Within the Custforest program, different types of interventions are carried out in different areas of Catalonia: those of the black vulture in Muga and many others in which It works on the Urogallo, the Mediterranean turtle and the Pellet ÁguilaAll umbrella species such as the black vulture.
The goal of the project is Promote custody of the territory as a administrative instrument to generate bio -economy in forest systemsPromoting the fixation of the population and the preservation and improvement of biodiversity, as well as the resilience against climate change.
The project sets one Multifunctional forest management This responds to the challenges and opportunities of forests, taking into account forest bice diversity, ecosystem services, the diversity of actors and bio -economy niches to tackle rural depot, while territorial cohesion is generated.
Seduction of the black vulture
He Black vulture acts as a ‘cleaning service’ when feeding with dead animalsBut in Catalonia only nineteen pairs nineteen, all in the Leridana region of Pallars Justà, so the Custforest project plans to attract these birds to the eastern Pyrenees with artificial nests and figures that imitate real copies.
The chosen place is the valley of the Muga and all these actions are framed into a project with European financing, custforest, created with the support of the Rural Agent Corps to attract these birds. He Black vulture is mentioned between the species threatened in CataloniaWhere less than 1 % of the total European population lives.
The Custforest Marta Josa Techniek, a member of one of the entities participating in the project, the Center for Ecological Research and Forest Applications (Creaf), explained that These animals are considered “umbrella species” because their protection benefits othersBoth fauna and flora, associated with Mediterranean ecosystems.
With European financing obtained through the Biodiversity Foundation, what is done in this case is to build eight artificial nests in important trees. Moreover, they have installed figures that simulate black vultures with the aim of one Effect called between the samples flying over the area to find it attractive to reproduce.
The project has the collaboration of the corps of national agents through the Mountain Support Group, which offers experience in Vertical works by gaining access to the top of the chosen trees and the metal platform In which the branches are placed in front of the nest.
They also place the false figures to attract real copies, while the scientific partner of Custforest, The Creaf, is the one who is responsible for selecting the best trees to be too compatible with sustainable forest management. The works are also focused on the structural improvement of the forest, to the Reduction of the fuel tax and the arrangement of favorable spaces to nest.
Artificial nests and figures
The coordinator of the Eastern Mountain Support Group of the Corps of Rural Agents, Francesc Gomes, has detailed that the platforms based on the basis of the basis of the Artificial nests measure approximately one and a half meters in diameter.
Gomes specified that Most black vultures that pass through this area come from FranceWhile the person responsible for the biodiversity of the Pioneers of Our Time Foundation, Aleix Millet, another of the partner’s partnerships, has made jokes that all these tasks match ‘temptation actions’.
«It is about attracting the specimens that pass through the area and a false colony with nests and figures has been created for this, so that I make that generate the effect that there is really a population of black vulturesThe biggest necrophay bird in Europe, “he added.
Unlike others, the Black Vulture maintains a close relationship with forests where hiding places and builds its nests In the highest and robust trees. These structures can be higher than hundreds of kilos and are reused every year.
He Black vulture has a peak with which you can tear tendons and muscles And it mainly feeds on bait, mainly remains of rabbits or large mammals such as cows and sheep. The gastric juices, extremely acidic, enables you to neutralize dangerous bacteria and viruses for other animals and for people who play a key role in the ecosystem. EFE / ECOTICIA.COM