, verifying the recovery and, in particular, the definitive persistence of forest regeneration as a result of the concrete restoration and conservation actions. This data will also be useful to identify those areas where the recovery was unsuccessful and that require reforestation (action C1).

    The data collected will also be used to support the preparation of the Sustainable Forest Management Strategic Plan provided by action C4.

    Beneficiary responsible for implementation:

    ARSIAL is responsible for Palo Laziale, IMFE for Nestos Delta.

    ARSIAL employs:

    • a Forestry Technician (internal) to supervise the monitoring action and the preparation of the final report;
    • a Forestry Technician (external), with in-depth knowledge and proved experience in the field of forest ecosystems monitoring and GIS, to perform field surveys, data processing and preparation of the relevant cartography and final report.

    IMFE employs:

    • a Forestry Technician (internal) to supervise the monitoring action and the preparation of the final report;
    • a Forestry Technician (external), with in-depth knowledge and proved experience in the field of forest ecosystems monitoring and GIS, to perform field surveys, data processing and preparation of the relevant cartography and final report.
  • D.5: Soil monitoring

    ACTION D.5: Soil monitoring

    The Action is required to evaluate the effectiveness of Action C3, which aims at favouring water supply over the woodland during the dry period and, in the case of soil, to promote salt leaching. The comparison of the ex-post soil values with the ex-ante ones (measured under Action A3) allows estimating whether the water supply had a positive impact in reducing salt accumulation in the soil. This is a crucial point for the habitat restoration as the absorption of salt by trees enhanced stress susceptibility of the forest in the past.

    The chemical-physical characteristics of the soil will be reassessed in both Project sites towards the end of the project (summer-autumn 2022). In the test areas defined in Action A3, soil pits will be carried out at 1 meter deep. The resulting samples will be analysed to evaluate soil sodicity and salinity following the same methodology set in action A3.

    Beneficiary responsible for implementation:

    The Action is coordinated by DEB in Palo Laziale, and IMFEin Nestos Delta.

    DEB employs:

    • a Researcher to supervise the activity carried out in the field (soil pits) and in the laboratory (sample analysis) according to the protocol developed under action A3, and the elaboration of the final Action report;
    • a graduate Technician (external) to implement the soil samplings, the laboratory analysis, and the final report.

    IMFE employs:

    • a Researcher to supervise the activity carried out in the field (soil pits) and in the laboratory (sample analysis) according to the protocol developed under action A3, and the elaboration of the final Action report;
    • a graduate Technician (external) to implement the soil samplings, the laboratory analysis, and the final report.
  • ACTION  D.6: Monitoring of the project Socio-Economic Impact

    This Action aims at assessing whether the Project has a positive influence on the socio-economic condition of the communities living in the surroundings of Palo Laziale and Nestos Delta, in particular regarding the people well-being, awareness towards environmental issues, and increase of personal incomes.

    The territory of the Municipality of Ladispoli includes around 40,000 residents in a very developed urban area with high population density and with few green spaces. The community, characterised by low wages and low level of employment, earns its sustenance mainly from tourist activities, even if seasonal (summer), and secondly from agriculture.

    The seat of the Municipality of Nestos is the town Chrysoupoli. The Municipality has an area of 678,831 km2, and its population is 22,331 (2011). It was named after the river Nestos. The community, characterised by low wages and low level of employment, bases its sustenance mainly on agricultural activities (beans, kiwi, asparagus, aquacultures, etc.), and secondly from tourism even if seasonally (summer). Keramoti is the main port to Thasos island.

    The monitoring verifies whether, through the restoration of the Palo Laziale forest and Nestos Delta habitats, the community receives specific advantages, starting from a general improvement of quality of life. In Italy, this is bonded to the presence of a sufficiently broad natural area in a good state of conservation. In Greece, this is connected to the proximity of such important National Park featured by numerous attractions for nature enthusiasts and general tourists. However, under the present state, especially in the Palo Laziale wood, many recreational activities are strongly limited due to the forest deterioration and shrub invasion that physically restrict access to the site. This Action serves to monitor changes in the number of visits to the sites after the action of bush trimming foreseen in Action C2.

    Awareness and eco-touristic promotion initiatives will be addressed both for adults (guided tours, Science Cafè, etc.), and school children (didactic laboratories, educational camps, Junior Cafè, EcoSchools network in Greece, etc.). In this way, the project aims at increasing the general appeal, and the extension of the touristic flows out of the regular season (summer) and typology. Balneary tourism is by far the main reason for incoming visitors to Palo Laziale, despite various other attractions, ranging from archaeological sites to natural parks and so on. The different touristic realities are disconnected from one another, and it’s easy to see the lack of focus on the Natura 2000 site. Furthermore, considering the touristic orientation of the Ladispoli Municipality, and more so of the Nestos Municipality, where during summer the total population almost doubles through the influx of tourists (with relative increase of the environmental impact, e.g. increase of waste produced and water consumption), the increased use of the Palo Laziale forest and the Nestos Delta as destinations for visitors could dilute the tourist flow, decreasing pressure elsewhere. The promotion of the two sites as suitable destinations for "eco-tourists" could extend the visiting period over the whole year, thus increasing income for the local communities.

    This Action will also evaluate the impact of LIFE PRIMED in terms of increased occupation, in particular by analysing the creation of work positions at local level as well as the creation of new specialised curricula in the touristic and education sectors.

    These objectives require a monitoring protocol to keep track of the changing attitude in the local communities. It will focus on the socio-economic effects of Project (extension of the tourist season and increase in touristic categories, engagement of local labour force, creation of new curricula, employing of environmental educators, etc.), but also aesthetic and recreational values (renovation of public areas, improvement of existing features, number of guided tours and environmental education activities, Citizen Science/Bioblitz, volunteering campaigns, etc.).

    The Protocol includes questionnaires that will be submitted to local stakeholders, and available for completion even into an appropriate section of the website (Action E1), and the results from the data processing. The Action will also provide useful information for calibrating or correcting the planned communication actions targeting the local population (Action E2). 

    Beneficiary responsible for implementation:

    HSPN manages the Action, but also DEB plays a crucial role. The Action is outsourced to an appointed expert of HSPN that is working in cooperation with an expert hired by DEB. Both have proven experience in the field of socio-economic investigations related, in particular, to the implementation of environmental projects. Together with the Protocol, the experts will produce an interim and final report to describe the results of the Action.

  • ACTION  D.7: Monitoring of the project Ecosystem Services Impact

    The Action is necessary to assess whether LIFE PRIMED will have a positive impact on the ecosystem services of the two Project areas. Interpretation of these positive effects provides a reference term for other similar ecosystems. It is intended as a case study on how environmental restoration practices can trigger quantifiable benefits for ecological, social and economic improvements.

    Ecosystem Services (ES) are identified and characterised in both sites based on methodologies commonly adopted by EU for environmental accounting (e.g. Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services - CICES, https://cices.eu/). According to data availability and quality, the following ESs can be quantified:

    • Carbon. The coastal vegetation ecosystems targeted by the project store significant amounts of carbon which contributes to climate change mitigation. The carbon storage will be estimated, and the related economic value quantified.
    • A deep agricultural vocation characterises the surrounding areas of the target sites. While in the neighbourhood of Ladispoli there is little extensive farming, the communities of the Nestos area base their livelihood mostly on agricultural practices. This element will be assessed, and the related economic value quantified to promote sustainable methods as valid sources of additional incomes. In this respect, local endemic cultivars among those currently farmed (beans, asparagus, etc.) will be sought and valorised because they are the most likely to be positively affected by the restoration and conservation of the habitats and species targeted by the project (this activity will be connected with the engagement of local farmers planned under Action D6).
    • Recreation and tourism are pivotal components of the project areas’ economies, contributing as well to social connection, quality of life and other intangibles. The recreation model of the Nestos National Park will be used as a reference and improved with updated locations of important habitats and additional information that might influence people’s decisions about where to spend their holidays. The eco-tourism product deriving from improved management of the environmental heritage will provide an opportunity to collaborate with the tourism entrepreneurs of the area. In this way, the protected area will be incorporated into the mainline local touristic product and at the same time will serve for more articulated dissemination of good practices of sustainable tourism to a broader audience. This action crosscuts the activity foreseen in the Action D6. Therefore the experts in charge of Action D6 and D7 will work shoulder to shoulder to deliver integrated and comprehensive outputs.

    In line with the Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) core elements of “embracing change, learning, and adapting”, and based on the results of the ES characterisation, a set of indicators will be identified and a protocol defined to quantify and monitor environmental and biological components and the ecosystem services of both target areas. The indicators, selected according to the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), will be indicative of the conservation status of both target species and habitats, and will be integrated with the feedback on the socio-economic dynamics of local communities gained from Action D6.

    All these data will be used for quantifying the identified ESs of each project area. Time and expenses will be optimised by carefully tying all required monitoring and data collection processes to the other project Actions. In this way, only the key elements, the “indicators”, will be monitored. Examples of indicators include: the level of pollutants in water, total area of temporary ponds, fragmentation level of forestry habitats, number of farmers and their increased awareness about protected areas benefits to agriculture, richness and abundance of bird species, etc. To the extent possible, data collection will be carried out involving local communities and stakeholders, using a citizen science approach.

    The list of ESs, indicators and the monitoring protocols will be shared with the project stakeholders, discussed and standardised during the scientific workshops. A final synthesis will be developed in a technical report which will include the dataset of the identified ecosystem services and the list of indicators. The dataset will consist of the data collected and used for the quantification of relevant indicators, notably:

    (a) geomorphological and climate maps of the sites (with support of the Actions A2, A3, A4);

    (b) flora, fauna and ecosystem datasets and maps (with support of Actions A5, A6);

    (c) maps of lands used for agricultural purposes extracted from Corine Land Cover databases and relevant maps of the Nestos area from EPAMATH;

    (d) videos and pictures on the sites’ biodiversity, nurseries, etc., collected using digital cameras, drones etc., during the fieldwork.

    All these data will be used for the quantification of ESs, which will be performed by using open-source software tools, e.g. i-Tree (https://www.itreetools.org/), to help identify management options and related strategies for the target sites and the surrounding areas.

    The dataset will be created and delivered to be compatible with a web-GIS platform that might be developed in the future with additional external funds.

    Beneficiary responsible for implementation:

    The Action is managed by HSPN, but DEB will also play a crucial role.

    The monitoring is managed by an Ecosystem Services Expert, specifically contracted by HSPN. This Expert is supported by all the other project experts and supervised by a DEB’s Associated Professor.

     

 

 

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