SAC IT2010010 - brughiera del Vigano

SAC IT2010010 - BRUGHIERA DEL VIGANO

PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY: Lombardy Ticino Valley Regional Park

OTHER PROTECTED AREAS IN THE NATURA 2000 SITE: Lombardy Ticino Valley Regional Natural Park, SPA IT2080301 'Boschi del Ticino'

TOTAL AREA OF THE NATURA 2000 SITE: 509,980 hectares

HABITAT AREA AFFECTED BY INTERVENTION: overall, the areas of habitat 4030 affected by concrete interventions, aimed at restoring the habitat to a favorable conservation status, amount to 1.13 hectares, of which 0.66 hectares already present and 0.465 hectares newly created.

MUNICIPALITIES AFFECTED BY THE PROJECT INTERVENTIONS: Golasecca and Somma Lombardo (VA)

USES OF THE AREA: part of the SPA is located within private property, while part is public. The standard form does not specify the percentages of the various properties. The SAC contains the following land cover categories: 50% artificial vegetation, 31% deciduous broadleaf forests, 10% wetlands, 5% extensive cereal crops, 2% mixed forests, 1% coniferous forests, and 1% inland water bodies.

DESCRIPTION: most of the SAC is occupied by woodland, not always with a good natural appearance, but with a certain continuity; there are also meadows and uncultivated land and, to a lesser extent, cultivated fields.
The Directive habitats surveyed are: 9190 (Old acidophilous lowland oak forests with Quercus robur) (22.46 ha – 4.4% of the SAC area), 3260 (Lowland and mountain rivers with Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation) (0.07 ha – less than 1%) (Zavagno 2010), and 4030 (xerophilous heathlands) (4.03 ha – 1%). Most of the woodland environments consist of old reforestations of Pinus rigida and broadleaf woodlands often invaded by invasive exotic woody plants (Ailanthus altissima, Prunus serotina, Quercus rubra, Robinia pseudoacacia), environments poor in both structural and floral terms. Several animal species of Community interest (Birds Directive, Habitats Directive) are present, such as birds (Alcedo atthis, Caprimulgus europaeus), mammals (Myotis emarginatus), and insects (Cerambyx cerdo, Lucanus cervus), listed in various Annexes of the Habitats Directive (Zavagno 2010). There are also some animal and vascular species of conservation interest not included in the Annexes of the Habitats and Birds Directives: these are mostly bird species closely associated with forest environments (Accipiter gentilis, Accipiter nisus, Lophophanes cristatus) and herbaceous nemoral species (Erythronium dens-canis, Galanthus nivalis) (Zavagno 2010).

CONSERVATION STATUS: the conservation status of the habitats is variable. The oak forests and heathlands are in a medium or poor state of conservation, while Habitat 3260 is in good condition.

IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECT AREA FOR SPECIES AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION: this site in Lombardy is one of the few where it is practically possible to restore the heathland (a characteristic feature of the Lombardy high plain) to a favorable state of conservation thanks to the interventions envisaged in this project, creating a core area and a corridor, important for connecting to other areas. Many other heathlands in Lombardy, not included within SCIs or SCIs, are difficult for the Park Authority to manage.
The species that dominate the habitat in the site under consideration are: Calluna vulgaris, G. germanica, G. tinctoria, and Cytisus scoparius. Due to the porous substrate, this site hosts annual species that flower in spring before the summer drought, such as Filago minima, Micropyrum tenellum, Jasione montana, Aira caryophyllea, and Teesdalia nudicaulis. Species of conservation interest, such as Gentiana pneumonanthe, may also be present. From a lichenological perspective, there are also several differences compared to the Central European situation.

PLANNED ACTIONS: C1 = mowing of herbaceous plants and removal; top soil inversion. C2 = cutting of exotic woody plants, removal of stumps, and uprooting of younger individuals. C3 = floristic improvement. C4 = reconstitution of habitat 4030 from scratch.