Download Diapositiva 1

LIFE+ BIOAQUAE
Active conservation of aquatic biodiversity
in the Gran Paradiso National Park
ACTIONS AND OBJECTIVES
The LIFE+ BIOAQUAE projects was conceived by the Gran Paradiso National Park as a valuable opportunity to
protect and improve biodiversity in the alpine aquatic ecosystems. High altitude lakes and streams are unique
ecosystems of great naturalistic significance, but they are also extremely delicate and vulnerable to the impact of
many factors of human origin, such as climate change, the use of water in energy production, the introduction of alien
species, and local sources of pollutants, such as wastewaters from pasturelands and shelters. The LIFE+ BIOAQUAE
five-year long project, underway since the 1st September 2012, is an opportunity to develop hands-on conservation
initiatives for the promotion of the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems in the Gran Paradiso National Park.
The project consists of three main conservation actions:
This unique haplotype of Daphnia pulicaria is
a clear example of the value of alpine lakes
as biodiversity reservoirs. This planktonic
crustacean lives in some naturally fishless
lakes of the Gran Paradiso National Park,
Eradication of non-native fish from some high altitude lakes
The brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a salmonid originating from North America. This species was introduced in
some GPNP lakes in the 1960s when the damage to the ecosystem that could be caused by non-native species was
not fully understood. In the last years the impact of introduced brook trout was quantified within a long-term research
program. The LIFE+ BIOAQUAE provides for two actions aimed at eradicating this species using higly selective
tecniques (gill netting and electrofoshing), which are non-lethal for non-target species.
Ecological filters
The Gran Paradiso National Park includes well-preserved environments where the impact of human activities is
minimal. It should be noted, however, that the climatic conditions of high mountain zones may weaken the
effectiveness of the techniques normally adopted to mitigate the impact of the human presence, as in the case of
effluent management. The natural equilibrium of lakes and streams may be severely impaired by the inflow of
wastewater. The LIFE+ BIOAQUAE project aims to flank traditional water treatment systems with phytodepuration
techniques, to assess their efficacy and feasibility in alpine zones. Phytodepuration consists of using selected plant
species to create a suitable habitat for the growth of bacterial flora having a natural water cleansing effect. The plants
taken from areas adjacent to the installation are suited to the local conditions. The final goal is to create an ecological
filter supplementing traditional treatment systems to obtain water that is clear and poor in organic constituents.
Eradication actions provide for the capture of
a large number of fish.
Aquatic vegetation play an important role in
determining the water quality.
Marble trout
The marble trout is a large-sized salmonid found both in alpine lakes and in subalpine lakes on valley floors and on
the plains. At European level, this species is diminishing, mostly because of the ongoing destruction and
fragmentation of its habitats, and due to crossbreeding with another salmonid species, the brown trout (Salmo trutta
fario). For these reasons, the marble trout has been included in the red list of threatened species compiled by the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is mentioned in Annex II to the Habitats Directive.
Based on this status, conservation initiatives for this species have a high priority rating. In the Gran Paradiso National
Park, the marble trout has still been found in recent times in few watercourses, which provide a suitable habitat for
this species. Brown trout will be removed from two streams (using electrofischng) and preventing crossbreeding with
marble trout.
Contacts
WEB: https://twitter.com/bioaquae
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeBioaquae
Twitter: http://www.bioaquae.eu/index.php/the-project
A difficult transport of a marble trout using
horses .