Threatened Sardinian vascular flora: A synthesis of 10 years of monitoring activities

Abstract

The in situ conservation activities carried out in the last 10 years on endemic and threatened Sardinian vascular flora were analysed. Monitored species were selected following the policy species (listed in the Habitat Directive) and following the regional responsibility criterion. A monitoring scheme, with three levels of intensity, was applied and economic costs of the monitoring activities were analysed. In the 10-year long field work, 49 taxa corresponding to 50% of policy species and to 22.5% of the Sardinian endemics were monitored. The Sulcitano-Iglesiente sector showed the highest number of monitored taxa (20), whereas the Gennargenteo sector showed the highest number of populations monitored (32). A variation of the relative importance of the three levels of monitoring has been detected and most of the protocols showed a high level of intensity and complexity (90%). Plant-monitoring programmes have been considerably intensified over time with an increase in the total costs; the most important cost was the staff. The economic resources increased significantly over time, both in personnel and travelling costs. Consequently, in order to ensure sufficient support to in situ conservation activities in Sardinia, increased public funding will be necessary.

Keywords::

• Conservation biology
• endemic
• Habitat Directive
• Mediterranean flora
• peripheral and isolated plant population
• regional responsibility criterion

Acknowledgements

We thank all volunteers involved in monitoring activities. We are grateful to the two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable suggestions to improve the first draft of this paper.

Notes

This paper was presented at the VII International Seminar “Management and Biodiversity Conservation: Planning and management of agricultural and forestry resources” – Gambarie d'Aspromonte – RC (Italy), June 2013.

^1. Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, “Sapienza” Università di Roma, Piazzale A. Moro 5, I-00185 Roma, Italia (Present address).

^2. DIAEE, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Astronautica Elettrica ed Energetica, “Sapienza” Università di Roma, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 244, I-00186 Roma, Italia (Present address).

Additional information

Funding

The monitoring activities were partially supported by the Regione Autonoma della Sardegna, the Provincia di Cagliari, the Area Marina Protetta di Capo Carbonara, the Interreg IIIB (Genmedoc and Semclimed projects) and Life+ project (Providune).