Objective
The bittern is one of the least-known birds in Europe and also one of those most at risk of extinction; hence the European Community recently supported formulation of an action plan to save the species. In Tuscany the bittern has been observed in Massaciuccoli lake and in the Diaccia Botrona swamp, both of them SPAs. In Massaciuccoli some twenty nesting couples were recorded in 1996, equal to 60-70% of the estimated population for Italy. The bittern is vitally dependent on the presence of thick reeds and rushes, clearings and a complex food web (fish, amphibians and small mammals). All these conditions are fulfilled in the Massaciuccoli lake, a small body of water which in recent years was under dire threat from excessive eutrophication which could have jeopardized the delicate ecological balance. Fortunately, thanks to the local park administration, measures were taken to restrict the inflow of nutrients into the lake. Feedback was quick and positive: the lake became an ideal staging point for an abundant avifauna (besides the bittern, two other priority bird species, the white-eyed pochard and the aquatic warbler, occur here) and the presence of rare and priority species at the site is now assured.
By means of the LIFE project the park administration intends to bring an area of 200 ha under the strictest ecological surveillance to create what will be termed the Punta Grande integral reserve. The measures to be taken include complete closure to the public, which will however be able to see the site from an observation platform, as well as blocking the canals which cross it, mowing the reeds and keeping vegetation along the banks under control. Creating an alternation of eco-tones such as the succession banks-reeds-clearings will, furthermore, encourage birds to nest. To control the influx of nutrients and keep eutrophication under control, the quality of the water which flows through the reserve will be constantly analyzed by a monitoring station.
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Programme(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
56122 Pisa
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.