Italy

Four case studies of European protected areas are presented illustrating particular themes of management practice. The National Park of Abruzzo, Latium and Molise (Italy) serves as a model for zoning; the Bialowieza National Park (Poland) for monitoring; participatory management is exemplified in the Minorca Biosphere Reserve in Spain; and the Austrian Hohe Tauern National Park is a good example for visitor management.

Fourth in the series, this profile explores the diverse and changing nature of Community Involvement in Forest Management (CIFM) in Western Europe. It provides some comparative European-level data on important social institutions which shape patterns of community involvement in forestry, and it briefly examines different national contexts.

Limits to expansion of protected area systems underline the importance of seeking new ways to conserve biodiversity. There are many examples where traditional rural communities have shown their capacity to maintain high biological and cultural diversity.