We organised a bioblitz at Radio Liberty to raise awareness about the great local biodiversity. More than 200 species have been recorded, including some that are extraordinarily rare, vulnerable, or endangered. This data highlights the importance of preserving not only the historical and archaeological heritage but also the natural heritage.

On April 20th, a participatory bioblitz was held in the Radio Liberty area with the aim of promoting the richness of the natural heritage and biodiversity. The event was organized by Empordà iNat-IAEDEN, the Catalan Society of Herpetology and Salvem la Platja de Pals, with experts from various fields photographing and identifying species using the iNaturalist app.

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iNaturalist app fits within the framework of Citizen Science, offering a tool that aids in the identification of plants and animals while also contributing to generating data for scientific research and conservation. You do not need to be an expert to participate. It can be used to record your own observations, get help in identifying them better, collaborate with others to gather information for a common purpose, or access observation data collected by various users.

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Currently, around Radio Liberty, there have been 400 sightings of over 200 different species of local fauna and flora, collected by 34 observers. Some of these species are very exceptional entomologically, such as the metallic-coloured beetle Anthaxia parallela; the very small and extremely rare Cleonymus; the colourful-eyed dipteran Metedera aglaops; the large-jawed coleopter Scarites buparius, which is exclusive to dune environments; the small Eurasian spider Talavera aequipes, with scarce sightings on the peninsula and known for wintering within empty snail shells; the scorpion Buthus pyrenaeus, and the tuberculated crab spider Tmarus staintoni.

At the same time, it was found that embryonic dunes are home to one of the most important communities of the peninsula of the East Iberian sand racer, Psammodromus edwarsianus. In the intersmost area of the pine forest on the dune, this lizard species shares its habitat with the long-tailed lizard Psammodromus algirus, the brown lizard Podarcis liolepis, the common gecko Mauritanian house-lizard, the painted frog Discoglossus pictus, and natural predators like the Montpellier snake Malpolon monspessulanus.

As for the flora, it is unique and adapted to the dunes. Cardelina was identified –Scolymus hispanicus, an edible plant very much a feature of rural cooking, considered a superfood for its high content of vitamins A, B and C, and the bufalaga –Theymelaea hirsuta-, which contains highly toxic substances that, on contact with the skin, cause an inflammatory reaction. Other recorded species include the sea lily –Pancratium maritimum, a bulbous plant characteristic of Pals beach with white flowers and a bulb buried in the sand; the Stinging nettle, a very dark plant with a thick stem and pinkish-white flowers; the Crucianella maritima, with a small yellow flower typical of the maritime sand dunes at Pals, the sea-bell –Calystegia soldanella-, with rather fleshy leaves and large solitary flowers.

The dusty heath –Cistus salviifolius, with white flowers; the Senecio leucanthemifolius and the Glaucous valerian, currently in flower with yellow petals; the sand milk-vetch –Ammophila arenaria, very characteristic of Pals beach, and theEuphorbia peplis, a phanerogamic species that lives on coastal sand, from the same family as those found on the seabed dunes of Pals. Lesser dead-nettlea, an endangered species, was documented with only three sightings, some of which were outside the confines of the Natural Park, signalling a decline in population along Pals beach.

Regarding lichens, Ramalina pusilla, included in the red list of the endangered species of Catalonia; Xanthoria parietina, yellow in color; and Ramalina canariensis, a type of lichenized fungus, are noteworthy.

The recovery of the marshes in the area of Radio Liberty, drained during the American occupation, would bring back many migratory birds and amphibians with close to extinct populations in the area, such as the Iberian spadefoot toad “Pelobates cultripes”.

RESTORE AND RENATURALIZE

The lack of investment and surveillance by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Government of Catalonia, which has been responsible for management since 2007, has caused significant damage to the architectural, archaeological, and natural heritage in recent years. This has resulted in the decline of the Psammodromus edwarsianus outside the enclosure. This is a protected species threatened by various causes such as a lack of awareness and/or monitoring of the area, which leads visitors to enter the roped-off, tread-free zones.

A growing cat colony that has already reached the dunes; the failure to pick up dog faeces treated with antiparasitic medication, by their responsible parties, which diminishes biodiversity through direct toxic effects, especially on coprophagous invertebrates and the consequent transfer to the immediate food chain (it should be noted that many antiparasitic agents have broad-spectrum formulations that threaten not only biodiversity but also humans); the shaded areas caused by the excessive growth of pines on the embryonic dunes, which is why this winter the Montgrí Natural Park, the Medes Islands and the Lower Ter removed some shrubs that were beginning to grow in this habitat.

Furthermore, its ephemeral longevity (few of these grey lizards live beyond two years) and the few eggs they lay (laying 2 to 6 eggs compared with, for example, 8 to 11 in the long-tailed lizard) makes it particularly susceptible and vulnerable to population declines that could lead to local extinction if it also faces small, distinct threats.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the exotic invasive flora and fauna observed during the biomarathon, which poses a significant danger to biodiversity, such as the American river crab Procambarus clarkii or the ice plant Carpobrotus edulis. The latter was initially introduced as an ornamental garden plant but has become wild and has proliferated on the dunes, currently threatening native flora.

The Natural Park, together with the Museum of the Mediterranean in Torroella de Montgrí, have this year awarded the Joan Torró i Cabratosa Scholarship to herpetologist Fèlix Amat, an expert in lizards and other herpetofauna, who will carry out a study of ecology and a census using the capture–recapture methodology. Along these lines, two years ago a census was carried out using the method Distance, a visual census statistical programme promoted by the Natural Park that involves no trapping and counts the specimens observed within a predetermined strip along a census route. These censuses provide statistically robust information on the evolution of the grey lizard population in the Natural Park. That is why the federation SOS Costa Brava, In addition to calling for the rehabilitation of Radio Liberty's natural, historical and archaeological heritage, it seeks to highlight the urgency of restoring the natural heritage and wetlands on the site and of ensuring their monitoring.

The Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Government of Catalonia need to restore Radio Liberty’s facilities and archaeological remains, as well as renaturalizing areas freeing from trampling, and putting them under surveillance, as it hosts very unique, vulnerable, or endangered species. The recovery of natural and historical heritage was one of the main demands of the protest event organized by SOS Costa Brava and other entities such as the Catalan History Circle, Gent del Ter, Amics de la UNESCO, the Dignity Commission, and Salvem la Platja de Pals, which on April 21st brought together over a hundred residents and activists at the Pals facilities to demand funding and urgent rehabilitation action, as well as to criticize the state of degradation and decay suffered by the complex since its closure in 2006.

BIOBLITZ AT RADIO LIBERTY

Discover the extensive record of observations on the iNaturalist app

CONSULT

Date of article creation: 14/4/2024.

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