EU2030 biodiversity strategy: Unveiling gaps in the coverage of ecoregions and threatened species within the strictly protected areas of Italy

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60460709%3A41330%2F24%3A101269" target="_blank" >RIV/60460709:41330/24:101269 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126621" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126621</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126621" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126621</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

EU2030 biodiversity strategy: Unveiling gaps in the coverage of ecoregions and threatened species within the strictly protected areas of Italy

Original language description

About 19 % of the Italian territory is covered by protected areas (PAs), 5.1 % of which fall in IUCN categories Ia and II, which can be considered strictly protected areas (StPAs). The 2030 EU Biodiversity Strategy sets a target of 30 % coverage for PAs (of which 10 % should be StPAs). We assessed the area coverage of StPAs, for the territory of Italy, with respect to biogeographical regions, ecoregions, elevation range, habitats, and the distribution of species threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List (Vulnerable, VU; Endangered, EN; or Critically Endangered, CR). We found that most of the StPAs are located in the Mediterranean biogeographical region, followed by the Alpine and Continental regions, and that the spatial distribution of such protected areas is biased towards higher elevation. Moreover, we found that three of the fourteen terrestrial ecoregions of Italy are not protected at all by StPAs (i.e., Illyrian, Ligurian-Provencal, and Central-Adriatic), while the Po Plain and the Sicilia Sections are only marginally protected. Moreover, nine habitats are not covered by any StPAs including one priority habitat (Inland salt meadows). Finally, we found unprotected species among freshwater fish (21), amphibians (3 VU, 3 CR), reptiles (1 CR), birds (2 NE), mammals (1 VU), and plants (20 VU, 14 EN, 21 CR). Our findings suggest that the current amount and spatial distribution of StPAs of Italy are far from the targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and needs improvements.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10511 - Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7)

Project

—

Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION

ISSN

1617-1381

e-ISSN

1617-1381

Volume of the periodical

79

Issue of the periodical within the volume

126621

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

11

Pages from-to

1-11

UT code for WoS article

001241560500001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85192790348