A Life+ Nature project for the enhancement of structural heterogeneity in priority habitat (9210 and 9220) Apennine beech forests

The Apennine beech Natura 2000 priority habitats 9210* 9220*, i.e. beech forests where European yew (Taxus baccata), European holly (Ilex aquifolium), and silver fir (Abies alba) occur, are remnants of ancient, more extensive forests. Nowadays, this habitat has been extensively altered and reduced in extension due to traditional forestry practices that transformed these into pure beech stands, for example by repeated coppicing, with cascading effects on the diversity of other taxonomic groups, e.g. saproxylic fungi and beetles. The Life + project (2012–2016) “FAGUS – Forests of the Apennines: Good practices to conjugate Use and Sustainability” aims at ensuring long term conservation of these priority habitats in two Italian National Parks: Cilento and Vallo di Diano, Gran Sasso Laga. Focus of the project is to test experimental harvesting practices aimed at enhancing forest structural heterogeneity, as a way to accelerate the development of old-growth attributes and, accordingly, to increase diversity levels for focus taxa. According to this approach, the actions of the FAGUS project are: • Preparatory actions: assessment of the current habitat condition in the project area; sampling of forest structure, composition and diversity of vascular plants, lichens, birds, saproxylic fungi and beetles; • Concrete conservation actions: implementation of experimental harvesting treatments to promote the regeneration of yew, holly and silver fir; creation of habitat trees, deadwood and gaps to enhance the diversity levels of focus taxa; • Monitoring actions: sampling of forest structure, composition and diversity of focus taxa before and after concrete conservation actions, evaluations of the outcomes of experimental treatments; • Dissemination Actions: website, dissemination of promotional material, training courses, notice boards.The project will contribute to the development of Sustainable Management Strategies for the habitats 9210* and 9220*, and to disseminate the advantages of the experimented approach to local stakeholders as well as to a wider public.