A monitoring system of
climate changes effects on high-mountain communities
Petriccione Bruno
National Forest
Service, Roma (Italy)
A fast process of global
warming is threatening survival of flood-plain forest and of high-elevation
communities of Apennines. A medium-term degeneration process is foreseen,
followed by a at long-term regression process, with an increasing role of
ruderal species.
On the basis of all models,
climate changes are foreseen stronger in the Central-Southern part of Italy,
where a remarkable reduction of precipitation (20-30% ca.) and a strong
increase of temperature (3-4 °C ca.) are expected.
Recent changes in species
composition and abundance in eight plant communities characteristic of Central
Apennines have been analysed, on the basis of permanent plots, 100-300 m2 large, from 1.000
to 2.300 m a.s.l..
For each plot, a
phytosociological relevé was collected in 1993 and repeated in 1999 and
2001. A comparative analysis of changes in species composition, life forms,
life strategies and morpho-functional types lead to recognise dynamical
processes and the increase of drought- and stress-tolerant species, in some
cases probably linked to a general process of climate change.
On the basis of the foreseen
and observed changes in the alpine communities, new land management policies
are necessary and urgent, including the establishment of networks and systems
of protected areas and of a dedicated monitoring network.