Human impacts on mountain mammals in Central Apennines
Just as studies on a global scale have the advantage of identifying global trends and stirring awareness at an international level, studies on a local scale are useful for increasing knowledge and have a great potential in influencing decisions, especially at a local planning level within administrations and NGOs.
The ecological impacts of livestock grazing on wildlife, as well as the social dynamics that influence stocking densities and herding behaviour, are poorly understood and strongly debated. This kind of knowledge is particularly lacking in some mountainous areas of the Central Apennines, where the impact of land use such herbivores and overgrazing is a strong threat and what is known in this regard is limited to anecdotes and short reports realized by national parks.
Thus, quantifying the presence of wild species in these areas, and relating this to the presence of farmed species, would be significant in order to both increase the limited knowledge that exists in these areas and to support the coexistence between wildlife and local communities.
What's going on:
- Jul '22 first camera trap session has started, Chiara Dragonetti is collecting photos of several species