Line of action:

Terrestrial ecosystems

Status:

Finalizado

Execution date:

2018

Total budget:

€22,059.05

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

€18,267.19

The riparian forest is a plant formation characterized by being linked to the bank of a river or riverbed, forming a narrow strip of vegetation.
The main function of this forest is to protect rivers.
It is considered a habitat of community interest due to its important role in the conservation of different species and habitats.
This project acts in the most degraded area of this habitat in the entire Segura River, downstream of the Cenajo reservoir, the largest in the basin.
This reservoir, according to the entity, generates a considerable impact on the last stretch of riparian forest in the river.
It is an area of maximum impact and progressive deterioration, corresponding to the Vega Alta of the Segura river in Murcia, in the sections of the river located in the municipalities of Moratalla, Calasparra and Cieza.

The main objective of this project is to recover and protect the riparian forest, a habitat of Community Interest, as well as its main associated habitats, in the most degraded area of this habitat in the entire Segura River, which, after the largest reservoir in the entire basin, the Cenajo, generates a considerable impact on the last stretch of the riparian forest in the river. It has the following specific goals:

• Remove specimens of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) from the riparian forest of the areas of action of the project (Cieza and Calasparra).
• To evaluate the success of IAS wildlife capture methods.
• Disseminate the problem of IAS in river systems.
• To have informative material on IAS.
• Involve the population in the control of IAS.

• Carrying out actions to protect riparian biodiversity and control invasive alien species of fauna.
• Monitoring and evaluation of the Programme for the Control of Invasive Alien Flora and Fauna and Fire Prevention and Detection.
• Public awareness and dissemination of all actions and their results.
• Design and edition of informative material, such as leaflets, stickers or posters.
• Organization and development of a volunteer program to contribute to biological monitoring tasks, maintenance of IAS control or habitat restoration.

• 10 days of prospecting of exotic birds have been carried out in the area of action, a bird trapping campaign with Japanese nets and three campaigns of eradication of exotic turtles with pots with the aim of helping to combat some of the IAS in the project area.
• Thanks to the work carried out, the eradication of exotic pond turtles in this section of the river has been confirmed, and the most effective capture methods have been evaluated.
• Other species were also caught, such as the percasol (Lepomis gibbosus), the alburno (Alburnus alburnus) and the American red crab (Procambarus clarkii).
• Different dissemination and communication actions have been carried out, such as a campaign to join pet centers, four workshops and three talks, the publication of press releases and an exhibition on the project at the aquarium of the University of Murcia, accompanied by an informative video.
  A leaflet, stickers and posters have also been produced.
• A volunteer program has been developed with a total of 18 activities.