For the Maiella National Park, an important path of scientific research begins, thanks to the funding obtained by participating in the CNR public call aimed at monitoring, enhancing and restoring biodiversity in protected areas, in the research program of the National Biodiversity Center "National BiodiversityFuture Center (Nbfc)", using the resources of the NRRP.
The funded project proposal, "Monitoring of habitats and animal species affected by climate change", translates into the activity of "Monitoring of the Altomontana Biodiversity of the Maiella Park": the technicians of the Park Authority, together with the partners of the universities of Perugia and Teramo, will start a medium and long-term monitoring of biodiversity in various high-altitude environments, with particular attention to target species affected by the effects of climate change; All this in order to assess their state and pressures, vulnerability, resistance and/or resilience capacity, and to identify interventions capable of guaranteeing a satisfactory state of conservation.
The perturbations induced by climate change on biodiversity are more important for the components that show low ecological value (stenoecia), such as plant and animal species living above the upper limit of the forest in the Apennines, defined as "glacial relicts" or with reduced geographical distribution (e.g. endemic microtherms).
For over twenty years, the Maiella Massif has been involved in studies on herbaceous vegetation in high-altitude areas with the European ecological monitoring network of the Gloria project (GLObal Research Initiative in Alpine ecosystems), coordinated for central Italy by the University of Molise with the direct collaboration of the Park. The project will be developed in 4 main actions spread over 20 months, from March 2024 to October 2025. "Access to this funding was possible thanks to the clear and recognized professionalism of the colleagues of the Biodiversity and Veterinary Services," comments Luciano Di Martino, director and head of the Park's Biodiversity and Research Service.
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