Living Lab leader: Paolo Biella (University of Milano – Bicocca)
Living Lab directory team: Giulia Brambilla, Andrea Galassini, Massimo Labra (University of Milano – Bicocca)
Description of the context
The Living Lab is a network of entities in urban and agricultural areas in Lombardy administrative region, mainly in and around the city of Milano, in the lawlands of north Italy. The region represents a highly transformed landscape (urbanized or agricultural environments), yet increasingly characterized by the establishment of green infrastructures and semi-natural areas, like public gardens, urban green areas, green roofs, floral strips and beds, natural or restored habitats in protected areas and agricultural areas. This makes the region of particular interest for ecological studies, including those focused on the ecosystem services and the biodiversity of flowering plants and their pollinators such as wild bees, hoverflies, butterflies, beetles, among others. The Living Lab will include green recreational areas, allotments and agricultural farms of about 900ha in urban areas and about 8000ha in peri-urban areas.
Challenges for pollinator biodiversity and services
In Milan, as in most major cities around the world, the challenges affecting pollinators safeguard include climate change, increasing temperatures due to soil sealing and built-up land, lack of floral resources and nesting sites and the use of pesticides.
In the Living Lab the pressure on pollinators varies depending on the type of study area. In recreational areas, the main factors contributing to pollinator declines are unsuitable habitats and intensive management. In contrast, in agricultural zones, the use of pesticides and the lack of targeted measures to support biodiversity are the primary threats. These environmental challenges, together with the low consciousness regarding the ecological and economic importance of pollinators, represent some of the main barriers to their conservation in urban contexts.
Living Lab mission
One of the main outputs of the project will be the assessment of pollinator biodiversity and the value of their ecosystem services, including restoration, social and economic perspectives. These will be characterized in a series of experimental areas.
In agricultural areas and farms, the relationship between market-bound fruits and pollinators will be evaluated. The same assessment will be carried out in participating allotments, focusing on the cultivated vegetables for local use, as they are the most commonly grown crops in this type of area.
In the protected areas we will focus on land and forest management and the consequent effects on pollinators biodiversity and abundance. These areas, along with a University campus (Vivaio Bicocca), already active in the subject, will also serve as sites for educational and promoting activities.
The data retrieval will be fundamental for future studies on the ecosystemic, economic and social relevance of pollination service. In terms of economic value, the biodiversity associated with plants will be estimated, as well as the effect of entomophilous pollination on productivity and nutritional values. The LL will also contribute to assessing the social and human aspects of pollinator and flower biodiversity in recreational green areas and allotments. This will allow a better understanding of how people interact with and value biodiversity in these spaces.
Lombardy Living Lab in the news
Api, farfalle, coleotteri e altri animali fantastici e dove trovarli (In Italian)
Api e farfalle a rischio, 3 progetti dell’Ue possono salvarli (In Italian)
Living labs: Laboratories of alliances