Moreover, on February 17, 2021, DEB submitted a full LIFE application titled “Using SEED banks to restore and reinFORCE the endangered native plants of Italy” (LIFE SEEDFORCE - LIFE20 NAT/IT/001468) in consortium with other 14 Italian and non-Italian research centres, universities, and botanical gardens of Europe.

The project aims at improving the conservation status of 27 Italian Annex II plant species that have an Unfavourable-Inadequate (18), Unfavourable-Bad (6) or Unknown (3) conservation status by addressing both habitat-related and intrinsic threats and adopting an integrated ex-situ/in-situ approach aiming at population reinforcement.

Should the proposal be approved, the project will provide a great opportunity for maximising visibility and transferring of good practices developed by Action C.6. Exchange with both national and international seed-banks (e.g. the RIBES, the Italian Network of Seed Banks) will strengthen the curation, characterisation, germination testing, and long-term conservation of the selected plant species with a replication programme as a safety back-up. The Action is complementary with Action C.2. Based on preliminary topographic, soil, and botanic analysis, an area of about 1,500 sqm was selected in Palo Laziale to create a new temporary pond where germinated quillworts will be introduced to reinforce the existing population. The bush vegetation covering the identified area was eliminated, and the topsoil excavated at a very shallow depth (about 10 cm) to meet the habitat configuration and the biological requirements of these target species.