Assessing the conservation status of habitat 6210(*) Seminatural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) in Italy

One of the main goals of the protection and management of Natura 2000 habitat types is the assessment of their conservation status. While some countries have already tested procedures to assess conservation status, many others, including Italy, still lack standard measures at the national level. The aim of our study was to address this lack of a national standard in Italy for habitat 6210(*) by adapting procedures used in other member states to the Italian context. The dry grasslands of habitat 6210(*), determined by human activities, display very high species richness but are, at the same time, seriously threatened by current climatic trends and land-use changes. Although the conservation of this habitat is a priority, there is no policy regarding the conservation of such grasslands. On the basis of the parameters included in the Habitats Directive, we selected the indicators most suited to the assessment of conservation status. These indicators were inferred from floristic and vegetation data collected in 2010 and 2011. As structure parameters, we selected nongraminoid vs graminoid cover and shrub cover; as floristic and vegetation parameters, we selected the occurrence and abundance of characteristic and abundant species, of species of conservation or biogeographic interest, and of weeds or invasive species. We identified three types of indicators, which represent a tool for conservation strategies aimed at grasslands included in habitat 6210(*).