|
Name
Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso (Grand Paradiso National Park)
IUCN
Management Category II (National Park)
Biogeographical
Province 2.32.12 (Central European Highlands)
Geographical
Location In the north of Italy, on the West Alps. To the west,
it borders on the French National Park of the Vanoise, established
in 1964.
Date
and History of Establishment 1922, with some protection such
1856.
Area
70,000 ha.
Land
Tenure State ownership
Altitude
800-4,061 m (average height 2,000 m).
Physical
Features Landscapes of high alpine mountains with glaciers,
signs of ancient glaciation, waterfalls, rivers etc., many interesting
geological and morphological peculiarities. Most of the Park lies
in the Aosta Valley, with the remainder in piedmont. The geological
formation of the Park is rather complicated, but is mainly formed
of stratified gneiss. The climate is continental.
Climate
No information
Vegetation
8% of the park is covered by high altitude forest with larch (Larix
decidua) and spruce fir (Picea excelsa). There are many rare species
typical of the alpine flora and endemisms.
Fauna
This is the important characteristic of the park. Chamois (Rupicapra
r. rupicapra), marmot (Marmota marmota), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
and the rare and threatened ibex (Capra i. ibex) are present. The
ibex, once present in all Europe, was destroyed by hunting and in
1922 only 2,500 specimens were present in the Gran Paradiso territory.
After the war the population fell to 400, but now there are more
than 3,000 individuals. In order to solve ecological problems caused
by the lack of natural predators the administration of the park
intend to introduce lynx.
Also
present are capercaillies (Tetrao urogallus), black grouse (Lyrurus
tetrix), ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), black woodpecker (Dryocopus
martius), stoat (Mustela erminea), golden eagle, rock partridge,
Tengmalm's owl, wallcreeper, alpine accentor, snow finch, citril
finch, raven, chough, alpine chough, alpine hares.
Cultural
Heritage No information
Local
Human Population No information
Visitors
and Visitor Facilities No information
Scientific
Research and Facilities No information.
No
information.
Conservation
Value No information
Conservation
Management No information.
No
information.
Management
Constraints Poaching; private building speculations; and (in
common with all Italian parks) the attempt to distribute the control
of the territory to different regional administrations, and in this
way dismember the structure and ecological unity of the park.
Staff
65 guards and 9 clerical workers.
Budget
No information.
Local
Addresses
"Gran
Paradiso" National Park Agency, Via Della Rocca, 47 10123 Torino.
References
None
listed.
Date
No information
|
