Experts from Portugal and Spain participate in the project advisory committee

SPECIALISTS OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL PROTECT THE CONSERVATION OF THE LAUREL FOREST OF AZORES

During the last week several experts were in San Miguel to analyze the results of the LIFE project Sustainable Laurel. According to these experts, with extensive experience in the ecology of habitats of Azores and Macaronesia, the fight against invasive species and the recovery of habitats of laurel forest and altitude turfs are an example of the best that has been done in nature conservation in the Macaronesian region.

The project Life Sustainable Laurel represents an effort by SPEA, the Regional Government and the municipalities of Povoação and Nordeste in the preservation of native habitats on the azorian island of Sao Miguel, in restoring and promoting the social and economic benefits that are very important to the Region. The experts, from universities and research institutes in the Azores, Canary Islands and Coimbra, together with the various project partners on the ground were able to verify the progress of the project, including the interventions of restoration of natural forest in the hills and moors of Tronqueira, which play important functions such as water supply for local people and contributing to the prevention of natural disasters.

A key recommendation of the experts present points to the importance of using the 8 years of experience and success of control methods of invasive alien species in the future management of the Nature Park of the Island. This park should be one of the strengths in promoting São Miguel and a model for sustainable tourism and the promotion of Azorean original nature as a vehicle for wealth in the region.

The contributions of this meeting also extended to the important measures that should be framed in the management of the Natural Park of the Island of São Miguel and may be applied to other areas of the Azores. For Jose Maria Palacios, a researcher at the University of La Laguna, Canary Islands, "the repair work that is being done in Sierra Tronqueira is remarkable and shows how important it is that Azorean habitats and species are increasingly seen as a major wealth of these islands in terms of global biodiversity both for improving the quality of living. "

The LIFE project since 2009 has contributed to the restoration and maintenance of over 250 ha of natural forest in the Serra da Tronqueira and about 75 ha of bog on the Planalto dos Graminhais. Also under the project more than 50,000 specimens of several species native to the Azores have already been produced and planted in the areas intervened.