SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Jan. 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Last year, the Cabildo de Tenerife, through the Natural Environment and Security Management area, removed 678,677 kilos of remains of invasive exotic flora from the natural spaces of the island, of which 170,860.2 kilos have been transferred to the landfill and 507,817.5 kilos have been incorporated into the land in the form of fertilizer.
The Minister of Natural Environment Management, Isabel García, indicated that the count of actions against invasive exotic flora “shows an increase in the number of plants that have been removed last year, on the one hand this is good news, because It means that the work plan is running at full speed.
He added that invasive plants “continue to be a serious threat to protected areas and to island biodiversity.” “A clear example of these threats are earthworks or waste from gardens, which can be sources of transfer of these species, so unified criteria must be established to manage these wastes and that are already carried out with the municipalities,” he said.
To reach this figure, the twenty crews in charge have carried out 1,136 actions around the island, including reviews of areas where it is necessary to review the work to secure the land and prevent species from germinating again. The worked area comprises 2,568.7 hectares, this implies 359.78 square meters more than in 2020.
Among the different invasive species with which we have worked, the Duster (Cortaderia selloana) and the Indian prickly pear (Opuntia dellinii) stand out, accounting for almost half (44.6%) of the total kilos removed from among 60 plant species different.
That is why the Cabildo recommends the population to use species from authorized shops and nurseries, since “they know the species and their invasive capacity, we recommend always asking before planting new species and be wary of the showy flowers that grow on roadsides and lots, as well as those offered by friends and family. Do not take just any plant home, “says the biologist.
On the other hand, among the recommendations for not distributing potentially dangerous species, from the Natural Environment area it is pointed out that pruning debris and earth should not be thrown into the environment, even if it is clean or dry, because it can carry seeds.
In 2022, through the NOE (New Employment Opportunities) program, 29 unemployed people related to the management and protection of the Insular Environment were hired, with the aim of favoring labor hiring, in a contractual internship modality, thus favoring the insertion work, while projects of general interest are carried out by the beneficiary public entities, as in this case, the improvement of knowledge of the conservation of insular biodiversity, the management of protected natural spaces and the Natura 2000 Network, and in this way, develop strategies for adaptation and mitigation against the consequences of climate change.
This action is co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Canary Islands Operational Program European Social Fund 2014-2020 with a co-financing rate of 85%. The total cost of the project amounts to a budget of 781,285 euros, of which 533,428.68 euros are requested from the SCE.
