LANDSCAPE UNIT FOR SOIL AND HABITAT RESTORATION IN ALGOSO
by Palombar
It is a non-profit entity whose mission is, among others, to conserve biodiversity, wild, forest and agricultural ecosystems. Guided by a pedagogical and cooperative approach, it also promotes scientific research in the areas of Ecology, Conservation Biology and Ecosystem Management, environmental education, community development and the dynamisation of the rural world. It has the following main objectives of action:
- To encourage the recovery, preservation and conservation of nature;
- Defence of the environment;
- Recovery and preservation of the rural built and cultural heritage;
- Sustainable development of rural communities.
Unidade de Paisagem para o Restauro do Solo e dos Habitats de Algoso aim is to enhance soil quality to raise its resistance to desertification and climate change, namely fires, and to encourage the restoration of cork oak forests by relocating eucalyptus trees to this habitat. This will also encourage the preservation and sustainable management of these resources.
The activities of the Biodiversity HotSpot, which is situated in the village of Algoso, within the municipality of Vimioso, will be able to continue as a result of this initiative. Through the creation of a micro-reserve where conservation measures are being applied in priority habitats, ecological restoration in artificial areas, and other methods, the Rios Sabor e Maçãs Special Conservation Area of the Natura 2000 Network, which is located in the municipalities of Vimioso and Mogadouro, is being restored and protected.
This project was developed by Palombar in collaboration with the Association for the Study and Protection of Cattle Asinino.
The relationship with Viridia, according to Palombar President José Pereira, “is a milestone in Palombar’s associative history. The unwavering acceptance of the path we have taken and are following, the strategy we seek to put into place, and the future we aim for in the protection and conservation of nature, as well as in the never-ending search for a peaceful coexistence with the natural world, is more important than financial support”.
Project Description
This project seeks to:
- Allow herbivores to graze throughout the reserve, leading to greater structural diversity in the ecosystem and, therefore, to biodiversity;
- Accelerate reforestation, leading to a more resilient ecosystem;
- Reduce the risk and impact of forest fires, the main threat to the ecosystem;
- Make a contribution to the preservation and improvement of the soils in the intervention area by addressing the primary causes of their depletion and putting in place strategies and solutions that ensure their recovery and benefit their ecology, particularly with a view to increasing organic matter in the soils;
- Preserve and strengthen an adequate supply of ecosystem services in the area and to sustain associated biodiversity by managing and conserving a number of fundamental habitats, such as riparian galleries and scrubland found in the intervention area;
- Conduct a thorough series of investigations and monitoring to gather pertinent information for the management of the region and for the processes of climatic change and desertification adaption;
- Promote demonstration actions with the adoption of agroforestry techniques as an alternative to conventional ways that contribute to soil degradation; 8. exchange information, knowledge, and best practices with the local inhabitants controlling the land;
- Take steps to make the region more resistant to these occurrences;
- Make the public aware of the problems caused by desertification and climate change, as well as the list of solutions.
Key Ecosystems
Riparian Gallery and Associated Forest Ecosystems.
Key Species
Oak (Quercus suber), Cork oak (Quercus rotundifolia)
Project Managers
Miguel Nóvoa e José Pereira
Responsible Associates
Nuno Ferrand and Tobias Azevedo
Place of action
Aldeia do Algoso, Vimioso
Implementation period
48 months
(July 2022 to May 2026)
Investment
€ 145.018
About us
Want to know more about us? Meet our team and our background. Also you can learn more about Viridia’s history and the support given to various associations.
Get in Touch
Praça de Liège, 146 Porto, 4150-455, Portugal Email: bcpereira@fba.org.pt