Patterns of biodiversity in the northwestern Italian Alps: a multi-taxa approach

R. Viterbi; C. Cerrato; B. Bassano; R. Bionda; A. Hardenberg; A. Provenzale; G. Bogliani

doi:10.1556/comec.14.2013.1.3

Patterns of biodiversity in the northwestern Italian Alps: a multi-taxa approach in: Community Ecology Volume 14 Issue 1 (2013) Jump to Content

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Community Ecology

Volume/Issue:: Volume 14: Issue 1

Patterns of biodiversity in the northwestern Italian Alps: a multi-taxa approach

Authors:

R. Viterbi

R. Viterbi Gran Paradiso National Park Alpine Wildlife Research Centre Via della Rocca 47 1-10123 Torino Italy

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C. Cerrato

C. Cerrato CNR Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate C.so Fiume 4 1-10133 Torino Italy

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B. Bassano

B. Bassano Gran Paradiso National Park Alpine Wildlife Research Centre Via della Rocca 47 1-10123 Torino Italy

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R. Bionda

R. Bionda Alpe Veglia e Devero - Alta Valle Antrona Natural Parks Viale Pieri 27 28868 Varzo (VB) Italy

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A. Hardenberg

A. Hardenberg Gran Paradiso National Park Alpine Wildlife Research Centre Via della Rocca 47 1-10123 Torino Italy

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A. Provenzale

A. Provenzale CNR Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate C.so Fiume 4 1-10133 Torino Italy

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, and

G. Bogliani

G. Bogliani University of Pavia DSTA Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Via Adolfo Ferrata 9 1-27100 Pavia Italy

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Pages:: 18–30

Online Publication Date:: 03 Sep 2013

Publication Date:: 01 Jun 2013

Article Category:: Research Article

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1556/comec.14.2013.1.3

Keywords:: Animal diversity; Altitudinal gradient; Climate sensitivity; Community composition; Temperature

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The current loss of biodiversity requires long-term monitoring of the distribution of living organisms, particularly in regions, such as mountains, which are highly sensitive to climatic and environmental changes. In 2007, three alpine parks in N-W Italy started a field program to determine the factors which influence animal biodiversity and identify the most appropriate methods for periodically repeatable monitoring. Twelve altitudinal transects (from montane to alpine belt) were chosen, each composed of 4–7 sampling units, for a total of 69 monitored plots. In each station, five taxonomic groups (carabids, butterflies, spiders, staphylinids, birds) were systematically sampled and topographic, environmental and micro-climatic variables were recorded. The aim was to assess the distribution of different taxa along altitudinal gradients and the relative influence of geographical, environmental and climatic factors. The data showed that species richness and community composition of invertebrates are mainly determined by altitude and microclimatic conditions, whereas birds are more sensitive to habitat structure. For invertebrates, the strong relationship with temperature suggests their potential sensitivity to climatic variations. The analysis of biodiversity patterns across vegetation belts indicated that the alpine belt hosts few species but a high percentage of endemic and vulnerable species, highlighting its importance for conservation purposes. This work offers a representative sample of the northwestern Italian Alps and it is a first step of a monitoring effort that will be repeated every five years to highlight the response of alpine biodiversity to climate and land-use changes.

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Community Ecology An Interdisciplinary Journal Reporting Progress in Community and Population Studies

Print ISSN:: 1585-8553

Online ISSN:: 1588-2756

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Community Ecology
Language	English
Size	A4
Year of Foundation	2000
Volumes per Year	1
Issues per Year	3
Founder	Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245
Publisher	Akadémiai Kiadó Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's Address	H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245. CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
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ISSN	1585-8553 (Print)
ISSN	1588-2756 (Online)