Vegetation-based ecological assessment of a disused quarry in the Berici Hills for restoration planning

The Nature Restoration Law not only promotes environmental restoration but also introduces specific obligations for EU Member States to address biodiversity loss and the resulting decline in ecosystem services. However, its regulatory framework leaves Member States considerable discretion in implementation, making operational guidelines, planning procedures, and a clear decision-making methodology necessary to guide interventions . From an operational perspective, two major challenges emerge: 1) the need for an accurate description of the current state of habitats, which is essential for identifying appropriate restoration interventions, and 2) the correct definition of restoration objectives, particularly through the establishment of a reference state, i.e., the expected trajectory of the ecosystem. To characterise the current ecological conditions, we used indicators and indices commonly used for biodiversity assessment, based on vegetation data. Afterward, beta-diversity analysis was used to quantify the ecological dissimilarity of the existing habitats from the defined reference state. The approach was tested in an area adjacent to an abandoned quarry in the municipality of Longare (VI). The integration of conventional biodiversity metrics with beta diversity analysis can provide information to guide the planning and implementation of restoration interventions and best practices across different habitats.