Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

IL PROGETTO AGRIVAL

TitleIL PROGETTO AGRIVAL
Publication TypeAtti di Congresso
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsMenegoni, Patrizia, Iannetta Massimo, Giordano Ludovica, Iannilli Valentina, Sighicelli Maria, Colucci Federica, Tronci Carlo, Trotta Claudia, and Letardi Agostino
Conference NameIX Convegno Nazionale Biodiversità
Volume3
Pagination346-350
Date Published2013
Conference LocationValenzano (Bari, Italy)
Keywordsagroecosystem, Biodiversity, GIS, HNVF, natural value
Abstract

Over the centuries traditional agricultural activities created overall Europe a lot of different habitats, hosting rich plants and animals" communities. In these territories agriculture represents a protection for ecologically interesting habitats and biodiversity. Therefore, there is a need to characterize and map these areas named High Nature Value Farmland (HNVF) and defined as “areas in Europe where agriculture is a major (usually the dominant) land use and where that agriculture supports, or is associated with, either a high species and habitat diversity or the presence of species of European conservation concern, or both.” (Andersen et al., 2003). A peculiar characteristic of these areas is the mosaic of environments that distinguishes a fragmented and diverse land use where the alternation of crops together with the presence of structures on the sidelines, such as hedges, ditches, trees, waterways, and natural vegetated patches, increases the natural conditions of shelter and nourishment for many species of flora and fauna. In these territories a virtuous relationship between agriculture and environment is established. In fact, on the one hand, a certain type of farming helps to maintain habitats and the species that are part of them, on the other the presence of such habitats and species represent a benefit for agriculture. The aim of the AGRIVAL project is to identify and characterize HNVF areas through the use of indicators that take into account the different aspects that contribute to the naturalness in the study area (the upper Val d’Agri), surrounded by the National Park of Val d’Agri and Lagonegrese including 12 Sites of Community Importance (SCI), 2 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and an Important Area for Birds (IBA). The selected indicators, as suggested by earlier studies conducted in Europe, belong to different categories related to three fundamental macro-themes: land use, land and farm management and biodiversity, the latter largely made available by the Regional Natura 2000 Network. Among these, particular relevance is given to parameters derived from the environmental monitoring of the Agri river basin, from entomological surveys aimed at the evaluation of biodiversity and agro-biodiversity in the area, and from information about the use of plant protection products. Ongoing research activities focus on methods of analysis that have not yet been adequately integrated in order to allow an identification of the geographical and administrative HNVF at the operational level. To this end the use of GIS and mapping tools, in conjunction with existing environmental and geographic information together with other indicators of naturalness, are an ideal resource for rural and natural planning, allowing the necessary support to the development of incentive plans for sustainable development in rural areas.

Citation Key4025