We briefly present the new projects and new collaborations that we have started at the Faia Brava.
Viridia - Next impulse to biodiversity and rewilding in Faia Brava II
Co-operation with the Viridia - Conservation in Action foundation has enabled us to implement an integrated and comprehensive management strategy for the Faia Brava Private Protected Area. The creation of ponds, the planting of native species, the dispersal of oak acorns, the selective pruning of holm oaks and the promotion of prey populations, such as partridge and rabbit, for example, are actions that guarantee the maintenance of predator populations that live in the Côa valley. On the other hand, they favour the arrival of new prey species, such as roe deer and red deer, which are essential for wolves and lynx to return to territories where they were once abundant.
This strategy is divided into 2 points:
Ecosystem restoration
These measures will allow us to increase and improve the tree cover of the Faia Brava Reserve. We will also increase the resilience and prevention of rural/forest fires in the Faia Brava Reserve. In addition to this work, two ponds will be waterproofed. This will increase and prolong the availability of water in the Reserve, especially during the summer months.
Habitat improvement
In order to increase the amount of prey, we will also reactivate a dovecote and a wild rabbit breeding station. These actions will allow us to increase the availability of food for key species such as rabbit, hare, partridge and roe deer. This will also increase the availability of food for species with a high conservation value such as the golden eagle, Bonelli's eagle and even, possibly, the Iberian wolf. With regard to the conservation of scavenger bird species: we will install nest platforms for black vulture pairs and also continue feeding, mainly for the Egyptian vulture, in our scavenger bird feeding camps (CAANS).
Interreg Europe
As part of the Interreg Europe project, as well as sowing more than 11 hectares of cereals and legumes to increase the food availability of the reserve's prey species, we also monitor some of the reserve's emblematic species. This is the case with the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). This year, with the help of our partner Marco Ferraz, we managed to locate the nest of this very important bird in our reserve. After monitoring the nest for several months, we can now confirm that this pair was successful during the breeding season. Now the Côa Valley has one more individual of this species that should start exploring new territories in the coming months.
Another species that we were able to confirm was nesting inside the reserve was the black stork (Ciconia nigra). A pair of this species, which has ‘Vulnerable’ conservation status in Portugal, found a sufficiently quiet place to build their nest in our reserve. However, although we were able to confirm the presence of the pair during the breeding season, we were unable to confirm their breeding success.
In addition to these, we also tried to monitor the Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata). Monitoring the pair of this species is extremely important as it is the only pair of this species observed in the Côa Valley. Although typical nesting behaviour has been observed from this pair, the nest is not within the reserve, which has made it very difficult to monitor. However, we can confirm the breeding success of this species as a juvenile has already been spotted flying over the Faia Brava Reserve.
As far as mammals are concerned, we monitored the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). This monitoring was carried out using the photo-tagging technique. Our technical team is currently processing the data obtained in the field.
As part of this project, we will also be carrying out a census of the striated turtle (Emys orbicularis). In addition to monitoring and sowing, by the end of the year we plan to reactivate a dovecote, build a pond and improve the habitat of the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
Trees For All
In collaboration with Trees For All, we are also developing a reforestation project for the reserve.
As part of this project, we will plant around 6,000 trees and sow 4,400 acorns of native species. We will also carry out pruning to increase the resilience of the trees that already inhabit the reserve.
Together with the ‘Next impulse to biodiversity and rewilding in Faia Brava II’ project, we will be able to increase and accelerate the natural regeneration already taking place in the Reserve. In this way we will increase and improve the tree cover of the Reserve, making it more resistant and resilient to phenomena such as droughts and fires.
Soil@Int
Soil@Int is the result of a collaboration with the University of Aveiro. This project aims to establish a soil health monitoring network, combining remote sensing data with ecological indicators collected in the field. In this way, it will be possible to develop models that enable the creation of soil monitoring routines at different spatial and temporal scales.
In addition to helping the research team collect samples in the field, ATN will also implement the ‘Test your soil for free’ initiative, a citizen science project that, through the ‘Tea Bag Index’, promotes public literacy about the importance of soil.
In addition to the University of Aveiro, which is coordinating the project, Palombar and LNEG are partner organisations in this project.
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