The Cabildo of Tenerife announced yesterday that it has heightened its efforts to manage and eradicate invasive exotic species within the Anaga Rural Park over the past year, achieving the removal of just over 12 tonnes of plant debris.
The Minister for Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez (CC), clarified that “we are diligently working to manage invasive flora, not only in the Anaga Rural Park, but also across other protected areas of the Island. These undertakings are crucial for the preservation of our biodiversity, and a few weeks ago we convened with local groups and associations from Anaga to inform them of the initiatives we are undertaking.”
Blanca Pérez also cautioned that “eradicating these species is a slow and laborious endeavour, yet it facilitates the gradual restoration of habitats of significant environmental value, which have been compromised by plants introduced for decorative purposes. It is imperative that we all share the responsibility to prevent the proliferation of these species that pose a threat to endemic or native ecosystems,” she stated.
Recently, the inhabitants of the hamlets within the Anaga Rural Park expressed to DIARIO DE AVISOS their frustration at witnessing these species engulfing trees until they completely wither, a situation exacerbated by the increasing dominance of cat’s tail, which occupies 90% of the summit in some areas, extending its reach along the old Pico del Inglés road. Community members are calling for heightened focus on the eradication of exotic plants in their locality.
As reported yesterday by the Cabildo, the efforts undertaken this year, conducted by the public company Gesplan, have enabled intervention across 505 hectares, of which 64.5 percent involved the removal of the so-called red geranium (Pelargnium inquinans) and 9.7 percent focused on the batatilla de indias (Ipomoea indica).
Additionally, actions have also been taken against aloé, crassula, senecio, and pinillo. The insular Corporation explained that these initiatives are also included in a commission with the regional public company Gesplan, which has been allocated a budget of €1.1 million for the management of invasive exotic species in the protected regions of Teno, Anaga, and the northern and southern areas of the Island.
Most efforts concentrate on eradicating cat’s tail
The Cabildo, through the public enterprise Gesplan, has performed over a thousand interventions in various locations within the park in the last five years, particularly in Afur, Taganana, Bejía, and designated areas such as Tierras Altas, Margalua, and Benijo, as well as El Cresal, located in the heights of San Andrés.
In total, work has been carried out over an area of 1,500 hectares. An impressive 89% of the treated land corresponds to efforts focused on eliminating cat’s tail (Pennisetum setaceum), with a total of 44.4 tonnes extracted. Cat’s tail is the species that has received the most attention, while the plant next in line has been crassula (Crásula multicava), which constituted 3.2% of the total area addressed. This is followed by the removal of thousand loves (Centranthus ruber) at 2.1% and prickly pear (Opuntia maxima) at 1.2% of the treated space.
