Monitoring and Management of coastal Habitats : Capo Comino Case Study (NE Sardinia, Italy)

It’s well-known that coastal systems are characterized by a delicate equilibrium and strong dynamics. After the census of the priority habitats and the institution of SICs (Site of Community Importance), the monitoring and management are a necessary step in order to protect their biodiversity. From this point of view we present the results of the test of a new monitoring procedure on coastal dune fields, that integrates few different sciences (geomorphology, sedimentology and botany). This method plans a first essential analysis by remote sensing and a following field work in order to collect sedimentological, morphological and vegetational data (by phytosociological method) along several transects, systematically repeated. Sardinia (Italy) was chosen like our experimental laboratory. After a first application in an anthropic study area, Platamona (N Sardinia) (Balduzzi et al., 2004, Vagge et al., 2007), we directed our studies to Capo Comino area, characterized by natural and very complex conditions. Capo Comino area, only partially included in SIC-ITB020012, has been monitoring from 2003 until now. Results show a slow erosive trend, highlighted by morphological and vegetational changes. We found the degradation - and sometimes the disappearance - of few priority habitats, in particular 1120 (Posidonia beds - Posidonion oceanicae), 2120 (shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria – white dunes), 2210 (Crucianellion maritimae fixed beach dunes) and 2250 (coastal dunes with Juniperus spp.). Balduzzi I., Bozzano A., Corradi N., Mariotti L.M., Vagge I. (2004). The evolution of the dune fields of Platamona-Marritza (Northern Sardinia) using remote sensing and aerial imagery. Chemistry&Ecology, Vol. 22 N° 4 (1): 371-381. Vagge I., Corradi N., Ferrari M., Balduzzi I., Mariotti L.M. (2007). Aspetti vegetazionali e morfo-sedimentologici dei campi dunari di Platamona-Marritiza con particolare riguardo all’area di Marina di Sorso (Sardegna settentrionale). Fitosociologia 44 (1): 33-48.