Ricerc@Sapienza

Estimating the effectiveness of protected areas in reducing deforestation is useful to support management decisions. This information helps underpin whether to invest in better management of areas already protected or to create new ones. Statistical matching is commonly used to assess this effectiveness, but regional differences in protection effectiveness and the presence of spatial autocorrelation are frequently overlooked. We assessed methods to estimate the effectiveness of protected areas, using Colombia as a case study.

Human-carnivore coexistence is a multi-faceted issue that requires an understanding of the diverse attitudes and perspectives of the communities living with large carnivores. To inform initiatives that encourage behaviors in line with conservation goals, we focused on assessing the two components of attitudes (i.e., feelings and beliefs), as well as norms of local communities coexisting with Apennine brown bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus) for a long time.

Questions
Do vascular plant species richness and beta-diversity differ between managed and structurally complex unmanaged stands? To what extent do species richness and beta-diversity relate to forest structural attributes and heterogeneity?

Location
Five national parks in central and southern Italy.