The Project
The specific objective of the project LIFE "Urgent measures for the Protection of European Natura 2000 Network Sites of the Alta Tuscia Viterbese” is to promote the restoration and enhancement of habitats, compromised or degraded by direct or indirect human action. These actions aim is the implementation of EU directives "Birds" (Dir.79/409/CEE) and "Habitat" (Dir. 92/43), and specifically, the European Natura 2000 network, as the number of areas in which there are habitats and species worthy of preservation.
In addition, a further objective of the Life-Nature is to build, through publicity and dissemination, a network of consensus towards forms of land use based on the enhancement of environmental peculiarities, ranging from naturalistic to eco-tourism and sustainable the natural heritage.
The actions that have been implemented under the Life-Nature project to achieve the conservation objectives were as follows:
Planning and Land Management
Establishing a territorial database (GIS): to identify priority areas for intervention, by collecting specific data (botanists, hidrobiological, forestry and natural). The studies will mainly wooded areas and wetlands;
Protection of forests
Coppice forests Rules management and planting of autocton species: this intervention is to establish a plan for cutting and planting in the municipal woods in pSCIs "Lake Mezzano (IT6010012)” and "Selva del Lamone(IT6010013);”
Membership of the certification system of forest management in Europe (Pan European Forest Certification - PEFC): certification objective is to encourage the use of environmental forest areas, allowing for the preservation of biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity of potential future natural and ecological features of the form, economic and social forestry resources.
Protection of habitat meadows
Managing habitat meadows through periodical cut: Grassland areas in the pSCIs "Vallerosa" (IT6010015), "Crostoletto" (IT6010014), "Caldera of Latera" (IT6010011) and "Mountains of Castro" (IT6010016) cut will maintain the vegetation communities that have been identified such sites and restrict the entry of species of shrubs.
Protection of riparian vegetation
Projects of fitodepuration of water: this action has planned to plant plants that can absorb organic and inorganic substances, in areas located along the Olpeta river and The banks of the Mezzano Lake;
Restoration of riparian vegetation strip: the removal of allocton species and the organic material along Olpeta river, facilitate the flow of water and allow the restoration of natural vegetation. Environmental actions restoration are also planned near Mezzano Lake.
Protection of Orchids
This action is intended to limit the damage caused populations of orchids by the passing vehicles.
Monitoring Chiropterofauna
Updated data on the species of bats in the area: monitoring will be organized to evaluate the consistency of the population and to identify sites and reproductive risk factors which are subject to the bats. The data collected will enable us to determine appropriate conservation measures for the conservation of bats in the “Alta Tuscia Viterbese”.
Enjoyment
Rehabilitation and maintenance of existing trails: This intervention aims to keep useful to the public and to vehicles for surveillance and fire, the paths within the Selva of Lamone;
Accomplishing Educational and information panels: These panels will be allocated among pSCIs and will function to make known to the local population and tourists to the nature of the value in question, as well as its membership in the European Natura 2000 Network;
Communication and Sensitization: through the production of brochures and a website we want to inform the public to the problems of conservation and management of habitats and species of Community interest;
Organization of public meetings and press conferences: to address the main issues relating to conservation and natural values in seven Alta Tuscia pSCIs, and to discourage harmful practices, such as the use of fire, which is still practiced in the territory concerned;
Production of gadgets and CD-ROMs: the production of a mouse pad will serve to sensitize the citizens of the Province of Viterbo regard to the natural heritage of community interest in the territory in question.
The province of Viterbo at the end of the LIFE project, will continue to carry out the actions identified, using public resources and in particular funds provided by Lazio Region.
