LIFE14 NAT/IT/000544 PonDerat - Restoring the Pontine Archipelago ecosystem through management of rats and other invasive alien species (2015-2020)

The EU Life Ponderat project is aimed at restoring the natural ecosystems in the Pontine archipelago, a group of 5 islands off the western coast of central Italy. The project focuses on the conservation of species and habitats that are protected by EU laws (Directive 2009/147/EC, 92/43/EEC) but are currently threatened by introduced plants and animals. The main targets of the control and eradication measures are black rats (Rattus rattus), feral goats (Capra hircus), mouflons (Ovis aries), and invasive plants of the genus Carpobrotus (Hottentott fig).

Partners:

• Regione Lazio (main Beneficiary)

• Sapienza Università di Roma - Department of Environmental Biology (DBA)

• ISPRA-National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research)

• NEMO srl (private environmental company)

• Nature State Reserve and Protected Marine Area AMP of the Islands of Ventotene and Santo Stefano

The project foresees 26 actions, 5 of which are concrete actions of conservation:

• Removal of feral goats from Palmarola island (responsible: ISPRA)

• Black rat eradication from Ventotene and Palmarola (responsible Regione Lazio)

• Implementing a strong biosecurity effort to prevent rat reinvasion (responsible Regione Lazio)

• Fencing part of the holm-oak forest (habitat of Community interest) in Zannone, to exclude browsing by mouflons (responsible: DBA)

• Eradication of Carpobrotus sp. pl. (responsible: DBA)

In addition to the above mentioned actions, DBA is involved in updating knowledge on habitats and allochthonous plant species on the Pontine islands and in monitoring vegetation recovery through the regular sampling of 36 permanent plots (10 in areas eradicated from Carpobrotus, 20 in areas eradicated from rats and goats, 6 in the holm-oak forest in Zannone).