SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 2 May (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Canarian Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA), an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands, will cooperate with the Tenerife Council in the plant inventory project in the Teide National Park.
This project, spanning three years, aims to regularly update, monitor, and enhance conservation programmes.
The National Park was established not only for its natural beauty and distinctive geological formations but also for its rich biodiversity.
Consequently, it is a habitat for numerous endemic species, meaning those found exclusively in the archipelago.
The project’s goal is to deepen the understanding of the species that populate the pine forests and high mountains of the Canary Islands, which are unique to Tenerife and La Palma, as per a Government communication.
Among the many exclusive plants within the park, noteworthy are the silver thistle, Las Cañadas jadilla, and the largest population of red Tajinaste at Tenerife’s summit, mostly concentrated around El Teide.
Led by the Tenerife Council, the public entity Gestión y Planning Territorial y Medioambiental SA (GESPLAN), affiliated with the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion, and Water, is responsible for the vascular flora inventory by sampling 861 grids, defined as plots of 500 x 500 dimensions.
This process entails conducting a plant inventory through transects – predetermined walking routes for researchers in these plots to record the species present in each.
The equal-sized grid division facilitates the planned routes’ execution and ensures thorough monitoring of the species within these areas.
BOTANICAL GARDEN HERBARIUM
Additionally, the ICIA oversees this entire process scientifically, addressing any identification challenges that may arise and preserving the plant material collected in its ORT Herbarium at the La Orotava Acclimatization Garden (JAO), more commonly known as the Puerto de la Cruz Botanist Garden.
This herbarium serves as a repository of dehydrated plants preserved using dissection and pressing methods.
This collection remains accessible over time to allow any interested researcher to consult the materials as necessary.
These studies help in tracking the flora’s evolution, recognising threats, and informing decisions regarding natural resource conservation management in these areas amidst challenges like climate change.
Furthermore, this effort will expand the Institute’s dissection material collection (ORT Herbarium) and encourage the research and conservation of indigenous species in the Canary Islands.
