BIODIVERSITY AS A TOOL: QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF SPECIES RICHNESS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

Authors

  • D. G. Preatoni Unità di Analisi e Gestione delle Risorse Ambientali – Guido Tosi Research Group, Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche e Applicate, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese
  • F. Bisi Unità di Analisi e Gestione delle Risorse Ambientali – Guido Tosi Research Group, Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche e Applicate, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese
  • E. Carlini Istituto Oikos, Via Crescenzago 1, 20134 Milano
  • B. Chiarenzi Istituto Oikos, Via Crescenzago 1, 20134 Milano
  • L. A. Wauters Unità di Analisi e Gestione delle Risorse Ambientali – Guido Tosi Research Group, Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche e Applicate, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese
  • A. Gagliardi Unità di Analisi e Gestione delle Risorse Ambientali – Guido Tosi Research Group, Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche e Applicate, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese
  • S. Macchi Istituto Oikos, Via Crescenzago 1, 20134 Milano
  • C. E. Morelli Unità di Analisi e Gestione delle Risorse Ambientali – Guido Tosi Research Group, Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche e Applicate, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese
  • M. Spada Unità di Analisi e Gestione delle Risorse Ambientali – Guido Tosi Research Group, Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche e Applicate, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese
  • M. Trizzino Istituto Oikos, Via Crescenzago 1, 20134 Milano
  • A. Martinoli Unità di Analisi e Gestione delle Risorse Ambientali – Guido Tosi Research Group, Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche e Applicate, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. Via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4462/annbotrm-11654

Keywords:

species richness, Natura 2000, protected areas design, wildlife monitoring, biodiversity assessment

Abstract

Biodiversity is recognised as one of the main factors causing ecosystem stability and  the existence of several ecosystem functions. In consequence, species richness can be a reliable state variable, useful to assess an ecosystem status or to identify highly valuable areas in a landscape. Here we present two applications in which species richness assessment allowed respectively the boundaries redesign of a part of the Natura 2000 network and an ex-post BACI (Before-After-Control-Impact) assessment as enforced by an infringement procedure for action against Article 4 of the Birds Directive. In the first case study, the boundaries of 16 Natura 2000 sites were redefined, identifying genuine scientific errors and expunging low species richness areas and incorporating high biodiversity areas whose value was not possible to assess when the sites were instituted. The overall balance involved a minimal surface area change (+1.5% SPAs, +1.6% SCIs) but a net gain in high quality habitats in the redesigned sites network. The second case presents a small scale a posteriori impact assessment, where an exact quantification of habitat and species loss allowed not only reporting the European Commission as requested, but also to individuate a new Natural Reserve with identical ecological traits as measure of compensation, positively resolving the pending infringement procedure.

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Published

2014-04-07

How to Cite

Preatoni, D. G., Bisi, F., Carlini, E., Chiarenzi, B., Wauters, L. A., Gagliardi, A., Macchi, S., Morelli, C. E., Spada, M., Trizzino, M., & Martinoli, A. (2014). BIODIVERSITY AS A TOOL: QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF SPECIES RICHNESS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING. Annali Di Botanica, 4, 45–52. https://doi.org/10.4462/annbotrm-11654

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Section

Research Articles