Investigating sacred natural sites and protected areas for forest area changes in Italy

Zannini, Piero; Frascaroli, Fabrizio; Nascimbene, Juri; Halley, John M.; Stara, Kalliopi; Cervellini, Marco; Musciano, Michele Di; Vigili, Filippo De; Rocchini, Duccio; Piovesan, Gianluca; Alessi, Nicola; Chiarucci, Alessandro

doi:10.1111/csp2.12695

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Interestingly, this high diversity is also reflected in a high number of vegetation types (Preislerová et al, 2022). Moreover, when considering patterns of forest area gains and losses, in combination with levels of protection and population density, low-elevation forest stands of the Italian country have been affected by a high degree of human impact during the last century (Zannini et al, 2022). This could result in more undisturbed conditions characterized by rare forest specialists at remote and high-elevation sites and a continuum between rural landscapes and secondary forest stands at low-elevation sites.…”

Section: The Preferential Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Probabilistic and preferential sampling approaches offer integrated perspectives of Italian forest diversity

Alessi

Bonari

Zannini

et al. 2023

J Vegetation Science

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Aim Assessing the performances of different sampling approaches for documenting community diversity may help to identify optimal sampling efforts and strategies, and to enhance conservation and monitoring planning. Here, we used two data sets based on probabilistic and preferential sampling schemes of Italian forest vegetation to analyze the multifaceted performances of the two approaches across three major forest types at a large scale. Location Italy. Methods We pooled 804 probabilistic and 16,259 preferential forest plots as samples of vascular plant diversity across the country. We balanced the two data sets in terms of sizes, plot size, geographical position, and vegetation types. For each of the two data sets, 1000 subsets of 201 random plots were compared by calculating the shared and exclusive indicator species, their overlap in the multivariate space, and the areas encompassed by spatially‐constrained rarefaction curves. We then calculated an index of performance using the ratio between the additional and total information collected by each sampling approach. The performances were tested and evaluated across the three major forest types. Results The probabilistic approach performed better in estimating species richness and diversity of species assemblages, but did not detect other components of the regional diversity, such as azonal forests. The preferential approach outperformed the probabilistic approach in detecting forest‐specialist species and plant diversity hotspots. Conclusions Using a novel workflow based on vegetation‐plot exclusivities and commonalities, our study suggests probabilistic and preferential sampling approaches are to be used in combination for better conservation and monitor planning purposes to detect multiple aspects of plant community diversity. Our findings can assist the implementation of national conservation planning and large‐scale monitoring of biodiversity.

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Section: The Preferential Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Probabilistic and preferential sampling approaches offer integrated perspectives of Italian forest diversity

Alessi

Bonari

Zannini

et al. 2023

J Vegetation Science

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“…According to Lelli et al (2021), "Forests are getting poorer in species in the understorey, with a higher tree layer and denser canopy cover. " In their Sacred Natural Sites (SNS) review, Zannini et al (2022) recommend "traditional management to be encouraged at SNS… especially when this is supported by local people and traditional uses of the SNS are still alive" because "it would be the most effective way to conserve both nature and culture at some of Europe's last hot spots of biocultural diversity. "…”

Section: Biocultural Diversity Conservation and Current Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monastic silviculture legacies and current old-growthness of silver fir (Abies alba) forests in the northern Apennines (Italy)

Motta,

Garbarino,

Berretti

et al. 2023

Front. For. Glob. Change

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Species-rich mixed silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) forests dominated in the northern Apennines, but climate and, mainly, anthropogenic land use provoked a sharp silver fir decline approximately 5000 years bp. The conservation of the silver fir in this region was mainly due to the establishment of monastic orders that preserved and even planted silver fir for its spiritual and economic value. In 1993, the best silver fir stands were included in the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi (FCNP), Monte Falterona e Campigna, and have been submitted to low-intensive management or strict protection regardless of past land use and cultural history. In this study, we have (1) analyzed the current structure of three silver fir forests that have had different ownership histories and (2) compared the structure of the three Italian forests among them and with two old-growth forests from the Dinaric Alps as a reference of naturalness. The results show that the current structures of the three Italian forests are very different among them and are strictly related to past land use and, mainly, to monastic legacies. Even if the Italian forests have experienced decades of low-intensity management or strict protection, they are currently structurally very different from Dinaric old-growth forests. Developing an old-growth structure in these forests can be very slow and, in some ways, unpredictable. The results also highlight the importance of recognizing protected areas as cultural landscapes that host an important biocultural diversity. The current risk is that by applying almost exclusive biodiversity-centered management and setting difficult or impossible-to-achieve biodiversity goals, total diversity will decrease, and biocultural diversity, the greatest richness of most European parks, will be lost.

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“…Because their existence depends on the willingness of the local population and their beliefs and practices (such as traditional zanni, extensive management and bans on overuse of natural resources) associated with SNSs, these sites have a high potential for conserving natural areas even outside official nature reserves (Bhagwat & Rutte, 2006; Dudley et al., 2009). Although SNSs occur globally, scientific studies focusing on their conservation potential mostly focus on central Africa, southern Asia, and western and southern Europe (Zannini et al., 2022; Deil et al., 2005; Frascaroli et al., 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The importance of sites with spiritual significance to people (socalled sacred natural site [SNS]) is increasingly recognized in nature conservation globally and can be regarded as the oldest human institution to support habitat protection (Wild & McLeod, 2008). An SNS can be associated with natural (e.g., single trees, sacred grooves, rivers, or mountains) and built features (e.g., temples, shrines, or old cemeteries) found on all continents (Zannini et al, 2022;Dudley et al, 2009). Because their existence depends on the willingness of the local population and their beliefs and practices (such as traditional zanni, extensive management and bans on overuse of natural resources) associated with SNSs, these sites have a high potential for conserving natural areas even outside official nature reserves (Bhagwat & Rutte, 2006;Dudley et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of cultural heritage values to steppe conservation on ancient burial mounds of Eurasia

Deák

Bede

Rádai

et al. 2023

Conservation Biology

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Civilizations, including ancient ones, have shaped the global ecosystems in many ways through a co‐evolution of landscapes and humans. However, the cultural legacies of ancient and lost civilizations are rarely considered in the conservation of the Eurasian steppe biome. Here using a dataset containing more than 1,000 data records on localities, land cover, protection status, and cultural values related to ancient steppic burial mounds (so‐called ‘kurgans’), we evaluated how these iconic and widespread landmarks can contribute to grassland conservation in the Eurasian steppes, which is one of the most endangered biomes on Earth. Using Bayesian logistic generalized regressions and proportional odds logistic regressions, we aimed to reveal the potential of mounds in preserving grasslands considering landscapes with different levels of land use transformation. We also compared the conservation potential of mounds located inside and outside protected areas and assessed whether the presence of cultural values supports the maintenance of grasslands on them. We revealed that kurgans are of great importance in preserving grasslands in transformed landscapes outside protected areas, where they can act as habitat islands that contribute to habitat conservation and improve habitat connectivity. We found that in addition to the steep slopes that hinder ploughing, the existence of cultural values could almost double the chance of grassland occurrence on kurgans due to the extensive land use related, and the respect of local communities. As the estimated number of steppic mounds is about 600,000 and similar historical features exist in all continents, our results can be upscaled to a global level. Our results also suggest that an integrative socio‐ecological approach in conservation might support the positive synergistic effects of conservational, landscape, and cultural values.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

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Investigating sacred natural sites and protected areas for forest area changes in Italy

Abstract: MIUR) through PRIN project 2015P8524C "Biodiversity and ecosystem services in sacred natural sites (BIOESSaNS)." Piero Zannini has been supported by LifeWatch Italy through the project LifeWatchPLUS (CIR-01_00028).

Cited by 8 publications

References 66 publications

Probabilistic and preferential sampling approaches offer integrated perspectives of Italian forest diversity

Probabilistic and preferential sampling approaches offer integrated perspectives of Italian forest diversity

Monastic silviculture legacies and current old-growthness of silver fir (Abies alba) forests in the northern Apennines (Italy)

Contribution of cultural heritage values to steppe conservation on ancient burial mounds of Eurasia

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