The Natural Park of Dolomiti d’Ampezzo

Experiences of grasslands managing in the inner Dolomites

The Ampezzo Dolomites Regional Park covers an area of 11.500 hectares, it is located upstream from the village of Cortina d’Ampezzo, and it’s bounded at North by the Fanes, Senes and Braies Park of Bolzano Province. It is managed by the “Comunanza delle Regole d’Ampezzo”, an association among the ancient local families, that has maintained for centuries the undivided collective estate. The Italian law foresees that local communities can manage their territories inside regional parks,

but so far the case of Ampezzo Dolomites is unique in Italy. The Park was founded in 1990.

Together with the other dolomitic ranges, Ampezzo Dolomites are part of UNESCO world heritage sites for the unique landscape features and their geological history.

The trails etwork in the Ampezzo Dolomites extends for more than 300 km and it is visited every year by more than one million of tourists.

Outside of the trail network, more than 40% of the protected area consists of nature reserves, where the natural ecosystem evolution processes are guaranteed.

Calcareous rock and forest habitats are well represented, as well as alpine grasslands and bushes with Pinus mugo (4070).

Forests are mostly sub-alpine woods with Picea abies, Larix decidua and Pinus cembra and in some cases there are Pinus sylvestris alpine forests. Grasslands are mostly with Sesleria sp.pl, Carex firma and Elyna sp.pl. There is grazing with Nardus sp.pl and Poa sp.pl.

Forests are managed with a close-to-nature silviculture.

Within the park, there are some open alpine huts with cattle and sheep.

Among the habitats of the protected area the most important are: bogs, some torrent gorges and rock shelters, as well as high-altitude meadows and crests on substratum of argillaceous marl.

These are biodiversity-rich environments as they host rare and vulnerable species and, therefore, require a careful sheep pasture management.

Sempervivum dolomiticum

The rocky areas, though less vulnerable than the others, are richer in endemic species, particularly at high altitude.

For instance: Campanula morettiana, Saxifraga facchinii, Rhizobotrya alpina, Sempervivum dolomiticum, Moehringia glaucovirens, Primula tyrolensis, Draba dolomitica, Galium margaritaceum, Artemisia nitida, Silene veselskyi.

Campanula morettiana

Saxifraga facchinii

Rhizobotrya alpina

Sub-alpine forests are mature and well structured, with a fair presence of dead wood, and they are habitats for several vulnerable animal species such as Picoides tridactylus, Picus canus, Bubo bubo, Aegolius funereus, Tetrao urogallus and other bird predators, woodpeckers and grouse. Despite tourism being seasonal and area specific, wildlife habitats are heterogeneous and are in a good conservation status.

Aegolius funereus

Lagopus mutus

Picoides tridactylus

Bubo bubo

Grasslands managing

Hay meadows are located on the valley floor, between 1100 and 1500 m a.s.l., on calcareous sedimentary substrates that are largely waterproof.

Up to 50 years ago, grasslands covered 1300 hectares; currently they have been reduced to 800 hectares, because of the expansion of Larch woodlands.

Grassland ownership is private and very fragmented; the management is conducted by 9-10 local farms.

Facies umida a Scorzonera humilis

Half of the current grasslands results from formerly cultivated fields that once were ploughed; whereas the other half have always been grasslands. The formerly cultivated fields are fertilized once a year with solid manure; only meadows on steep slopes aren’t currently fertilized. Mowing is done once or twice a year on the easily accessible grasslands and only once per year or every other year on hard-to-get ones. The first haymaking is done between the end of June and early July, while the optional second mowing is done between the end of August and early September.

Prato a Sanguisorba officinalis e Filipendula vulgaris

Due to the impermeability of the substrate, most are wet meadows, with Molinia caerulea (6410) or Sanguisorba officinalis (6510). The other meadows are mountain hay meadows (6520), partly with Arrhenatherum sp.pl., partly with Trisetum sp.pl.

There are also more humid surfaces, wetlands, rich fens (7230) and Phragmites reeds, as well as small patches of Nardus stricta (6230) and driest grasslands with Bromus sp.pl.

Facies con Paradisea liliastrum e Laserpitium latifolium

The vegetation mosaics and the different types of management at the small scale as well as the micromorphology are at the basis of the main asset of Cortina grasslands.

Facies a Salvia pratensis, Onobrychis viciaefolia e Rhinanthus alectorolophus

Re di quaglie (Crex crex) nei prati di Cortina

Among animal species, for example, there are Crex crex, that regularly nests on the valley floor grasslands, and Lanius collurio.

Among plant species, we have: Sanguisorba officinalis, Galium boreale, Thalictrum simplex, Astragalus cicer, Veronica teucrium, Orobanche purpurea. In the wetlands, there are: Dactylorhiza traunsteineri, Dactylorhiza cruenta, Herminium monorchis, Epipactis palustris, Iris sibirica, Carex hartmanni, Carex diandra, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Cardamine matthioli.

Nardeto di bassa quota ricco di specie (> 70 specie x 100 mq) Torbiera bassa alcalina con Dactylorhiza incarnata

Facies a Salvia pratensis, Onobrychis viciaefolia e Rhinanthus alectorolophus

At the moment, it seems that there is no risk of surpluses of solid or liquid fertilization, but the liquid fertilization should be scheduled preferably in Autumn.

Due to the clayey ground and the water retention of the soils, there is a negative impact of compaction due to the weight of mechanical vehicles that are now heavier , and this in particular during the periods of heavy and prolonged rainfalls.

Lighter vehicles should be preferred and subsidized, so that these can be used also on steeper slopes, that are usually the first risking management abandonment and spontaneous reforestation.

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