Osservatorio della Biodiversità della Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta

Vertebrates

Animals presenting, as a distinctive and peculiar feature, a spine that gives support to the body and allows it to move. The vertebrates represent approximately just 2% of all animal life on Earth. They are present in Italy with about 1300 species, accounting for 1 to 2% of the entire Italian fauna. In Aosta Valley about 350 species are present.

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Invertebrates

Large and heterogeneous set of animal species without an internal skeleton. They represent about 97% of all animal life forms on Earth. First to colonize our planet, about 4 billion years ago, they populate any terrestrial environment. In Italy there are about 55100 species, accounting for 98-99% of the Italian fauna

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Protection

The conservation of wildlife must consider multiple biological characteristics of vertebrates and invertebrates species, including high mobility and interactions among even distant populations. More and more often the legislative protection interventions must be transnational and thus they are shared by several Countries and Regions.

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Vascular flora

It represents the set of all those plants equipped with a specialized vascular system for the transport of water, minerals and sugars. Are part of the vascular flora the pteridophytes and phanerogams, all plants equipped with seeds and flowers more or less specialized, which represent, by themselves, about half of all species of the vegetable kingdom.

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Protection

With the Regional Law No 45/2009 - Regulations for the protection and preservation of alpine flora, the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley regulates the protection and conservation of spontaneous and native alpine flora, as well as some species of ferns, mosses and lichens. Through habitat protection, promotion of conservation and management programs, research and promotion activities, this law is intended to ensure, on the basis of international, community and national laws, the proper conservation of the flora heritage.

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Lichens

Symbiotic organisms resulting from the close association between a fungus and an algae. The fungus absorbs the nourishment from the algae, and in return it provides water, minerals and support. Thanks to this symbiosis the lichen can live in extreme environments, generally inaccessible to other forms of plant life.

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Protection

With the Regional Law No 45/2009 - Regulations for the protection and preservation of alpine flora, the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley regulates the protection and conservation of the species of lichens, which reproduction and diffusion occur in natural way. Through habitat protection, promotion of conservation and management programs, research and promotion activities, this law is intended to ensure, on the basis of international, community and national laws, the proper conservation of the natural heritage.

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Bryophytes

Very primitive plants that have structures similar to leaves and stems, but they are not provided of real roots and vascular tissues, and for this reason they are small. They are generally pioneer plants, able to colonize inhospitable places, where they retain water and limit soil erosion, thus favoring the settlement of species with more ecological requirements.

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Protection

With the Regional Law No 45/2009 - Regulations for the protection and preservation of alpine flora, the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley regulates the protection and conservation of the species of mosses whose reproduction and distribution occur in a natural way. Through habitat protection, promotion of conservation and management programs, research and promotion activities, this law is intended to ensure, on the basis of international, community and national laws, the proper conservation of the natural heritage.

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Mushrooms

Systematic heterogeneous group, which includes organisms with very different shapes and sizes. In general, being unable to perform the photosynthetic process, unlike the plant they must draw nourishment from other organisms. They can be parasites of animals or plants or they can live on dead organic matter, accelerating its processes of decomposition.

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Signalisations

In this section you can enter the signalisations for:
-Fauna
-Flora
-Lichens
-Bryophyte
-Mushrooms

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Fish

Group of organisms adapted to aquatic life, accounting for about 50% of all vertebrate species described worldwide. The listed fishes belong to the class Osteichthyes (bony fish): possess a skeleton partially ossified, the body is covered of scales and an operculum covering the gills. The movement and maintenance of the balance are guaranteed by the fins, while the waterline is made possible by a particular organ said swim bladder. The livery change depending on the environment in which the fish live. The species present in Aosta Valley represent about 3% of the entire regional fauna vertebrates.

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Amphibia

The term “amphibious” means "double life”. These animals in fact have a development cycle generally completed in two distinct environments (aquatic and terrestrial), through a metamorphosis in which the larval stage is different from the adult. Breathing occurs almost exclusively through the skin. Often some skin glands produce toxic substances, the danger of which is often associated with very showy colors. Amphibians represent less than 3% of the entire regional fauna vertebrates.

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Reptiles

The reptiles are cold-blooded animals, completely adapted to terrestrial life and therefore they have developed a number of adaptations to limit dehydration: the skin, thick and covered with water waterproof scales lacks glands for skin breathing, the lungs are well formed and the eggs, inside which develop small puppy, has a thick outer shell that allows the protection of the embryos from shocks and from dehydration. The reptiles represent about 3% of the entire regional fauna of vertebrates.

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Birds

Birds are among the most well-known and easily recognizable animals, with distinctive and diversified color and voices among the species. The ability to fly allowed them to occupy areas prohibited to other vertebrates. They have light but robust bones, rich in internal cavity, a particularly efficient respiratory system, sight and hearing very developed. They are the only animals to have feathers, whose particular structure allows the flight and the thermal insulation and a horny beak, without teeth. Birds represent more than 76% of the entire regional fauna vertebrates.

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Mammals

Largest class of vertebrates characterized by species significantly different in appearance, size and living habits. They have colonized almost all terrestrial environments due to some evolutionary character: they are warm-blooded, they have an internal system of temperature regulation, hairs with thermal insulation function, specialized teeth that can allow them to access to wide variety of foods, and mammary glands for breastfeeding of puppies. The most advanced are viviparous, embryonic development takes place inside the mother's body. Mammals represent about 15% of the entire regional fauna vertebrates.

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