Integrating Geographical Data with Vegetational Surveys for Developing a Management Plan in an Area with High Environmental Value.

Planning conservation and management measures in protected areas, characterized by high landscape and environmental value, requires synergical con-tributions from multiple skills. In particular, when these areas seek opportunities for tourism valorization, the management activity becomes extremely important and requires an appropriate technical approach. With reference to an area of high environmental, landscape and archaeological value, such as the ‘Pulo di Molfetta’ (Municipality of Molfetta – Southern Italy), some georeferenced floristic surveys have been carried out, so obtaining a list of tree, shrub and herbaceous species, with particular reference to invasive species, as well as to those included into the Habitat Directive. Further surveys have been then carried out on plant health status and mechanical tree stability as well. This survey, allowed to detect a priority Habitat (Laurus nobilis, cod. 5230), a residual forest coenosis very ancient, having an ecological, cultural and historical value, which deserves to be protected and valorized. A very-low altitude drone survey has been also carried out, to create a geo-localized 3D model, included as the base for a Geographical Information System (GIS), implemented for checking the formal consistency of the cartographic layers and detecting the floristic-vegetational habitat in this area. This approach has revealed suitable for the generation of a high-resolution orthophoto and highly detailed point cloud, to be used for further environmental studies. It enables also policy makers, to implement proper planning and management strategies, together with appropriate actions aimed to mitigate anthropic interventions, so allowing the development of a more sustainable tourism.