Abstract ID: 3.12613 | Accepted as Poster | Poster | TBA | TBA

The EU Birds and Habitats Directives are the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation policies in Europe. Every six years, EU member states must report to the European Commission on the conservation status of protected species and habitats. However, data quality and completeness remain key challenges due to the lack of adequate data, reliance on incomplete surveys, and an overdependence on expert opinions rather than standardized assessments. A standardized national monitoring system is crucial for generating comparable and aggregated biodiversity data.
As part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security has tasked ISPRA with implementing sub-investment 3.2 a) “Nature Conservation – Monitoring Pressures and Threats on Species and Habitats and Climate Change.” This initiative aims to enhance coordination in monitoring efforts and establish a national system based on robust statistical designs and consistent data collection methods. The monitoring program focuses on the 24 National Parks, which cover 5% of Italy’s terrestrial territory. While these parks have been conducting biodiversity monitoring projects for years, the data collected has been highly heterogeneous due to varying methodologies and inconsistent application. Establishing a coordinated and standardized data collection and validation system across the country is therefore crucial.
The national monitoring system, supported by ISPRA, includes uniform survey activities and the same specialized equipment for each park. The scientific activities involve designing a sampling plan, collecting, and analysing data on the distribution and abundance of species of community interest within National Parks, and assessing the main pressures and threats affecting their habitats. The monitoring targets include bats, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals protected under the Habitats Directive, birds protected under the Birds Directive, and meso-mammals, which are crucial for faunal biodiversity.
Data collection will utilize both traditional and innovative technologies (e.g., acoustic monitoring, camera traps, remote sensing) to assess key conservation parameters, such as species distribution, population trends, habitat quality, and threats. The collected data will be processed through a centralized hub, integrating various sources, generating automated indices, and creating interactive maps and visualizations to enhance biodiversity conservation efforts.