Gran Paradiso National Park

Coordinates: 45°30′10″N 7°18′36″E / 45.50278°N 7.31000°E / 45.50278; 7.31000
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Parco nazionale del Gran Paradiso
Parc national du Grand-Paradis
Location of park
Coordinates45°30′10″N 7°18′36″E / 45.50278°N 7.31000°E / 45.50278; 7.31000
Area703 km2 (271 sq mi) [1]
Established1922
Governing bodyMinistero dell'Ambiente
www.pngp.it

Gran Paradiso National Park (

Victor Emmanuel II, but now also protects other species.[4]

History

In the early 19th century, due to hunting, the Alpine ibex survived in the Gran Paradiso and Vanoise area. Approximately 60 individual ibex survived, here.

King of Italy, declared the Royal Hunting Reserve of the Gran Paradiso in 1856. A protective guard was created for the ibex. Paths laid out for the ibex are still used today as part of 724 kilometres (450 miles) of marked trails and mule tracks.[4]

In 1920 Victor Emmanuel II's grandson

King Victor Emmanuel III donated the park's original 21 square kilometres (5,189 acres),[4] and the park was established in 1922.[2] It was Italy's first national park.[6] There were approximately 3,000 ibex in the park when it was instituted. The institution of the park led to an increase in the ibex population, which reached 4,000 by 1933. In the following decade, despite the presence of the park, a worsening of the quality of surveillance under Fascist rule, poaching, and World War II led to a steady decrease in the ibex population. By 1945 only 419 remained.[7] Their protection was re-established after the war, and there were 4,000 in the park in 2005.[4]

Geography

Gran Paradiso mountain
Plateau de Nivolet

The park is located in the

summit.[9] In 1860, John Cowell became the first person to reach the summit.[10] To the west, the park shares a boundary with France's Vanoise National Park.[2] They co-operate in managing the ibex population, which moves across their shared boundary seasonally.[11]

Flora

The park in autumn

The park's woods are important because they provide shelter for a large number of animals. They are a natural defence against

Swiss stone pines, and more rarely silver firs.[8]

Norway spruce, often mixed with larch. Larch and Swiss stone pine woods are found up to the highest sub-alpine level (2,200–2,300 metres (7,200–7,500 ft)).[12]

At higher altitudes, the trees gradually thin out and there are alpine pastures. These pastures are rich in flowers in the late spring.

Paradisia Alpine Botanical Garden near Cogne inside the park.[4]

Fauna

Alpine ibex
Marmot

Eurasian badger, alpine chamois, wolf (recently arrived from Central Italy) and maybe even lynx.[4] The ibex and chamois spend most of the year above the tree line. They descend to the valleys in the winter and spring. Alpine marmot forage on plants along the snow line.[4]

There are more than 100 bird species in the park, including Eurasian eagle-owl, rock ptarmigan, alpine accentor, and chough. Golden eagles nest on rocky ledges, and sometimes in trees. Wallcreeper are found on steep cliffs. There are black woodpeckers and nutcrackers in the park's woodlands.[4]

The park supports many species of butterflies including apollos, peak whites, and southern white admirals.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Gran Paradiso National Park". World Database on Protected Areas. Archived from the original on 2006-08-28. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso". Protected Areas and World Heritage Programme. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  3. ^
    ISBN 1-85284-231-8
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-691-12219-9
    .
  5. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
    .
  6. ISBN 978-0-7546-4801-7
    .
  7. ISBN 978-0822946359
    .
  8. ^ a b c d "The Parc environments". Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso. Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  9. ^ a b Beaumont, Peter (2005-01-30). "Have skis, will travel". The Observer. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  10. ^
    ISBN 1-84064-188-6
    .
  11. ISBN 2-8317-0612-2
    .
  12. ^ a b c "The woods". Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso. Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  13. ^ "The rocky environments". Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso. Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  14. ISBN 0-521-59122-8
    .

External links

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