PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Mediterranean region is one of the most vulnerable areas in the world to the effects of climate change, including flooding and soil erosion. Mediterranean alder forests or residual alluvial forests, a priority habitat of the Habitats Directive (91E0* ‘Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae)’, play an important role in stabilised river banks. Alder (Alnus glutinosa) also improves nutrient balance in the soil, useful for colonising degraded areas. Mediterranean alluvial forests improve water quality, reduce eutrophication, and are habitat for several species of Community interest, such as trout, otter, or Iberian desman. This valuable ecological and hydrological habitat in the Western Tajo river basin is seriously threatened, and in long stretches of historic presence it is already non-existent. The ultimate goal of the project is to increase the area of alluvial forests in the Tagus river by 1 032 ha (516 km of streams), habitat which now only represents 14% of the length of the river basin. The project focuses on the SCIs of the Western Tajo International Basin. The main threat is severe degradation and loss of water, soil, space and biodiversity.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE ALNUS TAEJO project aims to protect, conserve, enhance and restore rivers and riverbanks dominated by residual alluvial forests (priority habitat type 91E0*), which host a high biodiversity and influence the water quality of rivers and their ecosystems. Additionally, the project will demonstrate that the results of the actions improve when integrated river basin management criteria, social awareness, technical training, knowledge transfer, experience sharing in a network and environmental education are applied.
The specific objectives are to:
- Work with public administrations and relevant stakeholders to improve hydrological ecosystems management;
- Improve vegetal structure and condition of 91E0* species (e.g. Alnus glutinosa, Frangula alnus, Fraxinus angustifolia, Salix atrocinerea);
- Recover soil and fluvial space, promoting connectivity between ecosystems of the basin and the restoration of degraded areas;
- Reduce agricultural pressure on the riverbanks;
- Raise awareness of citizens to fluvial ecosystems;
- Reduce pollution, and social and urban pressure on river forests;
- Improve water quality and river flows, through better river structure, removing illegal barriers and stopping illegal water extraction;
- Enhance adaptation to climate change to help prevent droughts and desertification;
- Reduce the number and spread of invasive species;
- Control Phytophthora alni, a disease of alder; and
- Promote scientific and technical administrative networks to advance the replicability of these approaches in other river basins and ecosystems.
The project is in line with the EU Water Framework Directive, Habitats Directive, Birds Directive, Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, Floods Directive, and Directive 2004/17/EC on public procurement for entities operating in the water, energy, transport, and postal services sectors.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Alluvial forest habitat (91E0*) - 432 ha (216 km) of direct river restoration and 600 ha (300 km) of river natural regeneration to promote connectivity;
- Improved hydrological ecosystems management;
- Increased alder surface and improved hydrological permeability in at least 320 ha of riverbanks;
- Increased plant biodiversity along 150 km of riverbanks;
- Reduced agricultural pressure and recovery of river space on 30 ha;
- Recovery of soil on eroded surfaces on 18 ha of river corridors;
- Improved river flows due to action against illegal barriers and intakes, reducing longitudinal fragmentation and water drainage in 30 km of river;
- Water quality improvement and reduction of river pollution and better ecological and hydromorphological structure along 45 km of rivers;
- Climate change adaptation, prevention against drought on 50 km of rivers, and management of flows linked to climate change;
- Control of Phytophthora alni on 30 km of riverbanks;
- Urban river restoration along 3 km;
- Reduction of pollution, social and urban pressure of rural and urban fluvial forests in 15 km of urban rivers. Recovery of fluvial space in 3 km of banks used as natural pools;
- Reduction of invasive plant species along 30 km of rivers;
- Environmental awareness and education regarding the riverside ecosystems, reaching 1 500 people;
- Awareness for managers of basin-level approach benefits (6 city councils, 4 agricultural associations);
- Promotion of technical and administrative scientific networks for replication In Spain and in other EU countries (6 administrations, 6 companies, 6 universities);
- Custody of the territory agreements for protection of fluvial ecosystems with farmers.
