Main Activities

The activity will combine land use/cover changes around the ASL and climate change with available biodiversity data for birds, butterflies and moths in and around the ASL. This will enable evidence-based spatial prioritisation of priority conservation/restoration areas within the ASL “pressure zone” and will create a baseline for monitoring future changes. Results will inform the revision of the area’s Management Plan and the development of a Management Order, outlining measures, prohibitions and restrictions. 

At least 5 PMRs for different Red Data Book (RDB) species will be established. The selection will depend on data completeness and quality. Long-term monitoring and conservation will take place in PMRs. Signs will be placed at the entrance of PMRs, describing the concept, the species, their value and importance.

BSC restoration in selected degraded ASL areas will take place using mulching with locally collected dead plant material and cyanobacteria inoculation to increase stability and provide favourable nutritional conditions for the survival of plant communities. Biocrust formation in degraded soils improves overall soil conditions and enhance water availability. Knowledge transfer and support on appropriate techniques has been secured from the UCJR Spain, experts in BSC.

This activity will contribute towards the effective conservation and long-term survival of the targeted taxa and will focus on a) plant conservation in botanic gardens and b) storage of seeds and propagules. Under this activity, collaboration with the Department of Forests and Agricultural Research Institute has been established.

Restoration and re-creation of new aquatic sites (within the ASL) will take place on selected areas based on field observations on BSC condition, lan cover/use changes map, and aquatic vegetation. A candidate area of ecological importance for this activity is the seasonal saline lagoons site west of the main ASL, which host important species (e.g. Kentish Plover, Little-ringed plover, Ruppia maritima).

Based on Activity 1, Activity 6 will streamline further actions on placing directional and informational signs on the ecological importance of the area, as well as placing restriction bars at selected locations to exclude drivers from the targeted habitats and the lakebed. This action will complement and build on a relevant action of current project (DPLUS141), based on evaluation of benefits gained through access restriction to important conservation sites of the area.

A sustainability appraisal will be employed to: a) inform the selection of in-situ conservation projects; b) actively engage all relevant stakeholders in public participation exercises, including interviews and focus groups to identify ASL-tailored sustainability objectives; workshops to integrate scientific and expert knowledge on project impacts; transparent public consultation at least twice in the assessment process; c) assist in the development of a post adoption reporting and monitoring strategy. 

Raising awareness of the conservation projects will also be facilitated through a project website, newspaper articles, and interviews in local radio stations.