Ecoregions are conceived as geographic units suitable for modelling biodiversity distribution, assessing conservation status, recognizing dynamic processes and identifying main pressures of natural ecosystems, and finally, for defining effective policies for sustainable land management and development.

Based on a robust methodological process for classification and mapping, "The Ecoregions of Italy" represent a comprehensive picture of the ecological arrangement of the entire country. It is currently being adopted by official bodies as a reference for natural capital accounting, ecological setting of municipalities, the mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services, and for the identification of the most threatened ecosystems.

The Map and Explanatory Notes aim to disseminate knowledge on Ecoregions and share expertise on different applicative aspects of ecoregional classification even beyond the research community. The underlying principles of the classification and the methodology used in establishing the map are synthetically explained and the main distinctive character of each ecoregion is described. Such information will hopefully stimulate both scientific and professional workers to acknowledge that every geographical area holds a specific structural and functional ecological potential - the ‘project of nature’ and that this potential should never be overlooked when searching for sustainable and long-lasting nature-based solutions, including the deployment of green infrastructure.