Published on 28-06-2021
Recovery and conservation of habitats “7210 * and” 91E0 *
LIFE FORESTALL – LIFE DG ENV
- Programme or Providing body: LIFE Programme / European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) of the European Commission
- Project title: Restoration of Alluvial Forests and Cladium mariscus habitats in Ramsar and Natura 2000 sites.
- Acronym: LIFE FORESTALL
- Duration: 01/10/2019-30/06/2024
- Project budget: 1.805.433 €, EU financial contribution of 1.344.941 € (74,7%)
- CORILA budget: 515.265 €, EU financial contribution of 384.491 €
- Contact person in CORILA: meggiato at corila.it
- Keywords: Lagoon, wetlands, Natura2000, Venice, LIFE Programme, alluvial forest, ecological restoration, birds, alien species eradication, eco-tourism, environmental education
The project area is the WWF Oasis of Valle Averto (in the southern Venice lagoon), 78 hectares owned by WWF Italy. The area is located within two Natura 2000 sites and within a site included in the list of “Wetlands of International Importance” according to the Ramsar Convention. Valle Averto is famous for its flora and fauna peculiarities representative of the wetlands of the upper Adriatic. It is one of the most important areas of the Venice lagoon for the wintering, migration and breeding of birds. Anthropic pressures and climate changes put the specific biodiversity of this environment at risk and active protection actions are needed to preserve it.
LIFE FORESTALL has, as its main objective, the restoration and conservation of habitats “7210* Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae” and “91E0* Alluvial forests of Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior”, both of priority interest according to the Habitat Directive (1992/43/EEC).
The dredging of selected sectors of the existing channel network and the installation of new locks has been foreseen in order to improve the water quality and allow the regulation of the water levels, to guarantee the optimal conditions for the resting and feeding of birds during the wintering and migration periods and to encourage the natural expansion of the project target habitats. LIFE FORESTALL also aims to contain some invasive exotic species such as tree and shrub plants Robinia pseudoacacia and Baccharis halimifolia and Silurus glanis (Wels catfish).
- Conservation and restoration of the existing patches, creation of new stands of the priority habitats “7210* Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae” and “91E0* Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior”.
- Improvement of water level management and water circulation.
- Reduction of the occurrence of invasive species pseudoacacia, B. halimifolia, S. glanis.
- Increase of the occurrence of breeding birds’ species by building floating rafts.
- Improvement of the existing small facilities for educational and eco-touristic purposes, gaining a better awareness of the importance of nature conservation among local population and visitors.
- Provide a framework to identify and quantify the benefits provided by the ecosystems and their improving after the restoring activities.
- Integration of sustainability tools (carbon footprint, ecological footprint) within a before-after restoration scheme.
- habitat 7210*: creation of new habitat area increasing the extension from actual 0.03 ha to 6.19 ha.
- habitat 91E0*: creation of new habitat area increasing the extension from the actual 1.25 ha to 11.60 ha.
- increase from 20% to 50% in numbers of birds wintering in oasis.
- reduction of 70 % of the pseudoacacia and complete eradication of B. halimifolia,
- at least 80% reduction compared to the before-action occurrence of glanis;
- water circulation management amelioration by dredging of 340 m of channels, 9 new sluices, sensors installation and data collection/analysis.
Lead Partner: CORILA – Consorzio per il coordinamento delle ricerche inerenti al sistema lagunare di Venezia / Consortium for coordination of research activities concerning the Venice lagoon system
Project Partners:
Provveditorato Interregionale per le Opere Pubbliche per il Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige
Friuli Venezia Giulia
SELC soc. coop
WWF Oasi
Cooperativa Sociale Primavera ONLUS
