LIFE BEEadapt project to protect pollinators started
LIFE BEEadapt project has been launched for the protection of pollinators
Pollinators activity is the basis of many ecological processes and the functioning of ecosystems: the reproduction of over 85% of wild plants and more than 70% of agricultural crops depends on pollinators, but not only that, the economic value of the service of animal pollination is estimated at around 153 billion dollars globally, of which around 26 billion in Europe alone and around 3 billion in Italy (ISPRA, 2021). But their survival is endangered by four main factors such as: climate change, the increase in intensive and unsustainable agricultural practices, the disappearance of natural and semi-natural habitats and the strong spread of monocultures.
Precisely, to protect pollinators and mitigate the risks associated with the progressive degradation of ecosystems and the climate crisis, LIFE BEEadapt project was born – a pact for pollinators adaptation to climate change, co-financed by the LIFE program of the European Union. The project was presented on 16 May 2023 in the Arancera room of the Botanical Garden of Rome in view of two significant days for our ecosystem: the “world bee day” (20 May) and the “biodiversity day” (22 May) of which pollinators are one of the protagonists.
Launched in September 2022 and lasting 48 months, LIFE BEEadapt project has a key objective of preparing a shared strategy on a large geographical scale for the adaptation of pollinators to climate change, one of the main threat factors for conservation of these insects and consequently for the ecosystem service of pollination. Increase in average seasonal temperatures, increasingly frequent late frosts, prolonged periods of drought alternating with intense rainfall have in fact caused a mismatch between flowering times and pollinator activity. Recent studies have shown that many species of pollinating insects have seen their activity period advance by as much as six days in the last 60 years and their flight duration decreased by two days. (Duchenne et al., 2020).
Some data
In Italy, according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red Lists, of the 151 native bee species assessed (out of a total of over 1100 apoidea recorded in Italy), 34 (equal to 22%) are in danger. Specifically: 5 are potentially extinct, 2 other species are critically endangered, 10 species are endangered, 4 species are vulnerable and another 13 are close to a threatened state. Even the data on butterflies are not at all reassuring, of the 289 species of diurnal butterflies, 18 (equal to 6.3%) are at risk of extinction.
The project
To deal with this tragic scenario, the project has developed 4 lines of intervention – to be applied in areas with a strong natural vocation (Tuscan-Emilian Apennines National Park and Monte Torricchio Nature Reserve, the latter in the Marche), in peri-urban areas (the protected areas managed by Roma Natura, in Lazio) and in territories with a strong agricultural vocation (the agro-pontine areas also in Lazio) – which can be summarized with these key words: sustainability, through the creation of green infrastructures (shelters against water bombs, bee hotels, plants with different phenology) more suitable for pollinators; inclusiveness, with the involvement of a plurality of public and private stakeholders who cooperate for pollinator-friendly land management and planning; replicability, through an intense information and awareness campaign among citizens.
Objectives
There are four specific objectives of the LIFE BEEadapt project:
- The improvement and redevelopment of functionality and ecological connectivity, through the creation of green infrastructures in 5 Italian target areas with highly diverse geophysical and morphological characteristics.
- The definition of a multi-level governance model aimed at public and private entities involved in land management, to strengthen their capacity in implementing pollinator-oriented measures.
- The activation of a Roundtable for the adaptation of pollinators to climate change and of a series of “Territorial Pacts” for the promotion, sustainability and replicability of the BEEadapt intervention model.
- The development of a Protocol in favor of pollinators based on the model developed in the 5 target areas of BEEadapt to be capitalized in other Italian areas and the definition and implementation of agronomic and territorial management practices consistent with European Agricultural Policies.
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