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Monitoring meeting for the 36 months of the LIFE4FIR project – 7 November 2022

The LIFE4FIR project consortium met on 7th November in Spain for the periodic monitoring meeting. The meeting was organized by the University of Seville at the Santo Domingo Convent in Ronda, Málaga.
During the first day, the beneficiaries and the external monitor met in the beautiful venue to discuss the technical results obtained, the dissemination activities carried out, and to monitor the financial aspects. The meeting was a precious opportunity to manage the critical aspects of the project and discuss the activities to be completed in the coming months.

 

Afterwards, two days of visits to the Abies Pinsapo populations in the “Pinsapar Sierra de Las Nieves” forest and the “Pinsapar de Junqueras” forest were organised, followed by a visit to the nursery where the seedlings of this species are propagated.

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Monitoring meeting for the 24 months of the LIFE4FIR project – 15-16 November 2021

The LIFE4FIR project consortium met again in Sicily in November 2021 for the periodic monitoring meeting (agenda available here). A two day full of activities!

During the first day, the beneficiaries and the external monitor met in the beautiful headquarters of the municipality of Polizzi Generosa to discuss the results obtained and the activities planned for the coming months.

 

In the afternoon, after the meeting, the participants moved for a visit to the Seed Bank set up inside the Abies Nebrodensis Museum, in the municipality of Polizzi Generosa.

During the visit it was possible to observe the first samples of seeds stored for conservation: this activity is of fundamental importance for the maintenance of the germplasm of the species.

 

The second day was dedicated to an excursion to the original settlement of Abies nebrodensis. The walk along the path of the Abies was organized to show to the monitor the interventions carried out, with particular attention to the installation of the new fencing system around the trees and the video surveillance system.

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Remote sensing via drone and monitoring activities of the LIFE4FIR project

The remote sensing via drone of the LIFE4FIR project

At the beginning of October 2020 the survey of the Abies nebrodensis natural are was carried out using a drone equipped with multispectral cameras. Remote sensing allows the monitoring of the health of trees and habitat through the measure of the radiation reflected by the vegetation.

During the drone flight, panoramic shots of the habitat and of the individual trees of the Abies nebrodensis population were acquired.

Tree n. 8

Trees n. 10 ed 11

Tree n. 12

Trees n. 16 e 17

Tree n. 19

Phytosanitary monitoring and laboratory activities of LIFE4FIR project

Phytosanitary surveys were carried out in November 2019 and in October 2020. Trees were subjected to a careful visual examination to evaluate their vegetative condition based on observations of the crown shape and transparency, turning foliage, presence of declining, desiccated or damaged parts, occurrence of lesions.

Laboratory analysis for LIFE4FIR monitoring activities

Laboratory analysis of collected samples were conducted through: observations under stereomicroscope, isolation and culture of fungal colonies and their genetic characterization through PCR amplification and sequencing of target loci for their identification. This allowed identification of the fungal microflora associated with the observed alterations and to detect the possible presence of harmful pathogens.