At
the moment the second Life project is underway. It will be
developed between 2005 and 2008 and has a budget of 1.398.300€.
| Objective: |
* habitat recuperation for the European pond turtle
and other amphibians, i.e. temporary or perennial freshwater
wetlands, and, in consequence, recuperation of population
numbers. |
| Main
actions to be carried out: |
•
recovery of natural enclosures and temporary flooded
lands in order to increase the total population density
of existing amphibians. These lands can act as reservoirs,
reducing the risk of floods in agricultural and urban
lands.
|
•
restoration of Basses d’en Coll and surrounding
areas, at the moment occupied by rice fields. The
main objective is to improve the ecological conditions
and establish a transition zone, formed by humid areas
in which reeds predominate, between the ponds and
the rice fields.
|
•
recuperation of bank forests and related ponds, and
reintroduction of pond turtles. In these environments,
until the 1980s, pond turtles could easily be found
but they disappeared due to habitat degradation. The
project vows for the restoration of these areas and
the creation of new ponds. Once the habitat has been
restored turtles will be reintroduced. For the last
years, the Centre de Reproducció de Tortugues
(Turtle Breeding Centre) in l’Albera, has successfully
bred pond turtles in captivity. The centre has turtles
captured in the Ter area so reintroduction will be
with descendants of native turtles.
|
•
capture of turtles form other continents, mainly the
Florida Turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans). These
turtles bought in shops and abandoned when their owners,
compete with indigenous turtles and end up displacing
them. The project includes the recapture of these
turtles and workshops to make people aware of the
problem and stop indiscriminate release of these specimens.
|
|
• organization of accesses and usage of the
area to stop ecosystem degradation.
|
The
project is an initiative of the councils of Torroella de Montgrí
and Pals. A part from the EU also take part in the project
the Department for the Environment of the Government of Catalonia,
Foundation Territory and Landscape, Diputació de Girona,
Consortium of the Costa Brava, Local Council of the Baix Empordà
and the University of Girona. Land owners also take part by
handing over poor agricultural lands with a high ecological
value.
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