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INTRODUCTION

by Cesare Patrone *

iodiversity preservation is a topical subject in an age of ever-increasing attention
to issues regarding environmental protection. In fact ecosystem animal and plant
Bspecies richness, which indicates biointegrity, is an element to assess
environmental quality. All human activities affect ecological systems on natural habitats
and related biological resources in a different way. Protecting biodiversity and reducing its
loss is a common goal shared at a global level; this is proved by several safeguard laws at
a national and European level. Italy is one of the richest European countries in terms of
biodiversity given its environmental and climate richness depending on its peculiar
geographical position as well as the configuration of its land. The flora and fauna variety
of our country is a fundamental issue and this is demonstrated by intense legislative
activity at both a national and regional level, aiming at identifying protection measures.
This is the outcome of a careful research which, besides displaying the international
legislative activity in biodiversity matters, has resulted into providing lists of spontaneous
Italian flora species which are object of legal protection. More than hundred pictures of
flora species existing in our country, many of which are rare, make this research a very
important operative instrument for those who are working for the natural heritage
protection on a national level.

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* Head of Corpo forestale dello Stato Anno

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