Valutazione degli effetti del fuoco prescritto sull’erpetofauna nel Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano (Campania): messa a punto della metodologia di campionamento

In the Mediterranean environments forest fires have played a main role in landscape dynamic. However, especially in protected areas, uncontrolled forest fires can severely affect structural and functional ecosystem characters. The “Cilento e Vallo di Diano” National Park (PNCVD) is supporting a project to use “prescribed burning” to prevent large forest fires. We report the preliminary results on methodologies and the sampling techniques used to assess short-term effects of prescribed burning on herpetofauna inside an experimental area in the (PNCVD). Seven specie were found in the study area: Podarcis siculus, Lacerta bilineata, Anguis fragilis, Chalcides chalcides, Hierophis viridiflavus, Zamenis lineatus, and Bufo bufo. Drift fences associated with pitfall traps in two plots (burned and unburned control area) seem to be the best method to estimate population size of the more common species (P. siculus and C. chalcides). However, since these species have low densities in the study areas, replicated treatment and control plots will be needed to obtain robust results.