Plant diversity of Mount Cavallo (Italian Alps)

The identification of elements of special environmental interest occurring in mountain protected areas is indispensable for a full valorisation of their resources. This is even more important in protected areas that have only recently been established, such as the Orobie Bergamasche Regional Park (Lombardy, Italy). This research reports the results of the analysis of the flora of the Mount Cavallo path, a little-known and little-used area of the Orobie Bergamasche Park. The floristic census (conducted in the summer months of 2016), which led to the identification of 241 tracheophytes, showed that the study area has a high number of endemic in a broad sense (endemic to Italy, endemic to the Alps and subendemic) (33) and/or rare (25) plants such as Linaria tonzigii Lona that is a species of Community interest included in Annex II of the Habitat Directive (92/43/EEC). Given the wealth and significance of the floristic heritage of the study area, as well as its unique geological and environmental characteristics, a proposal for its valorisation was presented to the Orobie Bergamasche Park, involving the construction of a nature trail: the "Mount Cavallo Botanical Path". This study gives an example of how university research centres that deal with the protection and sustainable development of mountain territory (such as the Ge.S.Di.Mont. centre) can, and should, provide scientific contributions and proposal for the development of protected areas and for the valorisation of biodiversity.