The European LIFE "Biodiversity PollinAction" project aims to increase the field blooms and therefore plant biodiversity. For this purpose, 200 thousand square meters of arable land will be converted into flower meadows, improved 2.6 million square meters of existing grasslands, ecological corridors created on 30 kilometers of roads, as well as 3.5 km of rural hedges. It is a project with a budget of 3.2 million euros, coordinated by the Ca 'Foscari University of Venezi in and involving ten partners from the Veneto Regions ( Region and Veneto Agriculture ), Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Aragon ( Spain).
The aim of the numerous researchers and experts involved, coordinated by botany Gabriella Buffa , of the Venetian University, is to stem the decline of the flowery meadows through a series of studies and targeted actions. In this context, the Vegetable and Outside Forest Biodiversity Center of Montecchio Precalcino (VI) of Veneto Agricoltura and the regional nursery of Friuli-Venezia Giulia will produce a total of 385 thousand seedlings, including herbs and shrubs, and 150 kilograms of wild flower seeds.
To better frame the "Biodiversity PollinAction" project, however, it is necessary to take a step back, remembering that the loss of biodiversity on a global level is an issue that has become so serious in a few years that many today are starting to take it seriously. From the top international institutions, such as the United Nations and the European Union, to national governments and local authorities, issues related to biodiversity are increasingly filling the work agendas.
One of the most worrying losses of biodiversity concerns pollinating insects , without which the production cycle of plants would go haywire, with catastrophic consequences for agriculture and humanity as a whole. The decline of pollinators is influenced by several factors, such as the increase of chemicals, pests and diseases, however the research is quite consistent in pointing to environmental degradation and the loss of natural and semi-natural habitats as the main threats .
Insects in these habitats find pollen, nectar, nesting and wintering sites. So it is human action at the moment that is the main problem, which is the consumption of land, urbanization and the intensification of agriculture. The loss of insects will lead to the disappearance of wild plants, with repercussions on the functioning of natural ecosystems. Agricultural production will also suffer, thereby threatening food security for humans and wildlife, as well as economic stability.
The solutions proposed by the "Biodiversity PollinAction" project will follow an innovative approach, given that the construction of "green" infrastructures inspired and supported by nature is foreseen. In other words, these are sustainable works and to the benefit of the resilience of the territories involved, including six municipalities that have made available to the areas, eleven farms, several beekeepers in Spain, six areas of extensive agriculture in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the Passante di Mestre .
"Green" infrastructures - underlines Professor Gabriella Buffa of Ca 'Foscari in this regard - represent a new approach, especially in southern Europe where they have been mainly implemented in areas where anthropogenic pressure is low and therefore few potential beneficiaries . "PollinAction" foresees the implementation of these works in a very complex territory from the socio-economic point of view, that is rural and urban areas ".
As mentioned, the project partnership is vast and articulated. In addition to Ca 'Foscari and Veneto Agricoltura, the Agro-Environment Directorate of the Veneto Region, the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venice Motorway Concessions - CAV SPA, EcorNaturaSì SPA Group, Albatros SRL, Municipality of Caldogno (VI), SELC. Furthermore, the project includes a Spanish partner, the Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria of Aragon, which will carry out similar actions. Finally, numerous external supporters will make land available for the project. These are the Municipalities of Carceri (Pd), San Bellino (Ro), Cartigliano (Vi), Mirano (Ve), Chiopris-Viscone and Palmanova (Ud), Montereale Valcellina (Pn), Villesse (Go), the Tegliese Association Prati delle Pars Teglio V.to (Ve), the Apicola Provincial de Jovenes Agricoltores de Teruel (E) and, in Friuli, the Spilimbergo Hunting Reserve (Pn).
