Italy

Italy is a peninsular country that extends into the Mediterranean Sea. Terrain is mostly mountainous, with lowlands at the coasts. Most of the country is used for human activities, in its majority by rainfed agriculture. Italy has high biodiversity rarity of terrestrial land vertebrates at a global scale. When analysed as single taxons, the rarity of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles is also high. The rarity of marine fish and mammals is also high. Challenges to biodiversity include air pollution; coastal and river pollution; acid rain; and inadequate industrial waste treatment.