LIFE11 NAT/IT/000135 Fagus-Forests of the Apennines: good practices to conjugate use and sustainability (2012-2017)

The EU project Life+ "Fagus" was aimed at the long-term conservation of two priority habitats (Directive 92/43/EEC) within the National Parks of Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni (Campania region), and Gran Sasso-Laga (Abruzzo). The target habitats are 9210* Apennine beech forests with Taxus and Ilex and 9220*Apennine beech forests with Abies alba and beech forests with Abies nebrodensis.

Past management dramatically reduced the presence of Taxus, Ilex and Abies, and impacted also other taxonomic groups, which are limited by the lack of deadwood and senescent trees, and by the homogeneous structure of managed forests. The project implemented management strategies to increase the presence of target trees and diversity levels for focus taxa (e.g. epiphytic lichens, saproxylic beetles, birds), while sustaining forest use by local communities. Specific objectives of the project have been:

1. Development of sustainable management strategies for habitats 9210* and 9220*

2. Enhance the levels of biological diversity for vascular plants, lichens, birds, saproxylic beetles and fungi

3. Monitoring of the habitats to assess the effects of the conservation actions

4. Promote the participation of relevant stakeholders to point out the advantages of sustainable management for the habitats.

Partners

National Park Cilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni (coordinating Beneficiary)

National Park Gran Sasso-Laga

Sapienza, University of Rome – Dept. of Environmental Biology (DBA)

Università della Tuscia – Department for Innovation in biological, agrofood and forest systems (DIBAF)