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Protection and species habitat conservation for the consolidation of the Carabus olympiae population in Valsessera (CARABUS)
Start date: Jun 1, 2012, End date: Dec 31, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Background Olympia’s ground beetle (Carabus olympiae), is a beetle species at risk of extinction. It is included in the EU Habitats Directive as priority for conservation and is listed in the IUCN Red List as ‘vulnerable’. The beetle is only found in two neighbouring localities in Sella dell’Alta Valle Sessera in the mountainous Piedmont region of northern Italy. Objectives To reduce the risk of extinction of Olympia's ground beetle through habitat restoration; To preserve Olympia's ground beetle and nard grass (Nardus stricta) in grassland areas; To improve the coexistence of humans with the target species; To set up a management model, including fundraising, to preserve and restore viable habitats for Olympia's ground beetle; and To restore rearing areas where nard grass is particularly abundant. Expected results The main quantifiable expected results are: Mapping Olympia's ground beetle in the study area (1 500 ha); Forest inventory, with maps of the study area (1 500 ha); Drafting of a forest management plan for Olympia's ground beetle conservation; Interventions to preserve Olympia's ground beetle, including recovery of a shelter and the establishment of a nursery; Naturalisation of artificial forests constituting a barrier for dispersal of the beetle over 26.6 ha; and Educational activities targeting 500 students.
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