The Alpine ibex in the Italian Alps

127 Pages·2007·4.78 MB·English

Dupré, E., Pedrotti, L., & Arduino, S. Alpine Ibex Conservation Strategy - The Alpine ibex in the
Italian Alps: status, potential distribution and management options for conservation and
sustainable development. 1-126. 2001. WWF International.

Keywords: 8IT/Alps/Capra ibex/conservation/development/distribution/growth rate/ibex/Large
Herbivore Initiative/LHI/Malme/management/population size/reintroduction/
strategy/susceptibility/translocation

Abstract: This study presents the first comprehensive overview of the status of Alpine ibex in the
Italian Alps, based on an extensive data collection used according to a standardized
methodology. For the first time, a thorough synthesis of information on the 69 Italian ibex colonies
is available, covering traditional themes such as distribution, population size and growth rate, but
also more specific issues such as the year and cause of origin, number of translocated ibexes,
and type of management. Then, a comparison is made between current and potential ibex status
and distribution, and implications for the conservation and management of the species are
presented. The potential situation (distribution, size, density) is estimated by applying two models
that assess the quality of ibex habitat and predict ibex potential distribution at the local scale for
the entire Italian Alps. The two models had already been conceptually developed from data on
different ibex populations living in the Italian Alps (one for the siliceous substratum and one for
the calcareous-limestone-dolomite substratum), but, for the purpose of this study, they were
redesigned to reflect the coarser scale of the data available for the whole Italian Alps. Their
application to the study area according to the underlying lithological substratum revealed the gap
between current and potential status and contributed to identifying conservation and management
issues and developing recommendations for future reintroduction programs.

Notes: Internet website in pdf format
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Alpine Ibex Conservation Strategy
The Alpine ibex in the Italian Alps:
status, potential distribution and management options
for conservation and sustainable development

Istituto Oikos

Istituto Nazionale per La Fauna Selvatica "Alessandro Ghigi"

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Università degli Studi dell’Insubria – Dipartimento di Biologia Strutturale e
Funzionale

With the contribution of:
Gruppo Stambecco EuropaFederazione Italiana della Caccia
Pending

Eugenio Dupré, and Luca Pedrotti and Serena Arduino
DRAFT, JuneSeptember October 2001

Authors:
l Eugenio Dupré, Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica "Alessandro Ghigi" (National Wildlife Institute), Bologna, Italy.
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l Luca Pedrotti, Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica "Alessandro Ghigi" (National Wildlife Institute), Bologna, Italy.
l Serena Arduino, Istituto Oikos, Varese, Italy.

This study draws extensively from the Italian Ungulate Database and recognizes the following scientists as essential contributors:
l Damiano Preatoni, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Dipartimento di Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale, Unità di Analisi e Gestione della Biodiversità (State University of
Insubria, Biology Department, Biodiversity Analysis and Management Unit), Varese, Italy.
l Guido Tosi, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Dipartimento di Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale, Unità di Analisi e Gestione della Biodiversità (State University of
Insubria, Biology Department, Biodiversity Analysis and Management Unit), Varese, Italy.
l Silvano Toso, Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica "Alessandro Ghigi" (National Wildlife Institute), Bologna, Italy.

Project coordination:
l Serena Arduino, Istituto Oikos, Varese, Italy.

The study was funded by WWF International through the Large Herbivore Initiative (Project 9E0154.01).

The Italian Ungulate Database was funded by Ministero per le Politiche Agricole, Ministero dell’Ambiente – Servizio Conservazione della Natura and Federazione Italiana della
Caccia (Ministry of Agricultural Policy, Ministry of Environment-Nature Conservation Service, and the Italian Hunting Federation).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract iii
Acronyms iv
AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgements v

1. Introduction 1
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1. 1.1 Problem statementt 1
1.2 Background 1
1.3 Project goals and objectives 2
1.4 Project design 3
1.5 Organization / Project team 4

2. Overview of ibex issues in the Italian Alps 4
2.1 The Italian Alps 4
2.2 Brief history 5
2.3 Current status 6
2.4 Ecological distribution 7
2.5 Main policy and decision-making levels 8
2.6 Hunting 8
2.7 Protected areas 10
2.8 Status of Alpine chamois and its relationship to ibex 112

3. Present status of ibex in the Italian Alps 13
3.1 Collection of data on existing Alpine ibex colonies: methodology 13
3.2 Present distribution 16
3.3 Population size 18
3.4 Status and evolution of population size 25
3.5 Hunting and numerical control 310

4. Assessing potential distribution of Alpine ibex in the Italian Alps 354
4.1 Review of similar studies 35
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4.2 Methodology 35
4.2.1 Study area and management units 35
4.2.2 Ibex ecology 38
4.2.3 The database and the GIS 39
4.2.4 Data analysis 42
4.3 The predictive model for siliceous environment 43
4.3.1 Case study 43
4.3.2 Model implementation 45
4.4 The predictive model for limestone environment 49
4.4.1 Case study 49
4.4.2 Model implementation 52
4.5 Model validation 55
4.6 Model application 58
4.7 Synthesis 623

5. Conclusdiveing remarks 712
5.1 Conclusions 712
5.2 Recommendations 723
5.3 Drafting guidelines for a future conservation strategy of Alpine ibex in Italy 734
5.4 Next steps 756

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6. References 767

Annex 823

ABSTRACT

This study presents the first comprehensive overview of the status of Alpine ibex in the Italian Alps, based on an extensive data collection usingaccording to a standardized
methodology. For the first time, a thorough synthesis of information on the 69 Italian ibex colonies is available, covering traditional themes such as distribution, population size and
growth rate, but also more specific issues such as the year and cause of origin, number of translocated ibexes, and type of management. Then, a comparison is made between actual
current and potential ibex status and distribution, and implications for the conservation and management of the species are presenteddrawn. The potential situation (distribution,
size, density) is estimated by applying from the application to the entire Italian Alps of two models that assess the quality of ibex habitat and predict ibex potential distribution at the
local scale. The two models had already been conceptually developed from data on different ibex populations living in the Italian Alps (one for the siliceous substratum and one for
the calcareous-limestone-dolomite substratum), but, for the purpose of this study , they were redesigned to reflect the coarser scale of the data available for the whole Italian Alps.
Their application to the study area according to the underlying lithological substratum revealed the gap between current and potential status and contributed to identifying
conservation and management issues and developing recommendations for future reintroduction programmes.

ACRONYMS
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EU European Union
GP Game Park
GPNP Gran Paradiso National Park
INFS Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica (National Wildlife IInstitute)
LCIE Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe
LHI Large Herbivore Initiative
MU Management Unit
NP National Park

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Several people contributed to this study, by both providing data and discussing various aspects of ibex conservation in the Italian Alps. The authors wish to thank them for their
assistance.

Bruno Bassano Parco Nazionalea Gran Paradiso
Sandro Bergamo Parco Naturale Alta Valsesia
Pierre Bertieux Regione Valle d’Aosta
Radames Bionda Parco Naturale Alpe Veglia Devero
Carlo Borgo
Enrico Boscaini Ufficio Operativo Azienda Regionale delle Foreste Alto Garda
Sandro Brugnoli Provincia di Trento
Giuseppe Canavese Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime
Marco Cantini Provincia di di Como
Giorgio Carmignola Provincia di Bolzano
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Ermanno Cetto Provincia di Trento
Barbara Chiarenzi Istituto Oikos
Paolo Craveri Provincia di Cuneo
Michele Da Pozzo Parco Naturale Dolomiti d’Ampezzo
Renzo De Battisti Coordinamento Regionale Veneto Corpo Forestale dello Stato
Paolo De Martin Foresta Demaniale di Tarvisio
Andrea De Matteis Università di Torino
Mauro Devalier Provincia di Belluno
Di Bernardo Foreste Demaniali di Tarvisio
Lilia Domeneghetti Regione Valle d’Aosta
Renato Dotta
Heinrich Erhard Provincia di Bolzano
Luca Favalli Parco Naturale Dolomiti Friulane
Maria Ferloni Provincia di Sondrio
Pietro Ferraris Parco Naturale Alta Valsesia
Pietro Gatti Provincia di Lecco
Fulvio Genero Parco Naturale Prealpi Giulie
Marco Giovo
Romano Maséè Provincia di Trento
Silvano Mattedi Parco Naturale Dolomiti Friulane
Piergiuseppe Meneguz Università di Torino
Benito Moriconi Comprensorio Alpino Alta Valtellina
Daniele Moroni Provincia di Sondrio
Giacomo Moroni Provincia di Bergamo
Andrea Mustoni Istituto Oikos
Paolo Orellier Regione Valle d’Aosta
Michele Ottino Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso
Piergiuseppe Partel Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di S.Martino

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Franco Perco Provincia di Pordenone
Aurelio Perrone
Stefano Piccinini
Lucia Pompilio
Alberto Ricci Parco Nazionale Stelvio
Luca Rotelli
Ettore Sartori Parco Naturale Paneveggio Pale di S.Martino
Giovanni Scherini Istituto Oikos
Graziano Simonini Provincia di Sondrio
Gianmaria Sommavilla Provincia di Belluno
Marco Testa Provincia di di Como
Andrea Vanotti Provincia di Sondrio
Vittorio Vigorita Regione Lombardia
Gilberto Volcan Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta
Mathias Zoeschg Provincia di Bolzano.

Alpine Ibex Conservation Strategy
The Alpine ibex in the Italian Alps: status, potential distribution and management options for conservation and sustainable
development
Eugenio Dupré and Luca Pedrotti

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