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CAPITOLO III - Paesaggi d’Italia
We did not directly measured any relationship among land-use/land-cover changes and biodiversity
patterns over the entire Italy but considering their geographical distribution, the pattern
of changes in land-use/land-cover that we measured show interesting relations to concurrent
and important changes of biodiversity patterns. From 1960 to 2000, the Alps and the Apennines
showed a substantial increase in FOREST, while agriculture and human population dropped.
As a result of land abandonment, the floristic species richness is decreasing in higher successional
stages and, depending on the altitude, the structural diversity of the landscape is changing
(Höchtl et al. 2005). In the same time period and in the same area, Italy has experienced a real
“renaissance” of large vertebrates: wolves increased from about 100 individuals in the 1970s
– localized in the central Apennines – to more than 500 individuals in 2000, spreading from the
southern Apennines to the central Alps (Boitani & Ciucci 2000); wild ungulate populations increased
both in numbers and distribution (Boitani et al. 2003); brown bears (Ursus arctos) were
successfully reintroduced in the eastern Alps while the central Italy subspecies (U. arctos
marsicanus) has seemingly increased its range (Boitani et al. 2003); temperate forest birds are
following the same pattern, increasing their ranges throughout the mountain areas of the Mediterranean
region (Preiss et al. 1997; Laiolo et al. 2004; Tellini-Florenzano 2004).
Almost the opposite situation can be found in Sardinia, Sicily and in the coastal areas, among the
most important portions of the Mediterranean hotspot for biodiversity conservation (Blondel
& Aronson 1999; Médail & Quézel 1999). Here total agriculture increased (Sardinia) or remained
stable (Sicily and coastal areas), while FOREST remained stable (coastal areas) or increased
(Sicily and particularly Sardinia). ARTIFICIAL sharply increased indicating a substantial increase
of human presence, mainly linked to an increase in tourist activities. In Sardinia and the coastal
areas, the drastic decrease of PASTURE followed the decrease in traditional sheep grazing, and
represents an important conservation problem: the little bustard (Tetrax tetrax), a species of
open spaces, is disappearing from continental Italy and its numbers are critically low in Sardinia
(de Juana & Martinez 2001; Wolff et al. 2001); the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), dependent on
traditional pasture, has completely disappeared from continental Italy (Dentesani et al. 1996),
and has drastically dropped in number in Sardinia; the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
dropped drastically in number and distribution from 1970 to 1990 following the reduction
of traditional cattle husbandry techniques (Liberatori & Penteriani 2001), typical Mediterranean
bird and plant species, usually restricted to the earlier stages of ecological successions (Blondel
& Farré 1988), are decreasing in range and population sizes, following the decrease of
Mediterranean forests and open areas and the intensification of agriculture (Farina 1991; Farina
1997; Preiss et al. 1997; Brotons et al. 2004).
Even though the Italian landscape is not representative of the entire Mediterranean hotspot
(Vallejo et al. 2005), we suggest that our results may provide an important insight into conservation
planning in the entire region. In fact, many of the ecological and socio-political processes
that have occurred in Italy during the past few decades are already occurring or expected to
occur over most of the Mediterranean region. The transition from traditional to mechanized
agriculture and the intensive development of tourism along the coastal areas are likely to lead
towards situations which are broadly similar to Italy today.
Protected areas cannot be easily adapted to follow these patterns: Italian protected areas already
cover 11% of the territory (Maiorano et al. 2006); most of them are located in mountain
regions (where land-use/land-cover changes favor reforestation and the increase of large vertebrate
populations) while only few (mostly small ones) can be found in coastal areas, where
the Mediterranean forest, woodlands and scrubs are concentrated and where human pressure
is high. Much more can be done for the Mediterranean hotspot where protected areas cover