MAIA – Monitoring of High-Mountain Biodiversity in the Maiella National Park
Staff
12/12/2025
Project sheet
The innovative potential of the MAIA project lies in its multidisciplinary nature, an approach that integrates diverse expertise to comprehensively address ongoing climatic and ecological changes. The objective is twofold: on the one hand, to preserve ecosystems and target wildlife species; on the other, to ensure efficient and sustainable grazing systems capable of meeting the needs of the territory and the communities that inhabit it.
Keywords
Conservation
Monitoring
Project name
MAIA – Monitoring of High-Mountain Biodiversity in the Maiella National ParkDuration
20 months
Location
Maiella National Park
Responsible organisation
NBFC
Partners
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences (DSA3), University of Perugia; Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo.
Goals
The MAIA project is structured around four key objectives that combine scientific monitoring, sustainable management, and technological innovation in the protection of the high-altitude ecosystems of the Maiella:
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Monitoring of plant communities, with particular focus on high-altitude primary grasslands (habitat 6170) and high-mountain shrublands (habitat 4070*), environments of high ecological value that are especially sensitive to climate change.
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Demographic monitoring of the Orsini’s viper through capture–recapture and radio-tagging, with the collection of genetic samples for ERGA. The project also includes a census of breeding pairs and population estimates of the Alpine accentor, a flagship species of the highest elevations.
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Analysis of pastoral value, assessing the relationship between grasslands and populations of wild herbivores. This will make it possible to define sustainable grazing pressure and improve the management of pasture resources. The objective also includes an important eco-epidemiological investigation of infectious diseases, examining interactions among domestic livestock, red deer, and the Apennine chamois, with the aim of protecting the latter, a strictly protected species.
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Creation of a multi-taxa geodatabase, updatable over time and accessible to stakeholders, to collect and integrate all information on the high-mountain biocenoses of the Maiella, facilitating management decisions based on robust and shared data.
Stakeholders involved
The project directly involves local residents, who are custodians of in-depth knowledge of high-altitude environments and their dynamics. A fundamental role is also played by pasture managers, key partners in ensuring sustainable grassland management and in integrating conservation needs with traditional activities. Alongside them, the wider community actively participates in monitoring and outreach initiatives, contributing to the development of a shared pathway for the protection of the Maiella’s natural heritage.
Main expected results
The project will enable the initiation of long-term monitoring of high-altitude species and habitats most exposed to climate change, providing a clear assessment of their vulnerability, resistance capacity, and potential resilience. Analysis of the collected data will allow the identification of targeted conservation measures, which are essential for maintaining the good ecological condition of mountain ecosystems and for protecting rare, endemic, and vulnerable species, together with the integrity of the habitats that support them.
On the basis of this information, biodiversity management and protection plans will be developed to address both climate-change-related pressures and those arising from human activities, thereby contributing to a more effective and forward-looking conservation of the Maiella’s natural heritage.
Dissemination of results
The monitoring activities developed for Objectives 1 and 2 will generate robust information and reliable methods that can be easily integrated into the routine activities of the Maiella National Park. The techniques developed—together with the data collected on plant communities and target wildlife species—will thus become replicable tools that can also be used in the future, ensuring continuity in monitoring and enhancing the Park’s capacity to systematically address the challenges posed by climate and environmental change.
