Nearly 300 thousand Euros will be invested this year by the Government in twenty monitoring actions to control and eradicate the invasive flora on several islands of the Archipelago.
The ongoing actions are included in the Regional Plan for the Eradication and Control of Invasive Flora Species in Sensitive Areas, under the jurisdiction of the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and the Sea, and comprise 20 exotic species.
Actions to fight against invasive species are taking place on São Miguel in the Lagoa do Fogo Natural Reserve in an area of 10 hectares. The targeted species are the Gunnera tinctoria (Chilean rhubard), Clethra arborea, (Lily-of-the-valley tree), Leycesteria formosa (Himalayan honeysuckle), Ulex europaeus (common gorse) , Hedychium gardnerianum (Kahili Ginger), Pittosporum undulatum, Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese tsugi pine), Tritonia X crocosmiflora (Iridaceae), Rubus ulmifolius (Bramble), Solanum mauritianum (Tobacco weed), Acacia melanoxylon (Australian blackwood), Polygonum capitatum (Pink knotweed) and Pteridium aquilinum (Common bracken).
In order to eradicate the aforementioned species, actions will be implemented in the Sete Cidades Protected Landscape in an area of 12 hectares.
In addition, technical and administrative procedures to eradicate an outbreak of Gunnera tinctoria in the Lagoa do Fogo Natural Reserve are being prepared to be implemented this summer.
The eradication of all the plants belonging to the species Pittosporum undulatum, Hedychium gardnerianum (Kahili Ginger), Hydrangea macrophylla (Hydrangea), Rubus ulmifolius (Bramble) and Pteridium aquilinum (Common bracken) in the Algar do Carvão on Terceira Island has also been awarded. In turn, the project to clean all the exotic species in the Terra Brava and Lagoinha da Serreta trails is about to be awarded.
An action to eradicate the Rubus ulmifolius, Hedychium gardnerianum, Cyrtomium falcatum (Japanese holly fern) has already been implemented on Graciosa, whilst the monitoring of the work carried out during the previous years to eradicate new outbreaks of exotic species has taken place on Corvo Island.
Two monitoring and eradication actions have taken place on Pico Island in the SAC (Special Area of Conservation) of Ponta da Ilha to fight against the Metrosideros excelsa (New Zealand Christmas tree) and the Polygonum capitatum. The entire exotic flora will be eradicated from the SAC of Caldeirão da Ribeirinha. Moreover, an intervention to eliminate some outbreaks of Ailanthus altissima (Tree of heaven) in the Protected Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture has been already awarded.
Being aware of the issues regarding the invasive species in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, the Regional Directorate for the Environment is strongly committed to use all the available means to fight them.
Nonetheless, one must recall that this is a citizens’ fight, not an exclusive fight of the Regional Administration: therefore, all citizens should take attitudes and actions that promote the success of the Governmental interventions.
The invasive exotic species are organisms living outside their natural habitat, spread through human action, being the cause of negative impacts in the invaded communities. These impacts include changes in natural habitats, water quality, soil quality and in the landscape itself.
The invasion of exotic species is the second leading cause of biodiversity loss at a global level, causing serious economic liabilities.
The European Union annually spends 13 billion Euros to fight against invasive exotic species, even though these funds are clearly insufficient to respond to the needs of each country.