Searching for the Park Effect: An Analysis of Land Use Change and Ecosystem Service Flows in National Parks in Italy

Davide Marino, Antonio Barone, Margherita Palmieri, Angelo Marucci, Vincenzo Giaccio () and Silvia Pili
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Davide Marino: Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche, IS, Italy
Antonio Barone: Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche, IS, Italy
Margherita Palmieri: Independent Researcher, 86170 Isernia, Italy
Angelo Marucci: Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche, IS, Italy
Vincenzo Giaccio: Department of Economics, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Silvia Pili: Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche, IS, Italy

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-19

Abstract: Protected areas play a fundamental role in the implementation of international environmental strategies in order to ensure effective management systems that support the conservation of biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. However, the actual capacity of national parks to generate a specific “park effect” remains an open question. This study aims to assess whether the transformations observed in Italian national parks between 1960 and 2018 can be attributed to a specific park effect or are instead the result of other territorial dynamics. We analyzed long-term changes in land use and land cover (LUMCs) and variations in ecosystem services (ES), both inside and outside park boundaries, taking into account the SNAI classification. The results show a significant expansion of forest areas (+52%) and sparse vegetation (+56%), alongside a marked decline in arable land (−60%) and permanent crops (−26%). At the same time, the overall value of ES remains stable at around EUR 4 billion per year, with regulating services—accounting for 80% of the total—increasing by 20% between 1960 and 2018 and provisioning services declining by 41%. Italy’s national parks represent strategic socioecological laboratories capable of generating benefits both locally and globally. To fully realize this potential, more integrated management is needed, enabling their transformation from mere conservation areas to drivers of territorial resilience and social cohesion.

Keywords: park effect; ecosystem services; inner areas; environmental governance; multi-temporal analysis; territorial dynamics; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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