Diapositiva 1

1
LIFE BIOAQUAE Active conservation of aquatic
biodiversity in the Gran Paradiso National Park
ACTIONS AND OBJECTIVES The LIFE
BIOAQUAE projects was conceived by the Gran
Paradiso National Park as a valuable opportunity
to protect and improve biodiversity in the alpine
aquatic ecosystems. High altitude lakes and
streams are unique ecosystems of great
naturalistic significance, but they are also
extremely delicate and vulnerable to the impact
of many factors of human origin, such as climate
change, the use of water in energy production,
the introduction of alien species, and local
sources of pollutants, such as wastewaters from
pasturelands and shelters. The LIFE BIOAQUAE
five-year long project, underway since the 1st
September 2012, is  an opportunity to develop
hands-on conservation initiatives for the
promotion of the biodiversity of aquatic
ecosystems in the Gran Paradiso National
Park. The project consists of three main
conservation actions Eradication of non-native
fish from some high altitude lakes The brook
trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a salmonid
originating from North America. This species was
introduced in some GPNP lakes in the 1960s when
the damage to the ecosystem that could be caused
by non-native species was not fully understood.
In the last years the impact of introduced brook
trout was quantified within a long-term research
program. The LIFE BIOAQUAE provides for two
actions aimed at eradicating this species using
higly selective tecniques (gill netting and
electrofoshing), which are non-lethal for
non-target species. Ecological filters The Gran
Paradiso National Park includes well-preserved
environments where the impact of human activities
is minimal. It should be noted, however, that the
climatic conditions of high mountain zones may
weaken the effectiveness of the techniques
normally adopted to mitigate the impact of the
human presence, as in the case of effluent
management.  The natural equilibrium of lakes and
streams may be severely impaired by the inflow of
wastewater. The LIFE BIOAQUAE project aims to
flank traditional water treatment systems with
phytodepuration techniques, to assess their
efficacy and feasibility in alpine zones.
Phytodepuration consists of using selected plant
species to create a suitable habitat for the
growth of bacterial flora having a natural water
cleansing effect. The plants taken from areas
adjacent to the installation are suited to the
local conditions. The final goal is to create an
ecological filter supplementing traditional
treatment systems to obtain water that is clear
and poor in organic constituents. Marble
trout The marble trout is a large-sized salmonid
found both in alpine lakes and in subalpine lakes
on valley floors and on the plains. At European
level, this species is diminishing, mostly
because of the ongoing destruction and
fragmentation of its habitats, and due
to crossbreeding with another salmonid species,
the brown trout (Salmo trutta fario). For these
reasons, the marble trout has been included in
the red list of threatened species compiled by
the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) and is mentioned in Annex II to the
Habitats Directive. Based on this status,
conservation initiatives for this species have a
high priority rating. In the Gran Paradiso
National Park, the marble trout has still been
found in recent times in  few watercourses, which
provide a suitable habitat for this species.
Brown trout will be removed from two streams
(using electrofischng) and preventing
crossbreeding with marble trout.
This unique haplotype of Daphnia pulicaria is a
clear example of the value of alpine lakes as
biodiversity reservoirs. This planktonic
crustacean lives in some naturally fishless lakes
of the Gran Paradiso National Park,
Eradication actions provide for the capture of a
large number of fish.
Aquatic vegetation play an important role in
determining the water quality.
A difficult transport of a marble trout using
horses .
Contacts WEB
https//twitter.com/bioaquae
E-mail info.bioaquae_at_pngp.it
Facebook https//www.facebook.com/LifeBioaquae
Twitter http//www.bioaquae.eu/ind
ex.php/the-project