ERSE Ecological Research and Services for the Environment is a Tuscany Company of experts in Environmental Biology and Natural Sciences. ERSE works throughout the national territory.
at the former punta corna mines (graian alps), usseglio (to).
LOCATION
Usseglio (TO)
TYPE
Floristic and Faunistic Monitoring
CLIENT
Hattusas s.r.l.
Pre-Operational Monitoring of the Ecological Status of the Flora and Fauna Components at the Former Mines on the Slopes of Mount Punta Corna in the Municipality of Usseglio (TO)
The pre-operational monitoring of the ecological status of the flora and fauna components at the former mines on the slopes of Mount Punta Corna in the Municipality of Usseglio (TO) was carried out in areas that will be affected by geological and mining prospecting activities.
For the investigated sites, the implemented floristic-vegetational analytical protocols included sample strip analysis and phytosociological analysis using the Braun-Blanquet method. Regarding the faunal analytical protocols, herpetological, mammalogical, and qualitative-quantitative surveys of avian communities were conducted.
This type of investigation aims to identify the variations in flora caused by the project: the ultimate goal is the synanthropic characterization of the floristic transect to estimate the qualitative and quantitative changes in flora due to external interferences.
For each sampling point, flora surveys were conducted along strips (transects) not exceeding 30 meters in width, located near the project site and selected to pass through the most representative phytocoenoses of each study area. Surveys proceeded in successive 100-meter sections: the survey was considered complete when the increase in species identified, with the continuation of the transect, was less than 10% of the total identified so far.
Species identification was carried out in the field (when the sample was certain at the species level; otherwise, samples with uncertainties were taken to the laboratory for further analysis), and rare, protected, or ecologically significant species were recorded and photographed. Furthermore, to better highlight the variations that the infrastructure will produce in the flora, synanthropic species present were distinguished. The ratio of synanthropic species to total species surveyed is one of the indices used to compare the results from the monitoring phases, providing a means to highlight the changes in the natural environment associated with the construction of the infrastructure. In the Post-Operational phase, the presence of synanthropic species allows the assessment of the area’s level of anthropization and serves as a reference for comparison with pre-operational and ongoing phase data.
This investigation aims to characterize the phytocoenoses potentially impacted by construction activities related to the proposed infrastructure. The characterization is performed using phytosociological surveys following the Braun-Blanquet method (1928).
Survey stations were identified based on the physiognomic characteristics indicative of the structural unity of the vegetation considered. In the sample area (survey station), corresponding to the minimum area required for the investigated population’s development, a survey of the floristic entities present was conducted, recorded on the relevant survey sheet, along with the percentage of ground covered by each species (for this study, a standard area of 100 m² for forest phytocoenoses and 50 m² for grassland phytocoenoses was used).
Amphibians were surveyed through direct observation and counting in wet areas, streams, and ponds, including adults, larvae, and egg masses, as well as, when possible, by vocalization identification. Along roadways, counts were performed through direct observation of road crossings and underpasses, as well as roadkill analysis (observation of crushes). The reference method is based on Bernini et al. (2010), Monitoring Amphibians and Reptiles.
For reptiles, the chosen sampling method was direct sighting along linear transects. This method (line transect) is particularly suitable for counting individuals occupying large areas in open environments with moderate density. Using this methodology, the surveyor moves along a predetermined transect and counts all individuals present on both sides of the transect, or just one side.
For this investigation, the chosen method for sampling this component was the detection of signs of presence along linear transects. Depending on the species under investigation, signs of presence could include tracks, droppings, food remains, feathers, molted fur, burrows, scratch marks, nests, etc.
This method involves recording species-specific signs left on appropriately “plastic” ground (sand, mud, snow), on a path, vegetation, or trunks. The reference method for this section is based on Gagliardi et al. (2012), Indirect Passive Monitoring.
Additionally, a camera trapping survey was conducted alongside the search for signs of presence. This video-photographic technique is used to document elusive animals or for other faunistic studies: from simple presence verification of a species to density estimates, individual recognition for capture-mark-recapture techniques, and behavioral studies. Camera trapping involves placing a photographic station (camera trap) connected to a sensor: when the subject enters the sensor’s range, a photo and/or video is triggered.
This survey aims to record the avian communities present and identify their ecological and qualitative characteristics. Given the complexity of the habitat studied, which provides refuge to various avian populations, the monitoring was conducted using different methods depending on the habitat type.
For the avifauna of open areas (e.g., unvegetated riverbeds), the chosen sampling method was direct sighting along a linear transect (line transect). In the case of avifauna, direct observation along a linear transect also involves estimating the distance of the observed individuals from the observer: specifically, observations are classified into predetermined distance categories (within 100m, beyond 100m) from the transect line. The result obtained corresponds to an index of the number of individuals observed per unit length of the transect. The reference method for this section is based on Gagliardi et al. (2012), Direct Passive Monitoring.
For avifauna in more vegetated environments, the transect observation survey was supplemented with a point-count method. This method involves counting, simultaneously conducted by multiple surveyors, the individuals present in plots or survey units, which in this case correspond to areas with higher environmental suitability for the investigated component. This technique allows for the counting of all individuals present in a specific survey area.
The parameters collected included the following: a list of the species present (species index S) and their average abundance (individuals per 1000 m of linear transect); based on these parameters, faunistic indices such as Shannon-Wiener index (H’), evenness index (J), and dominance index (d) were calculated; as well as the average abundance of species per time interval (individuals per 15 minutes).
