Objective
Three municipalities (Guspini, Arbus and Gonnosfanadiga) and the Province of Cagliari have joined together in a LIFE project which will take on a sweep of land along Sardinia's west coast, ranging from the Piscinas dunes, one of Italy's most significant and picturesque dune complexes, to the holm oak woods on the summit of Monte Arcuentu and the steppic habitats of Pordu Atzei. The four subsites proposed as Sites of Community Interest include habitats classified as priority under Directive 92/43/EEC, such as the endemic Mediterranean forests with Juniperus and the pseudo-steppe with grasses and annuals (Thero-Brachypodietea), as well as priority species like the little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) and the Sardinian red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus). Although 200-250 individuals of this deer occur here, the lack of protection poses a serious threat for this population, which is of strategic importance in terms of the overall conservation of the species. Furthermore, the Piscinas dunes are threatened by the increasing impact of tourism, with a consequent degeneration of the vegetation, while the Mediterranean scrub on Monte Arcuentu is at risk from wildfires.
The project's principal target is to create a protected area and set up a structure to elaborate an integrated management plan for the four subsites, thereby guaranteeing the conservation of one of the most vulnerable ecosystems on Sardinia. Access to the dunes complex is to be prohibited and work undertaken to restore the dune vegetation. In the interior, on the slopes of Monte Arcuentu, a system to detect and monitor fires and keep the Sardinian red deer and little bustard habitat under surveillance, will be set up. In addition, an information and awareness campaign, in which NGOs will be involved, will be launched to underline not only the ecological value of the area, but also its potential for socio-economic development - this area was, until a few years ago, a very important mining zone on accounts of its resources of lead, zinc and silver. It is now undergoing reconversion and the municipality of Guspini, where the last mine was closed in 1992, intends to establish a major cultural centre, using the abandoned mine infrastructures as an example of industrial archaeology.
Topic(s)
Data not availableCall for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
09100 Cagliari
Italy