Action C.2

Special surveillance activities on chamois populations in the Abruzzo, Latium and Molise National Parks to establish the factors that negatively condition the population dynamics, and the drawing up of a Working Plan

The objective of the action is to acquire a thorough knowledge about the causes underlying the current diminishing in numbers of the Apennine chamois population in the Abruzzo, Latium and Molise National Park and draw up a Working Plan that will be approved by the Park Board and put into effect. As well as identifying the diseases to assess the health risk, identifying the direct and indirect measures for a correct health management and identifying the plant species eaten by chamois in the birth, suckling and weaning periods (also analyzing the faeces and evidence of any possible trophic competition with other species), the actions must also lead to acquiring information on the population parameters (sex/age group ratio), reproductive behaviour, birth-rate and causes of mortality due to necroscopy of dead subjects and serological and parasitological screening on specimens, peculiar to chamois. Thanks to the support of the UNISI technicians, the direct and indirect impact resulting from the presence of deer (microscopic analysis of faeces for evidence of overlapping feeding habits, counting deer and chamois using the fecal pellet count, necroscopy of dead to establish the causes of mortality) will be studied. The Abruzzo, Latium and Molise National Park will produce a paper, using its own resources, to compare the threats and the limiting factors affecting the species.