Biodiversity Loss in Almeria, Andalucia

Biodiversity Loss

With the current biodiversity loss, we are witnessing the greatest extinction crisis dinosaurs disappeared from our planet 65 million years ago. Not only are these extinctions irreversible, but they also pose a serious threat to our health and wellbeing.


What are the main threats to biodiversity?

Habitat loss and degradation affects 86% of all threatened birds, 86% of the threatened mammals assessed and 88% of the threatened amphibians.

Over-exploitation of natural resources Resource extraction, hunting, and fishing for food, pets, and medicine.

Pollution and diseases. For example, excessive fertilizer use leads to excessive levels of nutrients in soil and water.

Human-induced climate change. For example, climate change is altering migratory species patterns, and increasing coral bleaching.



Biodiversity Loss in Almeria, Andalucia

Plants

According to IUCN categories

In 1984 (Barreno et al. 1984) 1,095 extinct or threatened taxa were recorded, in the 2000 RL there were 1,149 and in this 2008 RL there are a total of 1,221. There is a gradual increase in threatened flora, which now represents almost 15% of Spanish vascular flora.

In general, in those regions that accommodate a greater number of endemisms. As such, the presence of 247 taxa with the categories of high risk in the Canary Islands and 227 in Andalucia stand out.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories
Extinct (EX) - No individuals remaining.
Extinct in the Wild (EW) - Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.
Critically Endangered (CR) - Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
Endangered (EN) - High risk of extinction in the wild.
Vulnerable (VU) - High risk of endangerment in the wild.
Near Threatened (NT) - Likely to become endangered in the near future.
Least Concern (LC) - Lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.
Data Deficient (DD) - Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction.
Not Evaluated (NE) - Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

Animals;

Status of the under threat animals in Andalucia

In this blog you can see amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. From amphibians 1 species, from reptiles 3 species, from birds 11 species, from mammals 3 species you can find under threat in Almeria.

                Which species are under threat in ALMERIA and Why?


Amphibians;

•  Alytes dickhilleni;

Their populations are in imaginary whose vertices are in Sierra de Cazorla (Jaén), Sierra de
Gador (Almeria) and Sierra Blanquilla (Cádiz), also found in Sierra de Alcaraz (Albacete).

Threat; Water pollution, drought, abandoned swimming pools fountains and traditional areas of old mountain agriculture

Reptiles;

• Testudo graeca;

They live in they occupy in semi-arid areas vegelation of thyme.

Threat; Because of the construction of houses, changing habitat. Fires on the coast and in forest effects their biodiversity.

•  Caretta caretta

It is really common species in Andalucia. They live on the coasts of Almeria, too.

Threat; Because of the sea turtles and fishing, their counts are decreasing everyday.

• Saurodactylus mauritanicus

Their population are seen mostly in North Africa. Only population in Andalucia is in Alboran, Almeria.

Threat; In Almeria they live in the island. Because of its protection is week, their population can decrease.

Birds;

•  Calonectris diomedea

In Almeria they live in Isla de Terreros.

Threat; Large fluctuations in food availability due to changes in fishing activities. And having problem with food.

•  Hydrobates pelagicus

In Almeria their place of living is generally Isla de Terrero.

Threat; Shortage of food, predation by Yellow-legged Gull and rats. Difficult to monitor populations and high sensitivity of the colonies reproducing certain human disturbance.

•  Phalacrocorax aristotelis

In Andalusia is in Gibraltar and Almeria: Isla de Terreros and the coastline the Sierra de Cabo de Gata, the Higuera and Cabrera

Threat; The principal seems to be lack of trophic resources due to the overfishing. capture
individuals accidentally fishing gear (gillnets and lines). Discomfort in places
nesting.

•  Tadorna tadorna

In Europe and extends through central and eastern Asia. In Spain, breeding in several localities of the Mediterranean coast (Delta Ebro, Alicante, Murcia and Almeria), as well as interior points Aragon and Castile-La Mancha.

Threat; Alteration of wetlands where farming and illegal hunting in areas. Some couples occupy suboptimal environments, where survival of the chickens can be very low as a result of predation, food shortages or other causes.

•  Marmaronetta angustirostris

In Almeria, they occupy in Las Marismas del Guadalquivir, la Cañada de Las Norias.

Threat; Mainly alteration and loss of wetlands and pressure appropriate
hunting.

• Porzana parva

In Almeria, they live in Roquetas de Mar. It can be seen there.

Threat; Wetland loss and burning of reeds and other formations of marsh vegetation.

•  Numenius arquata

In Spain it is mainly coastline. In Andalusia the majority is located on the Atlantic coast. Main localities Huelva and Cadiz. İn winters in the Mediterranean coastal wetlands of Almeria

Threat; Transformation of habitat creation of parks shellfish culture.

•  Sterna albifrons

In Almeria they live in the west (Salinas Cerrillos, Canada and the Norias PuntaEntinas-Sabinar Charcones) and the Cabo de Gata

Threat; Species most sensitive to human disturbance than other terns. Predation by mammals and gulls. Water pollution. Moderately sensitive to oil pollution.Reproduction transformation affected by saline marine farming.

•  Pterocles orientalis

They can be seen in Campo de Nijar in Almeria.

Threat; In Andalusia, the first threat is the increase of farming
which are specified in Almeria in the increase of greenhouse crops
(over 30,000 ha) reduction at the expense of steppe environment.

•  Apus caffer

They can be seen in Jaen, Almeria, Granada, Huelva, Malaga, Toledo and the island of La Gomera.

Threat; Destruction of Golondrina Daúrica nests. Drastic changes
habitat in the African wintering grounds.

•  Sylvia conspicillata

In Almeria they occupy in Sierra Nevada and Sierra Tejada.

Threat; Habitat alteration, mainly because of afforestation. Insecticides.

Mammals;

•  Talpa occidentalis

They can be seen especially in the mountainous core of the eastern provinces of Andalusia:
Almería, Granada and Jaen. In the last decade has seen the extinction
of local populations in the mountain systems of the Subbetic and
Eastern Penibética.

Threat; isolation of populations and loss of suitable habitat (for water and drift deposits, crops, etc..) are decimating their population.

•  Barbastella barbastellus

In Andalusia so far only known a couple of quotes in the Sierra de Cazorla
and Almeria.

Threat; Using pesticides in forests, Loss of mature forest and in particular of older trees with hollows.

• Capra pyrenaica hispanica

In Almeria they can be seen in Sierra Nevada higher than 3400 m.

Threat; significant loss of genetic inheritance, genetic drift and vulnerability to certain diseases. Increase livestock pressure and abusive trophy hunting.

Rare and under threat plants in Almeria

Acer opalus subsp granatense
Aconitum burnatii
Allium melananthum
Alyssum gadorense
Alyssum nevadense
Amelancher ovalis
Arenaria tomentosa
Armeria bourgaei subsp. bourgaei
Armeria filicaulis subsp. nevadensis
Armeria splendens
Artemisia granatensis
Astragalus edulis
Astragalus tremolsianus
Atractylis tutinii
Atropa baetica
Biscutella glacialis
Brassica repanda subsp. almeriensis
Campanula rotundifolia subsp. willkommii
Caralluma europaea
Centaurea sagredoi
Centranthus nevadensis subsp. nevadensis
Chaenorhinum glareosum
Chaenorhinum grandiflorum subsp. grandiflorum
Cneorum tricoccon
Coincya monensis subsp. nevadensis
Commicarpus africanus
Coris his
Dianthus charidemi
Digitalis purpurea var. nevadensis
Draba hispanica subsp. laderoi
Draba lutescens
Erica erigena
Erinus alpinus
Erodium rupicola
Euphrasia willkommii
Euzomodendron bourgeanum
Forsskaolea tenacissima
Gali
Herniaria fontanesii subsp. almeriana
Hippocrepis castroviejoi
Hohenackeria excaspa
Hormathophylla cadevalliana
Hypericum robertii
Lepidium petrophillum
Limonium estevei
Limonium insigne
Limonium tabernense
Lycium intricatum
Narcisus tortifolius
Rosmarinus eriocalyx
Sideritis stachydioides
Teucrium turredanum




The End

Source: 2008 Red list of Spanish vascular flora
                  Libro Rojo de los Vertebrados Amenazados de Andalucía
                  http://www.floradealmeria.es