Project aims

The WetFlyAmphibia project (Conservation of amphibians and butterflies of open wet areas and their habitats at the Foreste Casentinesi National Park) is aimed at improving the conservation status of the populations of amphibians and butterflies of habitats of open wet areas of one of the most valuable forest areas of Europe, the Foreste Casentinesi National Park.

The analysis of the population dynamics of the species related to wetlands of the area, particularly amphibians and butterflies, show the presence of different criticality. Therefore the population of the community interest amphibians and butterflies have an irregular distribution due to several factors of disturbance and threat, mainly due to the alteration and reduction of their habitats and breeding sites.

The project proposes, therefore, to carry out several conservation actions aimed to stop the threats of populations of interest of amphibians and butterflies of open wet areas. These actions mainly consist in the reinforcement of the populations, the restoration of wetlands that over time have greatly reduced, this reduction has indirectly caused the reduction of related species. The restoration of these environments does not only provide the physical realization of wetlands, also provides the arrangement (by restoring the vegetation) of these areas of these to return to host some habitats that are currently in a reduction process (habitat 6430).

Specific objectives of the project are:

-Improvement of the conservation status of Bombina variegata, Salamandrina terdigitata and Triturus carnifex populations, through the reinforcement of populations, the improvement of the conservation status of their habitats and the creation of new breeding areas.

-Improvement of the conservation status of Euplagia quadripunctaria* and Eriogaster catax populations, through the improvement of the conservation status of their habitats.

-Improvement of the conservation status of the wetlands of open areas (habitat 6430) and rare or unique plant species related to these areas, in order to reduce the extinction threat level, through the ex-situ conservation of germplasm, vegetation breeding and restoration.

-Increment of the awareness of the population about the need of conservation of amphibians and butterflies species.