SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 6 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo de La Palma, through the Ministry of the Environment, has presented the first results of the study carried out on the ground on the effect of the volcanic eruption on the biodiversity of the area in particular, and of the Aridane Valley in general.
The councilor for the area, María Rodríguez, highlighted that after the devastation caused by the volcano and which continues to generate a lot of uncertainty, “nature once again demonstrates its capacity and resilience” and the species return to colonize the lands affected by the volcano flows.
Thus, almost 17 months later, the results of all the studies that have been carried out to monitor the evolution of biodiversity in the areas closest to the eruption “continue to show us the enormous recovery capacity of our biodiversity,” he added.
“Thanks to this pioneering study, results will be obtained that allow the correct management of the habitat of our Island. Scientists from various fields of research from around the world have participated in it and it has been a great challenge in research due to the important security measures materials and equipment that had to be adopted to carry out the study during the volcanic emergency”, the counselor specified.
These results are also evident in the study carried out after the collaboration of the Cabildo de La Palma, the Higher Center for Scientific Research (CSIC) and Gesplan, and which the insular institution financially endowed with 300,000 euros.
Thus, the biologist of the Cabildo de La Palma, Feliz Medina; the representative of the Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA) of the Higher Center for Scientific Research (CSIC), Manuel Nogales, and the Gesplan biologist María Gerrero reported all the most relevant aspects of their research carried out throughout the eruptive process and subsequent months .
In this sense, Manuel Nogales highlighted that this type of study had never been done before anywhere in the world, due to the danger of working with an active volcano, making it necessary to apply significant logistical activity to mobilize researchers who arrived of all the world.
On the ground, field censuses were carried out, Nogales pointed out, interdisciplinary support being important thanks to a three-month coexistence with volcanologists, air quality experts or geologists, among other scientists, developing a daily sharing.
For her part, María Guerrero explained how monitoring was carried out weekly in 32 plots of 30 square meters in the 200 meters closest to the lava flows and in nearby areas around the crater, where plants and animals were identified and quantified. In addition, notes on the natural history were taken to detect possible changes in the behavior of the animals during the eruption.
Guerrero stressed that the destruction of the habitat, due to the advance of the lava flows, together with the intense fall of ash and the emission of harmful gases, caused an ecological collapse that resulted in the regression of the abundances of all groups of fauna. and flora monitored in the areas of influence of the volcano, giving as a result, for example, that in the group of invertebrates the biomass was reduced by more than 70%.
After the end of the eruption, a second phase of monitoring began through biodiversity monitoring. In this phase, it is intended to know how the resilience of native biodiversity is after the eruptive process, its recovery and evolution, as well as the speed of colonization of the new flows.
To study it, monthly monitoring is carried out in some of the plots where the initial monitoring was carried out during the eruption. In addition, new plots have been selected to replace the missing ones. These are established at different points in the 200 meters closest to the lava flows.
Additionally, new localities are included along a linear transect of seven kilometers to the south of the Island, since it was in this area where the pine forest was most affected by volcanic activity.
