Mreža zavarovanih območij v Alpah
On the occasion of a rewarding ceremony organised by the french presidency of the Platform “Ecological network” of the Alpine Vonvention in the frame of the XIth Ministers conference in Brdo (Slovenia) beginning of March 2011, 8 pilot regions have been thanked and congratulated for their exemplary work carried out to improve ecological connectivity on their territories.
These regions, mostly structured around existing protected areas, carry out concrete activities in the aim of realising an alpine ecological network as stipulated in article 12 of the nature protection protocol of the Alpine Convention. Several personalities present at the event, among which the German state secretary for Environment Mrs. Heinen-Esser, have overhanded the rewarding diploma to the representatives of the pilot regions.
This ceremony has also concluded the 2 years of French presideny oft he Platform Ecological network who has passed the reponsability for this working group to Germany, now in chanrge oft he coorination oft he platform activiteis fort he period 2011-2013.
List of the pilot regions (from Southwest to Northeast):
- South-western Alps (National Park Mercantour/ Nature Park Alpi Marittime, France-Italy)
- Département de l’Isère (France)
- Transboundary Ecoregion Gran Paradiso - Mont Avic - Mont Emilius (Italy)
- Ecoregion Alpe Veglia ed Alpe Devero (Italy)
- Rhaetian triangle (Engadin/Southtyrol/Trentino/Tyrol, Switzerland-Italy-Austria)
- Transboundary Region Berchtesgaden – Salzburg (Germany-Austria)
- Transbounadry Ecoregion Alpi Giulie (Italy)
- Nördliche Kalkalpen (Austria)
Since 2004, the Alpine Ecosystems Research Center (CREA) is running the Phenoclim project, aiming at measuring the effects of climate change on alpine plants phenology. Within the scope of participatory science, Phenoclim is both a scientific and educational program involving various publics (schools, associations, individuals, protected areas) in data collection.
Every spring and autumn, volunteers observe phenology of common plant species and transmit the data (dates of budburst, leafing, flowering, leaf fall etc...) to CREA.
170 study zones are now spread across the Alps. Climate is also monitored through a network of 60 temperature stations .
The objective of this observatory is to expand all over the Alps (also Germany, Austria, Slovenia…), to better take into account the geographical diversity of the whole mountain range.
The 2011 Phenoclim spring campaign has just started… You are managing one or more alpine protected areas? It’s the perfect time to join the french, italian and swiss protected areas which are already involved in Phenoclim!
You are interested in joining the project?
Important: the web interface to register and report data is for the moment only available in French. If you would be interested to register and need an English version, please contact Floriane Macian (below) to express your interest and the CREA will consider the possibility to translate these pages.
If you want to use Phenoclim as an educational tool for schools, don’t hesitate to ask CREA for some tips.
Floriane Macian (English+French speaking)
floriane@crea.hautesavoie.net / www.crea.hautesavoie.net/phenoclim / 0033 (0)4 50 53 45 16
Download the presentation leaflet in English
Otters continue to astonish the scientific community. For decades, the otter was on the brink of extinction but the population is now growing rapidly without any human assistance. Sightings of the mammals, which are part of the weasel family (Mustelidae), are becoming more common throughout the Alps, particularly in Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland.
The species was seriously endangered in the 19th century, when otters were hunted down both for their fur and because they were believed to be rapacious predators of fish. A ban on hunting otters failed to halt the population's decline, which was primarily caused by damage to their natural habitat.
Up to now, otters were believed to have survived in a only few places: the Inn and Ziller rivers (Tyrol, Austria), in the Fecht (Alsace, France) and in the Ticino river (Lombardy, Italy) following a reintroduction programme.
However, in recent years otters from the Laming valley (Styria, Austria) have moved further afield, with sightings reported around the Swiss Domat hydroelectric plant since December 2009. Other sightings have been recorded in recent months in the Rhone-Alps region in France – close to the Monts d'Ardèche Regional Nature Park and the Ile de la Platière Nature Reserve.
This is definitely good news, news which gives us reason to hope that otters will gradually return to populate the whole of the Alpine massif.
Sources:
NZZ online (German)
Office for hunting and fishing of the Graubünden (German, Italian and Romansh)
Association pro lutra (German and French)
Rheinaubund (German)
3 sat (German)
Spiegel online (German)
Enviscope (French)
ledauphine.com (French)
Corriere della sera.it (Italian)
After two and half years of working on the ECONNECT project, innumerable meetings with local stakeholders, project partners and experts, and the long and complex process of developing a methodology, mapping and planning the activities, the project is entering the final phase: implementing the connectivity measures.
The pilot regions have chosen which actions they will implement in order to demonstrate that, after a process of planning and coordination with local stakeholders, it is possible to improve connectivity between our most valuable habitats, which are often also the most fragile.
Naturally the scope of these activities is limited by the funding available, but they do prove that a structured planning process and awareness-raising can produce results.
ECONNECT is essentially a planning project and has trialled a fairly sophisticated methodology (Joint Ecological Continuum Analysing and Mapping Initiative – JECAMI, analysis of potential Alpine habitats for certain species and of the fragmentation of the Alpine region). It also engages the stakeholders who are essential to the creation of an ecological continuum in the Alps.
ECONNECT has certainly achieved its aims. The priority now is to draw conclusions based on the findings of the ECONNECT project, notably strategic recommendations on implementing measures and integrating the ideas into Alpine land management policies with a view to facilitating genetic exchanges and improving the potential for conserving Alpine biodiversity.
We have six months left to achieve these aims, as the project has been extended to November 2011.
An example of how trans-Alpine meetings can mark the beginning of beautiful new partnerships.
The 2008 AlpWeek held in Argentière la Bessée in France entitled "innovating (in) the Alps" provided an opportunity to compare a range of innovative Alpine initiatives, including the Achental Eco-Model (Germany).
Following the presentation, news of the Achental model for sustainable tourism and energy reached the ears of the Trièves regional land-use planning body (SAT) in France. The two areas got together and two years later are now partners in the EU BioRegions project, which was launched in May 2010 as part of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme.
Eleven partners from different rural areas in Europe are involved in the project, which focuses on identifying and sharing methods and good practice. The project seeks to promote the development of so-called bioregions – areas that aim to obtain at least one-third of their energy needs from local and sustainable bioenergy sources.
This is just one example among many which proves that our international thematic events bring together stakeholders from different Alpine regions and can genuinely enhance cooperation and practical action on the ground.
For more information about the BioRegions project, go to http://www.bioregions.eu/
Source: CIPRA France
Stop – no way through! A giant wall blocks the way of pedestrians in Zurich/CH, Vienna/A, Munich/D, Ljubljana/SI, Milan/I and Lyon/F. For animals, it’s the same every day: streets and settlements increasingly fragment their migration routes.
Against the background of the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biodiversity, being held in Nagoya, Japan in the second half of October, the ‘Ecological Continuum Initiative’ demonstrated with ‘The Wall’ on 20 October how important interlinked habitats are for the survival of many plant and animal species.
Take a look at some media reports from the different countries at this link: www.alpine-ecological-network.org
Source: press release by Cipra International, in the frame of the Ecological Continuum, gathering CIPRA, ALPARC, WWF and ISCAR
The Ecological Continuum Initiative has developed a very unusual communication tool: a large wall that can easily be set up in a public space or a pedestrian zone to restrict access. The barrier illustrates the difficulties that roads and conurbations create for wildlife by cutting off their migratory routes.
The wall contains animal-shaped blank sections and displays information on how natural habitats are being linked up in networks. In October 2010, as part of the International Year of Biodiversity, six walls were erected at the same time in six major Alpine towns and attracted a lot of media attention.
Are you planning an event to focus attention on the fragmentation of natural habitats? If so, why not make use of one of the six walls, free of charge, during the event? Information brochures suitable for handing out to passers-by are also available.
For more information and to obtain a paper copy of the information brochures, contact Mateja Pirc .
The project “Equilibri Naturali” is designed to bring children closer to nature.It focuses in particular on addressing current social issues such as obesity, short attention spans and dependency on television and computer games by promoting outdoor experiences through creative activities and a more relaxed pace of life.
In addition to the opportunity to teach children about sustainability, the outdoor activities help to create a sense of "belonging" to an area. The activities allow children to rediscover the value of interacting with others (playing games, shared outdoor adventures) whilst also improving the way that they learn.
The Natural Balance programme was developed by the Monti Sibillini National Park in Italy and has been implemented by AIDAP (Italian Association of protected area directors and staff). Many Italian protected areas have signed up to the project, including the Belluno Dolomites National Park, which is very actively involved.
Details of the Natural Balance programme and events are available online at the Italian protected areas website (www.parks.it ).
For further information:
The decision was taken by the region of Geneva and the local Swiss and French municipalities: from April 2011, the road between Mategnin (Meyrin / GE, Switzerland) and France will be removed through populations of amphibians!
The Nature reserves "Les marais des Crêts " and "Les marais des Fontaines", where you can find many species pertaining to this class, of which 70% are on the IUCN Red List of threatened species , in an area of 15 hectares, will again reconnected for the development of flora and fauna. The permanent dismantling of a road happens for the first time in Switzerland. It allows the creation of a large nature reserve, which contributes to the reconstruction of an ecological network.
More information on: http://www.espacemategnin.ch/ and http://www.pronatura.ch
The Ecrins National Park created, with the initiative of the Centre of Alpine Orality (General Council of Hautes-Alpes ), an archive of documentaries and sound creations, recorded mainly in the alpine massif. These archives, a contribution to memories of the territory, are available on the webpage “Pierres qui roulent ”.
This webpage offers you to listen to sound creations, documentaries, stories and sound effects of the alpine region. All recordings are produced giving a voice to those who live the mountainous life every day.
Further infomation (in french) at:
Based on interviews with 21 alpine protected areas, the report “Renewable energies in Alpine protected areas” shows the conflicts between the protection and the use regarding the production of renewable energies as well as possible strategies. The study has been elaborated by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences (SAS) with the support of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas (ALPARC) and has been funded by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).
In the parks, which have been analysed, the majority of conflicts is caused by wind and water power. Regarding the use of water power, the more severe legislation will reduce the potential for conflicts in particular what concerns residual flow, hydro-peaking and river dynamics. Furthermore, the increasing demands lead to new conflicts. Wind turbines generally encounter resistance from landscape conservation organisations. The potential conflict of photovoltaic and biomass is currently lower; however, it will probably grow with the increasing demand for renewable energies.
There is no remedy that applies to all parks, it’s depending on the potential of conflicts and the need for action varies. Thus, only some of the parks would prefer stricter rules and the question about energy targets or concepts are judged differently. Regardless of the path that a park chooses to follow, it will be unavoidable to deal with the topic.
The report, available in a trilingual uncutted version and a concise version in German, French or Italian, can be downloaded at:
The subject is of great topical interest: how can we assure a larger effectiveness of the alpine protected areas’ management measures? How can we monitor the effectiveness during the time?
An increasing number of protection authorities as ministries and local communities request to protected areas managers a veritable evaluation, in terms of effectiveness, of their management measures. Some large organisations, such as IUCN and the Council of Europe (European Diploma of Protected Areas ), dealt with this topic at the level of protected areas.
This project gets in the framework of the meetings and reflections of the working group of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas (ALPARC) concerning the topic of management measures evaluation by comparing their effectiveness at international level. Thanks to the support of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the collaboration with the Swiss Parks Network , the Alpine Network of protected Areas could develop a first version of a catalogue of indicators addressed to protected areas managers. This catalogue (CIME_1), with a first selection of 25 recommended indicators, aims for being a simple and functional application tool.
Each one of the 25 recommended indicators is described in a factsheet where amongst other things are specified:
The suggested approach, which relies on methodologies standardised at international level, has been developed within exchanges and needs expressed by managers themselves during different meetings, in order to create an easy, pertinent and effective tool! In addition, a steering group, constituted by representatives of FOEN, Swiss Parks Network, Swiss Academy of Sciences , Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve and ALPARC, permitted the progress and the summary of scripts pursuant to the workshops.
CIME_1, available in English and in the 4 alpine languages, has to be tested so that it is possible to proceed on its evaluation and improvement.
Are you a manager of an alpine protected area?
Don’t hesitate to use it in your ordinary practices, as both evaluation tool and log.
Send us your opinion and remarks! They would be very useful to refine the catalogue!