The vegetation of three areas of the Val Camonica (Lobardy, Italy) after environmental restoration works

The environmental restoration of mountainous areas affected by instability is a topic of great importance for those involved in land management and nature conservation. The present study aims to analyze the vegetation of three areas of the Lombardy Alps where, as a result of landslides, soil stabilization (using bioengineering techniques) and environmental restoration work was performed. An analysis of the vegetation, performed according to the phytosociological method, provided information on the plant communities currently present and allowed the work conducted in these areas to be evaluated. The study areas are located on mountain slopes of three lateral valleys of Val Camonica: • Scalve Valley (Azzone, BS; year in which environmental restoration work was performed: 1995; year in which vegetation was monitored: 2014) (Fig. 1). • Val Dorena (Monno, BS; year in which environmental restoration work was performed: 2000; year in which vegetation was monitored: 2015). • Val Palot (Pisogne, BS; year in which environmental restoration work was performed: 1996). In Val Dorena, further landslides occurred (and still occur), after soil stabilization and environmental restoration work, in Azzone exotic species were sown including Lupinus polyphyllus (1) (currently present), while in Val Palot no exotic species were sown and no further landslides have occurred after the environmental restoration work. Data on the vegetation of the three areas were collected performing various phytosociological relevés. These data were analyzed statistically to identify the various types of vegetation and, in each case, the value of the Ecological index of maturity (EIM) (2) was calculated in order to evaluate the level of disturbance to which the various plant communities are subject. The results of the floristic-vegetation analysis allowed the identification of the various types of vegetation in the three areas and the EIM value showed the presence of low disturbance in Val Palot (due to the absence of further landslides) and of high disturbance in Val Dorena (still affected by landslides) and in the area of Azzone (presence of exotic species introduced by man). Although the EIM has so far been applied only in three case studies, this index could be useful for the assessment of environmental restoration work.