Forest@ (Jan 2007)
Planning habitat improvement for Black Grouse in Valsugana, Trentino, Italy
Abstract
This technical note describes the conceiving and planning phase, the licence and EU funding procedure and the first results of a demanding habitat improvement program for Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix), carried out in the territories of ‘Telve - Telve di sopra - Carzano’ hunting communal Reserve, in eastern Trentino. Through the years 2006-2007, activities will affect a surface of about 25.5 ha of underutilized pastures, by now invaded by shrubs and arboreal species regeneration, for a total amount of 64.250 €, whose funding will be provided thanks to the 2000-2006 Rural Development Plan by the Autonomous Province of Trento. Plan’s 9.2.3 c) provision sets in fact “activities aimed at preserving and enhancing biodiversity of an area, including what wildlife regards...” within investments eligible for public contribution. Central Valsugana Forest Association - constituted in 2005 by Telve, Carzano and Telve di sopra and other villages - thus submitted the adherence application to the Plan for the year 2005, giving a program of the investments relevant to the 9.2.3 c) provision, for a total amount of 93.300 €. Seven are the Reserve’s areas object of the established habitat improvement activities, which have already been carried out in 3 of these in the period July, 31st - October 30th 2006. Activities involved shrub mulching in shrub invaded areas: these were performed with an excavator Euromach 6500 equipped with a Seppi M. BMS-L head - and a rotor with swinging hammer - on its dipper arm. In the end, perspectives consistent with coordinating actions of habitat improvement activities and test of their actual effectiveness are described. Without doubt, in the last years the specific Rural Development Plan’s 9.2.3 c) provision has made it possible - also in other situations of the Provincial territory - to realize important habitat improvement activities devoted particularly to wildlife.
