Expected Results

SEEDFORCE will significantly improve the conservation status of 29 species of European Union interest currently in unfavourable conditions, by implementing conservation actions applied in 76 SCI/SACs present in 3 Italian biogeographic regions (Alpine, Mediterranean and Continental) and neighbouring regions in France, Slovenia and Malta.

The 29 target taxa represent 33% of the Italian species of Annex II and 48% of those in unfavourable conservation status.

Of these 29 species, 17 are endemic to Italy and represent 30% of all endemic species listed in Annex II (and 43% of those in current unfavourable conservation status);

Among the 29 project target species, 10 of them are priority and represent 27% of the priority species included in Annex II (and 33% of those with unfavourable conservation status).

SEEDFORCE will produce at least 50,000 first-generation individuals. The breeding mix will be developed based on assessments of population genetic diversity and climate envelope, using randomly sampled material from native donor populations.

There will be no artificial selection and seed dormancy will be removed to avoid selecting for non-dormant genotypes that may be less adapted to the natural environment.

SEEDFORCE

– will strengthen 107 low or declining populations of 27 species in 58 Natura 2000 sites with an average increase of ca. 800%.

– reintroduce 24 new populations of 8 locally extinct species in 17 Natura 2000 sites

– introduce 4 locally extinct species creating 8 new populations in 8 Natura 2000 sites

SEEDFORCE will eliminate habitat threats such as trampling and overgrazing by fencing at least 19 SACs (11 species), eradicating invasive alien species in at least 10 SACs (7 species) and mitigating revegetation in at least 35 SACs (15 species).

The SEEDFORCE partnership as a whole will collect and conserve in the long term a total of 1,000,000 seeds and spores of 29 species of Union interest.

SEEDFORCE will reach out to the Italian society and raise its awareness on plant conservation by appealing to the unique value of endemic plants as flagship species, displayed in dedicated flowerbeds and released into the horticultural trade. It will involve at least 100,000 people and 10,000 students in education.

SEEDFORCE will contact at least 1,000 national and European stakeholders and ensure broad transferability of the project approaches and results with 3 feasibility studies of similar activities in 3 other EU biodiversity-rich countries.