Life Arctos
The future of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Italy was still rather uncertain. The recent reintroduction intervention, in the Alps, had avoided his extinction, in the following ten years several reproduction events were recorded, with newborns contributing to the increase of the population and the bears, as expected, increased their original range. While in the Apennines, a few dozens of Marsican brown bears, representative of a unique sub-species, still were fighting against the oblivion. The interventions aiming at guaranteeing the conservation of these species were quite numerous and they required the joint effort of technicians, researchers, and administrators, as well as the fundamental support from the public opinion and the main stakeholders.
Life Arctos Project gets together different entities. It aimed at developing a series of structural interventions, both in the Alps and Apennines, consistent with the action plans developed for bear’s conservation. The project “Brown Bear Conservation: Coordinated Actions in the Alpine and Apennine Range” was an initiative aiming at promoting the conservation of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations of the Alps and Apennines, and sustaining their recovery by means of management measures, consistent with the plantigrade presence, as well as the reduction of conflicts with the anthropic activities. In addition, it promoted information and awareness among the main stakeholders. The project was implemented within the scope of the programme LIFE+ Nature, financed by the EU Commission..
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a priority species for European policies and it holds a strategic importance for biodiversity conservation: its protection allows direct and indirect benefits for many elements of the ecosystem.
Notwithstanding its key role, brown bear in Italy is at high risk of extinction. Its disappearance would represent a catastrophic loss of our biological and cultural heritage. The future of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Italy is rather uncertain. A recent reintroduction intervention, in the Alps, has temporarily avoided his extinction, while in the Apennines, a few dozens of Marsican brown bears, representative of a unique sub-species, still fight against the oblivion.
The interventions aiming at guaranteeing the conservation of these species are quite numerous and they require the joint effort of technicians, researchers, and administrators, as well as the fundamental support from the public opinion and the main stakeholders. Life Arctos Project gets together different entities. It aims at developing a series of structural interventions, both in the Alps and Apennines, consistent with the action plans developed for bear’s conservation.
On such critical elements the LIFE ARCTOS conservation project was initiated in 2010. The project ended in 2014 and foresaw a series of coordinated actions that contributed to the protection of the two populations of brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Italy: in the Alps and the Apennines.
The actions included the adoption of land management activities compatible with the bear presence, allowing the reduction of conflicts with human activities, together with information and awareness programmes.
The project was implemented within the LIFE+ Nature programme of the European Commission and involved 10 partners (for further info please visit www.life-arctos.it).
Pulling together for the first time public authorities and private organisations involved in brown bear conservation in the Alps and Apennines, the LIFE ARCTOS project represented a challenge in the context of European initiatives to preserve for the future generation this iconic specie.
