LIFE Governance MAKING GOOD NATURE project

Payment for ecosystem services as an innovative model for the effective governance of agroforestry areas in Natura 2000 Sites
The Park Authority is a territorial partner with CURSA (University Consortium for Socio-economic and Environmental Research, with registered office at the University of Molise), WWF ITALIA, MATTM (Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea), MIPAF (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies), EURAC (European Academy of Bolzano - Research and Training Institute), ERSAF LOMBARDIA (Regional agency for services to agriculture and forests), the REGION OF SICILY (Azienda Foreste Demaniali), the NATIONAL PARK OF CILENTO AND VALLO DIANO, the NATURAL PARK OF SASSO SIMONE AND SIMONCELLO (Pesaro - Urbino) of the Life Governance Project "Making Good Natura - The payment of ecosystem services as an innovative model for the effective governance of agroforestry areas in Natura 2000 sites".
This project is aimed at the development of an innovative model for the Governance of Natura 2000 Network Sites, with particular attention to sites with a high incidence of agroforestry areas, by elaborating forms of biophysical, qualitative and quantitative assessment of ecosystem services in Natura 2000 Network sites. The focus of the project is to create the prerequisites for the achievement of an effective management of habitats and animal and plant species, designated by the Habitats and Birds Directives, by providing the administrators of the Natura 2000 sites with management and self-financing tools that constitute forms of remuneration for protection activities.

The Park Authority participates in the project with two Natura 2000 Network Pilot Sites

SIC IT 9310014 denomination "Fagosa - Timpa dell'Orso" - territory of the municipalities of Rotonda, Morano Calabro, Viggianello, San Severino Lucano, Fardella, Chiaromonte, Terranova di Pollino, Cerchiara di Calabria, Castrovillari, San Lorenzo Bellizzi, Frascineto;
SCI IT 9310008 named 'La Petrosa' - territory of the Municipality of Castrovillari.
In the framework of the project actions, a series of meetings with stakeholders are planned in order to jointly define and assess the ecosystem services generated by the Natura 2000 Pilot Sites and to identify forms of remuneration through payments by public and private subjects who benefit from these services.
At http://www.lifemgn-serviziecosistemici.eu/IT/home/Pages/default.aspx you can follow the numerous ongoing activities and find further information on the project.

Project manager
Dr. Forester Giuseppe De Vivo

Experimental Natura 2000 Sites in the Park Territory

SCI IT 9310014 "Fagosa-Timpa dell'Orso"
Straddling two regions, Basilicata and Calabria, it covers an area of approximately 6. 000 (six thousand) hectares, covering the territory of the Municipalities of Rotonda (PZ), Viggianello (PZ), San Severino Lucano (PZ), Fardella (PZ), Chiaromonte (PZ), Terranova di Pollino (PZ), Morano Calabro (CS), Cerchiara di Calabria (CS), Castrovillari (CS), San Lorenzo Bellizzi (CS), Frascineto (CS).
It includes two priority habitats: 9220 Apennine beech forests with Abies alba and beech forests with Abies nebrodensis, and 6210 Semi-natural dry grassland formations and facies covered with bushes on calcareous substrate (Festuco-Brometalia).
The SCI territory is almost entirely covered by beech woods, some of which are managed according to a Forest Management Plan, as in the case of the woods belonging to the municipalities of Rotonda, Chiaromonte, San Severino Lucano, Terranova di Pollino and Viggianello, on the Lucanian side of the Park. Among these woods, the presence of an important Vetusto Popolamento di Faggio (ancient beech woodland) stands out, rooted along the ridge that from Coppola di Paola reaches Cozzo Ferriero, in the countryside of Rotonda (PZ), near the watershed that marks the border between Basilicata and Calabria, covering about 50 hectares and with numerous specimens about 300-350 years old, in which the absence of significant impacts linked to human activities for a sufficiently long period of time has allowed natural dynamics to express themselves, giving rise to cenoses that are structurally complex and rich in biodiversity.
Also important are the mixed fir-beech forests, today relict formations, once much more widespread throughout the Apennine arc. The most consistent formations of this type can be found in the municipalities of Terranova di Pollino and San Severino Lucano, where specimens of considerable size can be observed. The silver fir, which has undoubtedly experienced a reduction in its local range over time due to preferential cutting compared to beech due to the technological characteristics of the wood, is mainly present on the north-eastern slope of the Pollino massif and more precisely under the Serra di Crispo (2053 m above sea level) in the districts of Fagosa, Cugno dell'Acero, Cugno Ruggero, Cugno Cumone, Acqua Tremola, Piana di S. Francesco and Bosco Iannace. Smaller nuclei can be found at Monte Caramola and on the western slope of the Serra del Prete, as well as along the Torrente Frido, under the Timpone Canocchiello (1885 m a.s.l.). Worthy of note is the contact between the silver fir and the loricate pine (Pinus leucodermis) under the Serra di Crispo, the only example in Italy of a mixed mountain forest of beech, silver fir and loricate pine with a typically Balkan character.
The Loricate Pine stands represent the most distinctive vegetation feature of the Pollino National Park, within whose limits the entire Italian range of this species falls. However, within the 'Fagosa-Timpa dell'Orso' SCI, the presence of the species only affects the eastern ridges of Serra Crispo and Serra delle Ciavole.
From a faunistic point of view, the presence of the wolf, which uses these woods as rendezvous places, is noteworthy. Also important is the presence of the European marsh tortoise (Emys orbicularis), the Spectacled salamander (Salamandrina terdigitata), and the Apennine howler (Bombina pachypus).

SCI IT 9310008 'La Petrosa
Close to the urban fabric of the town of Castrovillari (CS), it covers an area of about 350 hectares on the Calabrian side of the Park. It owes its name to the considerable rocky outcrop and is important for its natural vegetation consisting of sparse vegetation formations with low, thorny shrubs and vast grasslands dominated by Stipa austroitalica.
Among the habitats present are the priority 6220 'Sub-steppe of grasses and annuals of the Thero-Brachypodietea' and the priority 5330 'Thermo-Mediterranean and pre-desert shrublands'.
The garrigue is the typical vegetation formation of this site, of the driest and most uncovered areas of the Park's territory, whose species include Euphorbia (Euphorbia rigida, Euphorbia spinosa), Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum), Cistus (Cistus incanus, Cistus salvifolius, Cistus monspeliensis) and Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). Other species include the Calabrian Pygmy (Thalictrum calabricum), the Dictamnus (Dictamnus albus), the Yellow Saffron (Sternbergia lutea) and some orchids such as the Ophrys bertolonii (Ophrys bertolonii), the Yellow Ophrys (Ophrys lutea), the Vesparia (Ophrys apifera), the Wasp Flower Ophrys (Ophrys tenthredinifera) and the Greater Serapis (Serapias vomeracea). From a faunal point of view, the presence of the Malmignatta (Latrodectes tredecimguttatus), a spider belonging to the same genus as the American Black Widow, is noteworthy. It is black with thirteen red spots on its abdomen and is the size of a cherry. The bite causes pain that may be accompanied by vomiting, convulsions and weakness, but is not fatal except in very rare cases. Of particular note is the presence of the Notched Witch (Saga pedo), an Orthoptera listed in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive. This impressive Orthoptera, known in France as the 'lobster of Provence', is a true giant of European insects and can measure 6 to 10 centimetres. Among the mantids, an extremely beautiful, rare and impressive species is Empusa pennata, widespread in the warmer areas of Italy and much more common in the south. Very interesting, because very localised and never abundant, is the presence in the Petrosa area of a Lepidoptera belonging to the Satyridae family: Melanargia arge. Also of note is the presence of Arctia festiva here at its southern limit.
The greatest importance of the 'Petrosa' is, however, linked to the avifauna present; it is, in fact, the only place in Italy where it is possible to find the simultaneous nesting of all five Italian skylarks: Calandra (Melanocorypha calandra), Cappellaccia (Galerida cristata), Tottavilla (Lullula arborea), Allodola (Alauda arvensis) Calandro (Anthus campestris).

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