A typical alpine fauna
In the Italian Alps, as in the Dolomites, there are several emblematic animal species. Among the mammals, we should mention the hares (common and alpine), squirrels, marmots (which are prolific) and other small rodents. We can also mention the fox (sometimes very familiar) as well as many mustelids (ermine, weasel, marten, weasel and badger). Ungulates such as chamois, wild boar, deer and roe deer can also be seen. Finally, there are birds of prey, including goshawks, sparrowhawks, buzzards and kestrels, as well as golden eagles, which are quite easy to see. At night, the eagle owl and the tawny owl haunt the night with their hooting.
The ibex, symbol of the Italian Alps
The Alpine ibex(Capra ibex) is a stocky animal with strong legs and very resistant hooves. Emblematic of the Alpine mountains, it is easy to observe in Alpine meadows. The ibex is a type of goat that already existed in the Palaeolithic period, according to the cave paintings found in the Alps. From the 15th century onwards, the development of firearms led to its rarefaction. It is consumed for its meat, but also in traditional medicine decoctions. The species almost became extinct in the 19th century, with only a few wild herds left in France and Italy. It is thanks to Victor-Emmanuel II that the species survived in the Aosta Valley. He created a royal reserve of Gran Paradiso for his personal hunting and protected the species. Today, the ibex is no longer endangered. There are about 17,000 ibex in Italy. It is also present in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Slovenia, by reintroduction of the species. It is a rupicolous animal, it crawls on steep cliffs and steep walls. It is not afraid of heights! The males live in small troops, while the females form separate bands with their young. The males, characterized by their long, curved horns, are recognizable from afar. As adults, they can reach 1 m in length and weigh up to 6 kg per pair! One dominant male per herd wins in loud, but not very violent, horn fights.
Wolves mainly in the Apennine region
Wolves are of paramount importance in balancing the biodiversity of the Italian Alpine mountains and a wolf conservation and management plan was launched in 2017 at national level. The first such plan was launched in the 1970s when there were only about 100 wolves left in the Abruzzo National Park. A real success since today their population in Italy is estimated at about 2,000 specimens, or about 18% of the wolves in the European Union. They are divided into two groups: the Apennine and the Alpine.
The Apennine population lives in Piedmont and Lombardy, over a very large area, about 80 000 km2. The number of wolves is estimated at 1,800, as they are difficult to locate. Alpine wolves live in small mountainous cross-border areas with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia: about 12,000 km2. In total, there are about 200 specimens and more easily observable. They are divided into 23 packs, 5 of which are cross-border.
Their social life is communal and family oriented. They move in packs of 2 to 7 wolves over 100 to 200 km2 of territory. Although the species was initially protected in the 1970s as Canis lupus italicus, it has undergone cross-breeding due to its extensive geographical movements. A few years ago, a couple spotted in the countryside around Lake Garda was nicknamed Romeo and Juliet because the female came from the Verona region and the male from Slovenia.The Dolomite brown bear in good health
The brown bear(Ursus arctos), present in the mountains, became rare from the 18th century, with the multiplication of firearms, and almost disappeared after the two world wars. In 1996, only a tiny population of bears existed on the border with Slovenia. It was at this time that Italy, with the support of the European Union, launched the Life Ursus plan. The first reintroduction of bears from neighbouring Slovenia, in the Brenta National Park in the Dolomites where they had disappeared. A couple, then eight bears in 2000. Today, there are between 82 and 93 bears in the Adamello Brenta Natural Park, including cubs, according to the latest estimates in 2019. There are between 10 and 20 bears in Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the border areas with Slovenia and Austria. A population that grows by 12% per year over 5 years, a sign of good health of the species. In 2019, a systematic monitoring of the sleeping traps allowed sampling of DNA from 66 bears (excluding cubs).
The brown bear can reach 2 m in height and 130 kg for the strongest males. It can run up to 50 km/h so it is better not to approach, even if the bear is very shy and afraid of the presence of man, no need to play Goldilocks. He is endowed with a very powerful sense of smell that will indicate your presence long before you see him. But don't panic, the brown bear does not feed on tender children's hocks. As we know, he loves honey, and feeds on plants, root shoots, insects, wild and cultivated fruits, seeds and vegetables. He has to find between 12 and 15 kg of food per day, so this is his main activity. As you might expect, this outstanding flexitarian who eats very little meat finds it easier to steal fruit from orchards (apples, pears, grapes) and corn fields. In autumn, it thinks only of gorging itself in preparation for its hibernation to accumulate winter fat. In late spring, the mating season begins. Thanks to its exceptional sense of smell, the brown bear, which is very solitary, becomes sociable during the breeding season. But right after, each one goes his own way, and it is the female who will take care of her cubs alone (1 to 3 depending on the litter) which will be born between December and February.
The complicated coexistence with large predators
A healthy young wolf was found dead in April 2021 near a railway track. This is the first case of a wolf dying by accident 2021, whereas last year there were seven: four males and three females, hit by cars. These accidents are symptomatic of the good adaptation of wolves in the region, which reproduce and disperse in the mountainous forest habitat. But the real problem is that about 300 wolves die every year, half of them by poaching (snares, traps, poisoned bait and bullets).
Concerning the debates about the reintroduction and presence of bears, as in France, they often make the headlines. The damage linked to their presence in Trentino, for example, has increased by 30%, but remains the work of a few bears (according to the DNA analyses taken). In particular the individual M49, well known to the services, who has even entered huts and buildings. But the troublemaker could well be shot soon because a new directive in February 2021 provides for the slaughter of bears and wolves that pose problems of coexistence with local populations, which was not possible before.
The lynx, mystical wild cat of the mountains
This big cat with pointed ears immortalized by photographers in the snow lives in the mountains. But they are very rare: it is estimated that 40 to 50 lynxes live in the Italian Alps. The lynx does not know borders either, and it is the rare and discreet lynxes from Slovenia and Austria that have come to recolonize the Italian summits. We can have the immense chance to see them - or more probably their footprints in the snow - in the region of Belluno and Trento in the Dolomites, in the region of Tarvisio on the borders of the Friulian Dolomites of Austria and Slovenia. Rarer, towards Lessinia on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, in Lombardy, but also in the Aosta Valley and Piedmont (probably coming from Switzerland).
A diversified and endemic flora
In the valley bottoms there are several broad-leaved trees such as ash, birch, maple and alder, as well as beech and yew. At higher altitudes, conifers thrive. In the most arid and sunny areas, and especially on particularly shallow and rocky soils, the Scots pine is found. Between 1,300 and 1,800 m, white fir and Norway spruce dominate. Towards the upper edge of the fir forest, there is a transitional band of larch and Swiss stone pine, which dominate above 2,000 m. From 2400 m, the subalpine ecosystems are more like flowerbeds. The lakes are home to the rare water plant Potamogeton praelongus. This nature park plays a very important role in the conservation of lichens. Almost 650 species have been recorded, which represents 50% of the lichens in Trentino-Alto Adige, the richest region in Italy in terms of lichens.
The Dolomites are rich in endemic species such asArenaria huteri, Gentiana froelichi, the splendid Pianella della Madonna(Cypripedium calceolus), Daphne blagayana (a specimen of Timeleacea found in Italy in the region of Raut and Tramontino only in 1989). Emblematic species of the high mountains, the edelweiss(Leontopodium alpinum) grows between 1 500 and 3 200 m of altitude. Rather localized in certain regions, this plant is characterized by a light down on the upper part of the leaves. Near the large lakes and the Adriatic Sea, you will find splendid Mediterranean vegetation: laurels, orchids and palms, as well as bougainvilleas and cypresses. Luscious wild berries can be found in all the mountains: blueberries(Vaccinium myrtillus), wild strawberries(Fragaria vesca), raspberries(Rubus idaeus), blackberries(Rubus ulmifolius ) and blackcurrants(Ribes alpinum). In the undergrowth, the lucky ones will find the rare Venus' hoof orchid, ferns and endemic plants such as the Dolomite houseleek(Sempervivum dolomiticum), a succulent plant with fleshy leaves. On the tree side, there are beautiful pine and larch forests as well as Swiss umbrella pines. The spring anemone, Soldanella alpina and crocus bloom in the meadows and mountain pastures, while the lamiaceae and scrofulariaceae predominate in summer.
