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The sword lily Gladiolus palustris Gaudin is protected on European level and listed in Annexes II and IV of the EC Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC. It grows in nutrient-poor, calcareous meadows in central and eastern Europe. Tree encroachment in montane meadows of the European Alps as a result of recent land use changes and the abandonment of traditional farming practices threaten the survival of this species. Conservation-driven mowing is considered a feasible conservation measure for maintaining high species diversity in abandoned semi-natural grasslands. To assess the effects of ten years of biennial mowing on a grassland community in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, Italy (Site of Community Importance, Natura 2000 network), ten 25 m2 plots were established whereby four plots were placed in the mowed area, four in the non-mowed area and two in a small non-mowed patch of grassland inside the mowed area. In each plot the following variables were recorded, total percentage of plant cover, percentage cover of woody species, percentage cover of herbaceous species, percentage cover and number of flowering ramets of G. palustris and a complete list of species and their percentage abundance. Mowed plots showed a higher species richness than non-mowed plots. The number of G. palustris flowering ramets and percentage cover increased manifold in mowed plots compared to non-mowed plots. The resumption of mowing for conservation purposes undertaken by the managing authority halted the process of tree encroachment and avoided a drastic change in plant composition. Periodic mowing (every second or third year) was demonstrated to be a cost-effective conservation measure in non-productive grasslands to keep grasses at bay in favour of forbs of high conversation value.

Field investigation carried out by the Sicilian botanists in the last 20 years enabled them to identify eight habitat types of high biogeographic and conservation interest, neglected by the Directive 92/43, which deservead hocconservation measures. For each of these habitats, a syntaxonomic interpretation of the corresponding plant communities, their main ecological, physiognomic and syndynamic traits and a list of diagnostic species are provided. Their classification into the macrotypes listed in the Annex I of the Directive 92/43 and the respective correspondence in EUNIS habitat classification are proposed. The habitats here described integrate those already proposed by the Italian Botanical Society, with the hope of an adequate recognition at national at supranational level.

Networks of protected areas are fundamental for biodiversity conservation, but many factors determine their conservation efficiency. In particular, on top of other human-driven disturbances, invasions by non-native species can cause habitat and biodiversity loss. Jointly understanding what drives patterns of plant diversity and of non-native species in protected areas is therefore a priority. We tested whether the richness and composition of native and non-native plant species within a network of protected areas follow similar patterns across spatial scales. Specifically, we addressed three questions: (a) what is the degree of congruence in species richness between native and non-native species? (b) do changes in the composition of non-native species across ecological gradients reflect a similar turnover of native species along the same gradients ? (c) what are the main environmental and human disturbance drivers controlling species richness in these two groups of species? Species richness and composition of native and non-native plant species were compared at two spatial scales: the plot scale (10m × 10m) and the Protected Area scale (PA). In addition, we fit Generalized Linear Models to identify the most important drivers of native and non-native species richness at each scale, focusing on environmental conditions (climate, topography) and on the main sources of human disturbance in the area (land use and roads). We found a significant positive correlation between the turnover of native and non-native species composition at both plot and PA scales, whereas their species richness was only correlated at the larger PA scale. The lack of congruence between the richness of native and non-native species at the plot scale was likely driven by differential responses to fine scale environmental factors, with non-natives favoring drier climates and milder slopes (climate and slope). In addition, more non-native species were found closer to road-ways in the reserve network. In contrast, the congruence in the richness of native and non-native species at the broader PA scale was mainly driven by the common influence of PA area, but also by similar responses of the two groups of species to climatic heterogeneity. Thus, our study highlights the strong spatial dependence of the relationship between native and non-native species richness and of their responses to environmental variation. Taken together, our results suggest that within the study region the introduction and establishment of non-native species would be more likely in warmer and dryer areas, with high native species richness at large spatial scale but intermediate levels of anthropogenic disturbances and mild slope inclinations and elevation at fine scale. Such an exhaustive understanding of the factors that influence the spread of non-native species, especially in networks of protected areas is crucial to inform conservation managers on how to control or curb non-native species.

In the Mediterranean Region, habitat loss and fragmentation severely affect coastal wetlands, due to the rapid expansion of anthropogenic activities that has occurred in the last decades. Landscape metrics are commonly used to define landscape patterns and to evaluate fragmentation processes. This investigation focuses on the performance of a set of landscape pattern indices within landscapes characterized by coastal environments and extent below 1,000 ha. The aim is to assess the degree of habitat fragmentation for the monitoring of protected areas and to learn whether values of landscape metrics can characterize fine-resolution landscape patterns. The study areas are three coastal wetlands belonging to the Natura 2000 network and sited on the Adriatic side of Apulia (Southern Italy). The Habitat Maps were derived from the Vegetation Maps generated integrating phytosociological relevés and Earth Observation data. In the three sites, a total of 16 habitat types were detected. A selected set of landscape metrics was applied in order to investigate their performance in assessing fragmentation and spatial patterns of habitats. The final results showed that the most significant landscape patterns are related to highly specialized habitat types closely linked to coastal environments. In interpreting the landscape patterns of these highly specialized habitats, some specific ecological factors were taken into account. The shape indices were the most useful in assessing the degree of fragmentation of habitat types that usually have elongated morphology along the shoreline or the coastal lagoons. In all the cases, to be meaningful, data obtained from the application of the selected indices were jointly assessed, especially at the class level.

The implementation of Natura 2000, Ecological Network of protected areas established in the European territory under Council Directive 92/43/EEC, has encountered serious problems in many European States. This is proven by conspicuous juridical interventions initiated by the European Union against Member States failing to comply with the Directive’s requirements; by the aversion of stakeholders involved in the use of protected areas and by the criticisms that environmental non-governmental organizations expressed about the governmental approaches towards the network’s realization. This paper presents a critical reflection on the problems in the realization of Natura 2000 Network, by analysing and comparing the experiences of two Member States: the Netherlands and Italy. Despite the differences in national natural heritages and nature conservation policy traditions, the two Natura 2000 implementation processes present interesting similarities. These allowed the authors to identify theoretical and practical obstacles that are making the network’s implementation problematic and to reflect on the most important challenges to the realization of Natura 2000 Network in the two countries, as well as in other Member States that experienced similar implementation problems.

European Union law to protect wild species of plants and animals is generally considered as ‘strict’. Opponents of nature conservation law often pick the species protection components of the EU Bird Directive and Habitat Directive as a prime example of an unnecessary strict regulatory scheme that results in limitations of economic developments. Based on case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, this paper explores to what extent EU species protection rules are indeed as rigid as its opponents often depict them. The article starts with a presentation of some general considerations regarding the motivations underpinning species protection law (Section II). Based on a brief discussion of the various “human-nature-attitudes” as distinguished in environmental philosophy, the authors show that at the level of international nature conservation law, an interesting shift in human-nature relationships from mastery towards stewardship and even to the ecocentric attitudes can be recognized; however, despite this shift, many of the nature conservation goals have not been met. One of the common weaknesses of many of the international conventions is that the wording of obligations and prohibitions leaves much leeway for balancing interests, prioritizing short term economic benefits and - consequently - for mastery behaviour. This helps to understand that in the EU, with 80% of the important natural values in an unfavourable conservation status, species protection law is meant to be more concrete and strict (Section III). The discussion of the case law of the EU Court of Justice in this article shows that in the last two decades many attempts have been made by Member States to find the weak components of the system in order to find space for prioritizing economic interests; however, the analysis also shows that in all these situations the Court has closed the backdoor for mastery by enforcing the strict character of the regime (Section IV). The article concludes with the observation that this strict character of the system appears to be an important fundament for developing new innovative approaches (Section V): Governments and businesses start to understand that a willingness to take nature conservation law seriously and by conducting active initiatives to restore species in a favourable conservation status, there is less need and space for legal procedures and more space for economic developments.

European Union law to protect wild species of plants and animals is generally considered as ‘strict’. Opponents of nature conservation law often pick the species protection components of the EU Bird Directive and Habitat Directive as a prime example of an unnecessary strict regulatory scheme that results in limitations of economic developments. Based on case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, this paper explores to what extent EU species protection rules are indeed as rigid as its opponents often depict them. The article starts with a presentation of some general considerations regarding the motivations underpinning species protection law (Section II). Based on a brief discussion of the various “human-nature-attitudes” as distinguished in environmental philosophy, the authors show that at the level of international nature conservation law, an interesting shift in human-nature relationships from mastery towards stewardship and even to the ecocentric attitudes can be recognized; however, despite this shift, many of the nature conservation goals have not been met. One of the common weaknesses of many of the international conventions is that the wording of obligations and prohibitions leaves much leeway for balancing interests, prioritizing short term economic benefits and - consequently - for mastery behaviour. This helps to understand that in the EU, with 80% of the important natural values in an unfavourable conservation status, species protection law is meant to be more concrete and strict (Section III). The discussion of the case law of the EU Court of Justice in this article shows that in the last two decades many attempts have been made by Member States to find the weak components of the system in order to find space for prioritizing economic interests; however, the analysis also shows that in all these situations the Court has closed the backdoor for mastery by enforcing the strict character of the regime (Section IV). The article concludes with the observation that this strict character of the system appears to be an important fundament for developing new innovative approaches (Section V): Governments and businesses start to understand that a willingness to take nature conservation law seriously and by conducting active initiatives to restore species in a favourable conservation status, there is less need and space for legal procedures and more space for economic developments.

European Union law to protect wild species of plants and animals is generally considered as ‘strict’. Opponents of nature conservation law often pick the species protection components of the EU Bird Directive and Habitat Directive as a prime example of an unnecessary strict regulatory scheme that results in limitations of economic developments. Based on case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, this paper explores to what extent EU species protection rules are indeed as rigid as its opponents often depict them. The article starts with a presentation of some general considerations regarding the motivations underpinning species protection law (Section II). Based on a brief discussion of the various “human-nature-attitudes” as distinguished in environmental philosophy, the authors show that at the level of international nature conservation law, an interesting shift in human-nature relationships from mastery towards stewardship and even to the ecocentric attitudes can be recognized; however, despite this shift, many of the nature conservation goals have not been met. One of the common weaknesses of many of the international conventions is that the wording of obligations and prohibitions leaves much leeway for balancing interests, prioritizing short term economic benefits and - consequently - for mastery behaviour. This helps to understand that in the EU, with 80% of the important natural values in an unfavourable conservation status, species protection law is meant to be more concrete and strict (Section III). The discussion of the case law of the EU Court of Justice in this article shows that in the last two decades many attempts have been made by Member States to find the weak components of the system in order to find space for prioritizing economic interests; however, the analysis also shows that in all these situations the Court has closed the backdoor for mastery by enforcing the strict character of the regime (Section IV). The article concludes with the observation that this strict character of the system appears to be an important fundament for developing new innovative approaches (Section V): Governments and businesses start to understand that a willingness to take nature conservation law seriously and by conducting active initiatives to restore species in a favourable conservation status, there is less need and space for legal procedures and more space for economic developments.