MULTI-TAXON MONITORING IN THE STRICT NATURE RESERVE “MONTAGNA DI TORRICCHIO” (ITALY)

Global climate changes and the intensification of human activities may threaten biodiversity at various spatial and temporal scales, in turn compromising nature’s contributions to people’s life. Efficient and effective monitoring surveys become pivotal to measure biodiversity changes. We performed a biodiversity investigation applying a multi-taxon approach through the project “Monitoring Integrated Multi-taxon Biodiversity” (MIMTB). We monitored nine plots in the beech forests of the Strict Nature Reserve of ”Montagna di Torricchio” (also part of the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER)). Sampling lasted from April to October 2024, and we applied standardised protocols for seven taxa: vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens, saproxylic insects, earthworms, soil arthropods, micro- and macro-fungi. We also evaluated the canopy cover and forest structure together with climatic variables such as air humidity and temperature. We aim to: i) infer patterns and drivers of multi-taxon diversity; ii) investigate relationships among the different taxa and between species richness and forest structure; iii) test new approaches and schemes of biodiversity investigations; iv) obtain a checklist of species, also detecting the occurrences of threatened species for conservation purposes.