Monitoring forest biodiversity within the LIFE+ Project MIPP – lessons learned for the Nature 2000 network Alessandro Campanaro, SÜnke Hardersen, Franco Mason
Natura 2000 is the centrepiece of EU nature & biodiversity policy. It is an EU wide network of nature protection areas established under the 1992 Habitats Directive.
Natura 2000 MAIN OBJECTIVES of Natura 2000: To contribute to the maintainance or restoration of a favourable conservation status for the target habitats (231 different types) and species (over 900 taxa) To adopt the comprehensive set of provisions introduced by the Habitats Directive concerning conservation measures and assessments of impacts for projects likely to have a significant effect on the sites To build an 'ecologically coherent' network. The network is ecologically coherent if it includes sufficient sites distributed over a wide geographic area, representing the full range of variation of the habitat types and species, and if the connectivity between the sites of the network is guaranteed
Natura 2000
At the end of 2011, the network accounted for over
26.400 sites with a total surface area of about 986.000 km2, comprising nearly
768.000 km2 of land. The terrestrial component of the network represents 17.9 the EU 27 land territory
% of
In terms of absolute surface area covered, Spain provides by far the highest terrestrial surface area under Natura 2000. Approximately 139 000 km2 of Spain is covered by Natura 2000 sites.
Natura 2000 Forest habitat types are crucial for Natura 2000
81 of the 231 habitat types are woodland types, making up around 50% of the terrestrial surface of designated habitats. Consequently, roughly 30% of European forests are designated as Natura 2000 protected areas. In the absence of a common forest policy, Natura 2000 is probably the most influential EU policy on forests.
NATURA 2000
MONITORING
Article 11 of the Habitats Directive requires Member States to monitor the habitats and species listed in the annexes, and Article 17 requires a report to be sent to the EC every 6 years following an agreed format. The core of the ‘Article 17’ report is assessment of conservation status of the habitats and species targeted by the directive. The assessment is made based on information on status and trends of species populations or habitats and on information on main pressures and threats.
Natura 2000 ARTHROPOD SPECIES LISTED IN THE ANNEXES II AND IV
In Italy: 9 species of beetles among the 14 listed in the Habitats Directive are saproxylic
Lucanus cervus (II)
Osmoderma eremita (II*, IV)
Cucujus cinnaberinus (II, IV)
Cerambyx cerdo (II, IV)
Rosalia alpina (II*, IV)
Stephanopachys substriatus (II, IV)
Buprestis splendes (II, IV)
Morimus funereus (II)
Rhysodes sulcatus (II*)
SAPROXYLIC SPECIES Species that are dependent, during some part of their life cycle, upon the dead or dying wood, or moribund or dead trees, or upon woodinhabiting fungi, or upon the presence of other saproxylics
Up to 1/3 of European forest species depends on veteran trees and deadwood for their survival
RED LIST OF EUROPEAN SAPROXYLIC BEETLE (436 species considered): Almost 14% species are thought to have significantly declining populations, 57% are data deficient
THE LIFE MIPP PROJECT 6 Associated Beneficiaries Budget: € 2.734.430 (cofinancing 58,1 %) 28 POJECT ACTIONS, 3 main objectives:
1. MONITORING
(saproxylic species listed in the
Habitats Directive)
2. DISSEMINATION 3.
(improve konwledge and awareness on themes related to forest ecosystem) CITIZEN SCIENCE (citizens collect occurene data on insect species)
www.lifemipp.eu
Monitoring protocols Elaboration of the most efficient and less dispensive method for monitoring the species in order to accomplish the DH requirements
Different methods tested in different areas: Beech forest Oak-hornbeam forest Holm oak forest
Lucanus cervus (II)
Osmoderma eremita (II*, IV)
Cucujus cinnaberinus (II, IV)
Cerambyx cerdo (II, IV)
Rosalia alpina (II*, IV)
Stephanopachys substriatus (II, IV)
Buprestis splendes (II, IV)
Morimus funereus (II)
Rhysodes sulcatus (II*)
Rosalia alpina
METHOD #1: CAPTURE-MARK-RECAPTURE (CMR) AND VISUAL COUNT IN WILD CONDITIONS • 2014-2015, 2 study areas • 2 or 3 plots, 30 habitats each plot
Rosalia alpina Rosalia alpina • METHOD #2: CMR AND VISUAL COUNT IN “HABITAT TREES” • 2014, 2015, 2 study areas • 2-3 plots, 10-15 habitats each plot
Rosalia alpina STANDARD MARKING USE OF ELYTRAL PICTURES
Photoidentification: from whales to insects
Individual identification with photographic marking is a non-invasive monitoring technique, ideal for a sensible and threatened species like R. alpina
The six black spots on R. alpina elitra present a high level of inter-individual variability, and can so be used as a “fingerprint� to identify a single specimen
Lucanus cervus
METHODS #1 #2 #3: TRANSECTS • VISUAL COUNT: 2014-2015, 2 study areas (data since 2009) • CMR: 2015, 1 study area • COUNT OF REMAINS: 2014-2015, 2 study areas (data since 2008)
Lucanus cervus METHOD #4: CMR AND AERIAL TRAPS • 2014-2015, 2 study areas • 32-48 traps (2 m and >10 m)
H: > 10 m L: 2 m VBB: whine, beer, banana VVZ: white and red wine, sugar
N of week (Mon- Fri) N of traps
Bosco Fontana (2014)
Foreste Casentinesi (2014)
Foreste Casentinesi (2015)
8
2
4
24x2 (H and L)
18x2 (H and L)
16x2 (H and L)
(16 VBB + 16 VVZ + 16 contr.)
(18 VBB+18 VVZ)
(32 VVZ)
Lucanus cervus METHOD #5: RADIO TELEMETRY • 2014-2015, 1 study area • 30 specimens
Cerambyx cerdo METHOD #1: CMR AND AERIAL TRAPS • 2014 (Bosco Fontana): 24 trees x 2 traps (2 m and >10 m), 3 attractive mixtures • 2015 (Mesola): 16 trees x 2 traps (2 m and >10 m), 1 attractive mixture (red wine, white wine sugar)
Cerambyx cerdo METHOD #2: VISUAL COUNT ON SELECTED TREES • 2014-2015, 2 study areas • 16 trees METHOD #3: ATTRACTION BY “MANNA” • 2015, 1 study area • 16 trees METHOD #4: TRANSECTS (FLIGHT INDIVIDUALS AND REMAINS) • 2015, 1 study area • 4 transects
Cerambyx cerdo METHOD #4: SURVEY OF EXIT HOLES 2015, 1 study area • Number of holes • height from the ground • length of the major and minor axis registered
METHOD #3: NOT-INVASIVE METHOD Molecular diagnostic procedure: DNA extraction from larval frass in recent exit-holes
Morimus asper/funereus METHOD #1: LOG PILES 2014 30-36 piles, 2 study area Different tree species (Carpinus vs Quercus; Fagus vs Abies) and different diameters 2015 – Bosco Fontana 10 wood piles built in March 2014 substituted in May with new 10 wood pile 10 wood piles built in December 2014 10 wood piles built in March 2015 2015 – Prealpi Giulie 6 sub areas each one composed by 2 stumps, 2 trunks 0.3 m3, 2 wood piles 0.3 m3 (Fagus) 2015 – Bosco Mesola 5 sub-areas, each one composed by 4 wood piles (Quercus ilex, Quercus robur, Carpinus orientalis, Populus nigra)
Morimus asper/funereus
Morimus asper/funereus
METHOD #2: PITFALL TRAPS 2014-2015, 42 traps baited with 5 attractive substancies: • • • • • •
Fuscumol + isopropanol; Fuscumol acetate + isopropanol; Fuscumol + fuscumol acetate + isopropanol; Ethanol 100%; Isopropanol; control
Osmoderma eremita METHOD #1: PHEROMONE TRAPS AND CMR •
•
2014: 2 study areas, 15 repetition of 3 BCWT each area (the control trap, trap with 1 vial of 1200 µl of pheromone and trap with 2 vials of 600 µl of pheromone) 2015: 3 study areas, 10 BCWT each area
Osmoderma eremita METHOD #2: PITFALL TRAPS IN THE CAVITY •
2015: 2 study areas, 10 traps each area
METHOD #3: WOOD MOULD SAMPLING 2014: 1 study area, 50 trees
Osmodog Teseo, the “Osmodogâ€? Sniffer dogs are used in a wide range of applications (rescue, explosives, narcotics, drugs, cadavers, medicine‌) Their capacity of detection has also been applied in zoological fields but rarely for conservation purposes
We are training Teseo for surveying Osmoderma eremita Why? Reduction of costs and monitoring time Less disturbance to species and communities Not-invasive sampling method Teseo could detect the species in inaccessible cavities The detection of larvae allows to plan monitoring campaign not only in summer
Osmodog
CITIZEN SCIENCE
Zerynthia polyxena Lopinga achine
Involve citizens in collecting occurrence data on 9 insect species listed in the Habitats Directive Saga pedo
Rosalia alpina
Cerambyx cerdo
Osmoderma eremita
Parnassius apollo
Morimus asper/funereus
Lucanus cervus
CITIZEN SCIENCE 40 Events 60 Lessons on schools
HOW DO WE CONTACT THE CITIZENS?
Social web
Brochure Booklet Comic-strips Gifts
Newspapers 4 Radio broadcasting 2 TV transmission
CITIZEN SCIENCE
TOOLS FOR CITIZENS WOW!!! Rosalia alpina is here… we have to send a report to the MIPP Project
Keys for identification
CITIZEN SCIENCE
TOOLS FOR CITIZENS
Easy procedure Friendly tools Validation process
www.lifemipp.eu
CITIZEN SCIENCE RESULTS
18%
Sightings and report date are almost coincident Citizens are able to recognize the species
6%
Confirmed
892
Not targed
67
Discarded
216
Total
1175
Confirmed 76%
Not target Discarded
CITIZEN SCIENCE 250
RESULTS
200
150
2014 100
50
There are still some areas lacking of records The glorious three are Lucanus, Morimus and Rosalia
0
2015
CITIZEN SCIENCE
250
RESULTS N.citizens
There are two kinds of citizens…
200
Group 1: Occasional citizens
150
100
50
Group 2: "Serial" citizens
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 1011121314151618192021232427406379
N. records
CITIZEN SCIENCE
Sources of records 600
RESULTS N. records
500
N reports from website does not change; N reports from the APP doubled
482
472
400 300
APP
200
WEB 203
100 86
1
0
2014
2015
Monitoring of insects with public participation
lifemipp@gmail.com MIPP staff: G. Antonini, P. Audisio, M. Bardiani, M. Bologna, A. Bottacci, A. Campanaro, G. Carpaneto, S. Chiari, A. Cini, A. Cuccurullo, S. Hardersen, E. Mancini, M. Maura, F. Mason, E. Maurizi, F. Mosconi, G. Nigro, L. Redolfi, S. Rossi De Gasperis, P. Roversi, S. Sabatelli, G. Sabbatini, M. Tini, I. Toni
Thanks‌