This project proposes the construction of permanent polycyclic plantations on agricultural areas. Based on experimental results, it aims to create a system of demonstration patterns that combine three or more production cycles, of different durations, on the same plot of land. The purpose is to spread the knowledge of the various crop models sustainable in economic, financial and environmental terms; with particular attention to the increase of biodiversity in rural areas with intensive agriculture.
ENVIRONMENT AND BIODIVERSITY THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF WOOD
The theme of the project is in keeping with the purposes specified by the program LlFE + and that of some of the latest EU documents for which, in the future, combine production and environmental protection will be essential. Also some of the innovative measures provided by the project, aiming to test the applicability of crop models tested in the experimental stage, could not be financed by other instruments other than LlFE +.
The aim and the real challenge of the project will get the increase of biodiversity and environmental improvement through the production of wood in areas previously subject to intensive agriculture or recent reclamation.
PROBLEMS AND GOALS
Problems
The areas subjected to intensive agriculture or recent reclamation generally have a biodiversity well below the potential. Intensive agriculture also produces large quantities of pollutants due to chemical fertilizers that end up in waterways and can affect weakly in climate change mitigation.
Goals
The project aims to increase and preserve the biodiversity in areas where this is greatly simplified because of intensive agriculture or a recent reclamation. Another aim of the project is to propose actions of governance to integrate biodiversity and agricultural policies. To do this will realize and promote the innovative plant, consisting of a mix of trees and shrubs, called Permanent Polycyclic Plantations (PPP). In these plant will add up the environmental benefits, similar to those of a forest, with the productivity benefits of artificial plantations.
The PPP, if well designed and managed, can also have an economic interest for farmers. They look like the right tool to combine productive measures of Rural Development Programme (RDP) and the protection of biodiversity, as advocated by the documents "Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 (2011/2307 (INI)", "Support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD - 2011) "and the National Strategy for biodiversity (MIPAAF, 2010).
The Po Valley is a zone of intensive agriculture but also is good to the wood production. In fact in this area, during the application of the EEC Reg. 2080/92, the farmers have realized a total of 47,395 hectares of tree plantations (L. Colletti, 2001 - Results of the application of EEC Reg. 2080/92 in Italy. Sherwood – Foreste ed Alberi oggi n. 70).
Has been estimated that with RDP 2000-2006 have been realized, throughout the Po Valley, about 24,000 hectares of tree plantations. Almost all of these plantations was monocyclic, pure or mixed (small proportion).
To ensure the success of this project, there will be a system of dissemination of results as effective as possible. In that case will affect the characteristics of future plantations to be carried out on the farmland of the Po Valley. A prudential estimate leads us to say that 20-30% of the plantations made with the RDP 2014-2020 will have the characteristics of those proposed by this project. It is presumed that this percentage will increase further in the future.
ACTION
Action A1 - Preliminary analysis of the design and choice of species
Action A1
Title: Preliminary analysis of the design and choice of species
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese
Description: Preliminary analysis aimed at the selection of species of trees and shrubs to be used in demonstration plants.
Action B1 - Design and development of demonstration areas of permanent polycyclic plantations in open field
Action B1
Title: Design and development of demonstration areas of permanent polycyclic plantations in open field
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese
Description: Creation of demonstration areas, in open fields, on permanent polycyclic plantations, for a total of 250.000 m2. These areas are owned by Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese, municipalities and private owners. They will be realized examples of polycyclic plant of different complexity for duration of production cycles, number of trees and shrubs used.
Action B2 - Design and development of demonstration rows of permanent polycyclic plantations
Action B2
Title: Design and development of demonstration rows of permanent polycyclic plantations
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese
Description: Creation of demonstration rows of permanent polycyclic plantations, for a total of 45 km. These areas are owned by Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese, municipalities and private owners. They will be realized examples of polycyclic plant of different complexity for duration of production cycles, number of trees and shrubs used.
Action B3 - Maintenance and management of the plantations
Action B3
Title: Maintenance and management of the plantations
Beneficiary responsible: Cooperativa Gestione Verde soc. coop. a r.l.
Description: The action seeks the application of the best techniques of maintenance and management of the plantations in order to guarantee a secure and timely rooting of plants and a correct growth of the plants intended to produce timber.
Action B4 - Drawing up of agreements for the realization of permanent polycyclic plantations outside the areas involved by the project
Action B4
Title: Drawing up of agreements for the realization of permanent polycyclic plantations outside the areas involved by the project
Beneficiary responsible: Cooperativa Gestione Verde soc. coop. a r.l.
Description: Drawing up of agreements and protocols for the management of new plantations to be realized in the private areas of the waterways managed by the Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese.
Action B5 - Editing a manual for design, implementation and management of permanent polycyclic plantations
Action B5
Title: Editing a manual for design, implementation and management of permanent polycyclic plantations
Beneficiary responsible: AALSEA
Description: The manual will be designed with the aim to combine productivity with the protection and enhancement of biodiversity in the areas with intensive agriculture.
Action B6 - Proposal for a new regulation inside the Rural Development Programme (RDP 2014-2020) of the Regione Veneto
Action B6
Title: Proposal for a new regulation inside the Rural Development Programme (RDP 2014-2020) of the Regione Veneto
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica veronese
Description: Preparation of a proposal for the RDP 2014-2020 of the Regione Veneto, which will be drawn up in implementation of Regulation (EC) on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Action B7 - Economic-financial evaluation of the costs of management and valorization of environmental services produced by permanent polycyclic plantations
Action B7
Title: Economic-financial evaluation of the costs of management and valorization of environmental services produced by permanent polycyclic plantations
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica veronese
Description: The action is aimed at the economic and financial evaluation of the additional operating costs and the production of environmental services permanent polycyclic plantations than other types of plantations.
Action C1 - Monitoring on the environmental and productive effects of permanent polycyclic plantations
Action C1
Title: Monitoring on the environmental and productive effects of permanent polycyclic plantations
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica veronese
Description: The monitoring will be done by performing the following investigations:
• Assessment of change in biodiversity;
• Variation of the presence of significant bird species;
• Evaluation of the effect on buffer agricultural pollutants;
• Measurement of the capacity of CO2 storage in different types of plantations polycyclic permanent than in areas with intensive agriculture;
• Measurement accretion of species used;
• Estimation of the Index of Quality (IQ) in the various types of plantation.
Action D1 - Identification of stakeholders and the main target audience
Action D1
Title: Identification of stakeholders and the main target audience
Beneficiary responsible: Compagnia delle Foreste S.r.l.
Description: Identification of stakeholders and the main target audience and preparation of a strategy for their involvement in the project activities.
Action D2 - Design, implementation and management of the project website
Action D2
Title: Design, implementation and management of the project website
Beneficiary responsible: Compagnia delle Foreste S.r.l.
Description: We will produce a website with a domain related to the project with technical information contained in the guidelines of LIFE +. On the website will be built a forum engage with stakeholders, a bibliographic archive queryable, a photo gallery of the species used in permanent polycyclic plantations, a video section that will contain some videos.
Action D3 - Design and realization of the notice boards and Leyman's report
Action D3
Title: Design and realization of the notice boards and Leyman's report
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese
Description: Installation of 15 information boards, with LIFE+ and InBioWood logos, close to the areas of intervention and writing Layman's report for non-experts.
Action D4 - Informative meetings, demostration paths, awareness seminars
Action D4
Title: Informative meetings, demostration paths, awareness seminars
Beneficiary responsible: Cooperativa Gestione Verde soc. coop. a r.l.
Description: The goal is to organize and realize some information meetings; demostration paths and some seminars for awareness raising, information and updating of various categories of stakeholders and main target audience.
Action D5 - Dissemination of results in Italy and Europe
Action D5
Title: Dissemination of results in Italy and Europe
Beneficiary responsible: Compagnia delle Foreste S.r.l.
Description: Publication of technical manuals, brochures, videos, paper bulletins and press articles and disseminate them in Italy and Europe.
Action D6 - Organization of initial and final conference
Action D6
Title: Organization of initial and final conference
Beneficiary responsible: Compagnia delle Foreste S.r.l.
Description: Organization of initial meeting to introduce the project and a final meeting to present the project results, including technical excursions in the intervention areas.
Action D7 - After-LIFE Communication Plan
Action D7
Title: After-LIFE Communication Plan
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese
Description: Action plan of the activities that will be carried out after the end of the project.
Action E1 - Overall management of the project
Action E1
Title: Overall management of the project
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese
Description: The project will be managed with a specific staff.
Action E2 - Required actions to the good performance of the project
Action E2
Title: Required actions to the good performance of the project
Beneficiary responsible: Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese
Description: Technical and financial reports on the progress of the project.
