Appennino centrale: Velino-Duchessa - Italy

Basic Information
Site Name
Appennino centrale: Velino-Duchessa
Short name
IT01-002-T
Country
Italy
Site Manager
Site Description
The site includes a large mountainous area in the Central Apennines, almost in the centre of the Italian peninsula and about 70 km west of Rome. It represents an “orographic island” in the Central Mediterranean basin, along the Apennines mountain range. Since 1993, the vegetation has been surveyed at six permanent high elevation plots (Mount Sevice research station, Mount Velino, 2125-2225 m a.s.l.) and (since 2005) at an additional 55 plots along two elevation transects (SW slope of Mount Velino and Mount Morrone), including primary and secondary grasslands, beech forests and alpine tundra. Since 2014, micro-climate data (GLORIA method) have been continuously recorded at the high elevation plots. Vegetation is surveyed yearly in the 6 high elevation plots (each 100 m2 in size) grouped in two cluster-plots (each of 3 plots). Structure and composition changes are studied in two ecologically opposite primary plant communities, both above the timberline: snow-bed grassland and alpine tundra, both characterized by extreme below zero temperatures all year round and frozen soil for 8 months per year, but with very different snow cover duration. Based on the first 30 years of observation, a clear trend toward a decrease of snow dependant species and a parallel increase in drought- and stress-tolerant species has been recognized, linked to a general process of climate change, more accelerated in Southern Europe.
Last modified
2024-09-10 17:09:25

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General Characteristics and Status
Site Status
Operational
Year Established
1993
Observed properties
Affiliation and Network Specific Information
Affiliation
ILTERThis site is a verified "ILTER" member.
LTER EuropeThis site is a verified "LTER Europe" member.
LTER Italia (Italy) (LTER_EU_IT_025)This site is a verified "LTER Italia (Italy)" member.
Photos
map of nested plots
map of nested plots
permanents plots M. Sevice (mesophilous grassland)
permanents plots M. Sevice (mesophilous grassland)
permanents plots M. Sevice (mesophilous grassland)
permanents plots M. Sevice (mesophilous grassland)
permanents plots M. Sevice (alpine tundra)
permanents plots M. Sevice (alpine tundra)
permanents plots M. Sevice (alpine tundra)
permanents plots M. Sevice (alpine tundra)
Geographic
Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: 42.156928 Longitude: 13.3682

Size
ca. 480.00ha
Elevation (average)
2145.00msl
Elevation (min)
1807.00msl
Elevation (max)
2450.00msl
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Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml]
Bounding Box [.shp] [.kml]
Boundaries [.shp] [.kml]