Building the knowledge about HNV potential of Meriagos (Dehesas) habitat in Sardinia: a systematical approach.

The recent Italian Map of Nature (ISPRA - Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale) identify among others the Sardinian Dehesa as semi-natural habitat. Even if the regional and subregional particuliarities of the land-use and land-cover vary, this Habitat - could be at all considered like Portuguese Montado and Spanish Dehesa, land use called here by locals as Meriagu. In the name the function: from the Sardinian verb “Meriai” (to lie ) reporting on the usual sheep flocks habitude to lie during the summer under the shadows of the spot threes in pasture lands. Woody coverage per hectar could vary depending on the land use: highest densities are registered for Oaks stands of Quercus Ilex and Quercus Suber. After the Portugal, Sardinia region is the second producer of cork in the world. When grazed, the specific “land use” of Cork oak stands could be considered a more particular study case of Meriagos, clustering low input agro-forestry, extensive grazing –useful also as sustainable forest fire risk management - hydrological functions, others. This habitat land use represents also one of the big expression of the traditional Sardinian landscape and landmark of the agricultural economies of the connected production of Sardinian pecorino cheese and of most of all of the precious cork. Even if HNV concept has not yet acknowledged by the Regional Rural Development Programme, starting to assess the concept from Meriagos habitat could be a chance to highlight environmental and ecological values and also the slow economies connected