The conservation of species listed in the Bern Convention and European Directive 1992/43/EEC (so-called policy species) is mandatory for European Union (EU) countries. We assessed the conservation status of Italian policy species, based on the IUCN categories and criteria, to evaluate the effectiveness of existing protection measures at the national level. Among the 203 vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens evaluated, 41.9% are categorized as threatened, and one is already extinct, indicating that the protection measures for policy species are inadequate. Our results for the Italian policy species are consistent with those of an assessment at the EU level. Conservation priorities should be established at both the national and regional scales. An effective conservation strategy is needed, and in situ and ex situ actions focused on threatened species should be promoted.

The indigenous cattle of Zanzibar commonly referred to as Zanzibar Zebu belong to the Small East African Zebu but with some influences of Boran and Somali cattle. The breed is under pressure from cross-breeding and from economic reforms that may lead to genetic erosion. This paper is an attempt to describe the characteristics and environment of these cattle as well as highlighting the implications of the prevailing conditions for conservation.