PARTNERS
University of Pavia
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DSTA), University of Pavia, was founded in 2011. It carries out research in Geological, Natural and Environmental Sciences, based on multidisciplinary skills. Among the various scientific fields in which it operates, we indicate those relative to the Operational Unit Landscape Ecology, including research on autochthonous medicinal entities, study of flora and vegetation in natural or anthropic habitats of protected areas or subjected to environmental protection regime, interaction between plants and fauna and between plants and environmental factors, management of botanical heritage, seed banking, species reintroduction, environmental restorations with particular reference to rare habitats and wooded spots using a naturalistic approach. These studies are applied in the Po Valley and the Northern Apennines. DSTA manages the Integral Nature Reserve “Bosco S. Negri”, which includes the H92F0 and an open area, recently purchased, dedicated to the restoration of natural vegetation. The Reserve is sited in the SAC IT2080014 “Boschi Siro Negri e Moriano”.
DSTA actively collaborates with managing bodies of protected areas for the drafting of Management Plans and the implementation of management interventions. Recently, it has collaborated, under the scientific direction of Dr. Silvia Assini, with the Province of Pavia and the Ticino Lombardo Park to the monitoring of Nature 2000 Habitats, to the filling of the Nature 2000 Standard Formularies (for two new pSCI), and the redaction of an Action plan for threatened species. DSTA, under the scientific direction of Dr. Silvia Assini (Member of the Presidency Council of the Italian Society of Vegetation Sciences), has also recently collaborated to the realization of the Manual for monitoring of habitats of Community interest (Directive 92/43 / EEC) in Italy, to the realization of the European Red List of Habitats and to the IV ex-art.17
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Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna
The Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA) has its mission in the research and teaching of Earth and Life Sciences, and in their integration (Environmental Sciences). In this sense, the establishment of the BiGeA Department represents a unique opportunity to stimulate a common and integrated approach to the knowledge of the planet and the living beings that populate it, both in the scientific field, through the multidisciplinary approach, and in the teaching field.
The Research Group "Diversity, Ecology and Conservation of plants" operates within BiGeA, which deals with the study of plant diversity at different levels of organization. In particular, a line of research is dedicated to Vegetation Ecology, Macroecology and Biogeography and aims at the description and predictive analysis of plant biodiversity patterns at different spatial and temporal scales, with the aim of understanding the ecological factors (natural and anthropogenic) that determine them. The response of plant communities is assessed mainly in terms of diversity (specific, compositional), applying statistical and modelling approaches on datasets deriving from both field studies and large distributional databases in which the plant component is assessed along broad ecological-environmental gradients. In our studies, the main target organisms are vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes, but we often adopt a multi-taxon approach that also includes the analysis of other components of the ecosystem. Particular interest is placed on the development of methodological approaches for surveying and sampling design, fundamental aspects to ensure reproducibility and comparability of biodiversity data with a view to evaluating and monitoring habitats and ecosystems.
Ticino Valley Natural Park
The Lombard Ticino Valley Park, the first regional park in Italy, was created in 1974 to protect the river and the many natural environments of the Ticino Valley from the attacks of industrialization and increasingly invasive urbanization. The Authority that manages the Park, which includes 3 Provinces and 47 Municipalities, governs a territory of over 92 thousand hectares, applying a differentiated protection system to natural, agricultural and urban areas. The aim is to reconcile the needs of environmental protection with the social and economic needs of the many communities present in the area, one of the most densely populated in Italy. In the Ticino Park, 14 SCIs and 1 SPA have been identified, which concern the most natural areas and cover a total of approximately 23,000 hectares. Since 2003, when the Lombardy Region identified the Ticino Park as the manager of these sites, the Authority has worked to ensure an adequate level of protection and to acquire an ever greater awareness of its heritage. Thanks to the preparation of the Management Plans, the Park has been able to activate, where resources have allowed, several projects that have allowed it to intervene on the main critical issues. For example, two pilot interventions were recently carried out, which aimed to improve the conservation status of Habitat 4030 “European dry moors” in the Brughiera del Dosso ZSC (through the maintenance of the open structure and the reversal of forestry dynamics, with the elimination of tree specimens, in particular Robinia pseudoacacia and Prunus serotina) and the restocking of plant species at risk of extinction (e.g. Corynephorus canescens).
Management body of the Protected Areas of Piedmontese PO
The Management Body of the Protected Areas of the Po Vercellese-Alessandrino (“Park Body”) is an instrumental body of the Piedmont Region that deals with 11 nature reserves, 1 natural park, 7 SCIs, 3 SICs and 5 SPAs. The main part extends along the river Po for about 90 kilometers downstream from the confluence with the Dora Baltea, into which the Sesia and Tanaro also flow, until reaching the confluence with the Scrivia: a great variety of habitats, harmoniously united by the watercourse. At first glance, the landscape is characterised by two prevailing elements: the Vercelli rice plain - where the natural reserves "Palude di San Genuario" and "Fontana Gigante" and the natural park "Bosco delle Sorti della Partecipanza" of Trino stand out - which overlooks the Monferrato hills. The institutional purposes concern the increase of naturalness, through the reconstruction of habitats and the conservation of environmental, landscape and historical characteristics, with attention to scientific research and educational and cultural activities. Through territorial and socio-economic planning, the Park Authority has established good relationships with local entities (30 municipalities). These, with the addition of 24 other bordering municipalities, constitute the Tourist Area of the Po River Park. The “Infofiume Help Desk”, created by the Park Authority, provides technical support on the procedures for accessing funds for sustainable development.
From 2001 to 2005 the Park Authority, in association with the ENEA Research Centre of Saluggia, managed the project LIFE00 NAT/IT/007209 “Conservation and management of the San Genuario Marsh”. From 2010 to 2014, the Park Authority, in association with the Province of Vercelli (leader), the Po and Collina Torinese Park and the Bosco della Partecipanza Park of Trino, implemented the LIFE NAT/IT/000093 Eco-Rice project “The rice fields of the Vercelli area: integrated programme for environmental redevelopment and sustainable management”.
Since January 2021, the Management Body of the Protected Areas of the Turin Po has merged with the Management Body of the Protected Areas of the Vercelli-Alessandria Po, thus forming the Management Body of the Protected Areas of the Piedmont Po. (see article HERE)
Management body of the Protected Areas of Ticino and Lake Maggiore
The Management Agency of the protected areas of Ticino and Lake Maggiore, which extends across the provinces of Novara, Vercelli, Biella and Verbano Cusio Ossola, governs a total area of 14,235 hectares. The latter is characterised by a notable variety of environments (wetlands, oxbow lakes, moors, woods, meadows, cultivated lands, canals and gravel beds), influenced by the action of the Sesia and Ticino rivers.
The managed areas are the following: the Ticino natural parks (SAC-SPA IT1150001), the Lagoni di Mercurago (SAC IT1150002) and the Lame del Sesia and Isolone di Oldenico (SAC-SPA IT1120010); the natural reserves Canneti di Dormelletto (SAC-SPA IT1150004), Fondo Toce (SAC-SPA IT1140001), Bosco Solivo, Parco Burcina Felice Piacenza, Palude di Casalbeltrame (SAC-SPA IT1120005), Monte Mesma, Colle di Buccione, Baragge di Bellinzago (SAC IT1150008), Rovasenda (SAC IT1120004), Candelo (SAC IT1130003) and Piano Rosa (SAC IT1150007), Garzaie di Villarboit, Carisio (SAC-SPA IT1120005), Rio Druma (SAC-SPA IT1120014) and Riserva speciale della Bessa (SAC IT1130001).
The Park's purpose, in addition to the protection and conservation of nature, is also the social enjoyment of environmental, landscape and ecological assets. Over the years, it has activated numerous scientific projects including Otter, European pond turtle, Swallow, Woodcock Monitoring, Air Quality, Crayfish, Renewable Energy and Agriculture.
Furthermore, the Authority was a beneficiary of the LIFE 00NAT/IT/007233 “Pelobates project in the Ticino Valley Natural Park of Piedmont” in the period 2001-2003.
Network of Botanical Gardens of the Lombardy Region
The Network of Botanical Gardens of Lombardy was established as an Association in 2009. The aims of the Association are, among others, the protection, knowledge, promotion and valorization of the plant cultural heritage of the Botanical Gardens of nature and the environment, with particular attention to the conservation of threatened plants, species and coenoses.
The Network boasts a particular experience in the field of education, training and dissemination. Since 2009, it has collaborated with the BGEN-Botanic Garden Educational Network, regarding the use of Environmental Interpretation as an approach to heritage mediation. It was a partner of the EST Project, Educating to Science and Technology, promoted by the Lombardy Region and the Cariplo Foundation, for the proposal of informal teaching through the hands-on methodology, acquired and currently used by the Educational Services; is in the Advisory Group of the European INQUIRE project for the dissemination of science teaching through the investigative approach IBSE-Inquiry Based Science Education and collaborates with the MUSE of Trento, the Italian partner of the project. The Network has chosen to invest in its own training for the structuring of skills in the field of scientific dissemination to act as an interface between the world of research carried out in the Botanical Gardens and both the general public (around 500,000 visitors a year frequent the Lombard Gardens) and the school public (20,000 students involved in the last school year).
Since 2013-2014, as part of the project Growing the network, growing in the network, it has created 1 Traveling Exhibition (15 stops, over 60,000 visitors), 6 publications, 8 training courses for teachers and museum educators, with participants from all over Italy, 27 workshops and meetings for the public, as well as events in the 7 Botanical Gardens. It has participated in the project Learn to Engage - Engaging a wrider audience for museums and Botanic gardens (Erasmus+) and collaborates with Ersaf Lombardia for some dissemination aspects of the LifeGestire project.