Peatlands in Plans de Sotllo.Swamps and peatlands in Plans de Sotllo, in the Ferrera valley (Pyrenees), are a natural mosaic of communities natives of Atlantic and Nord-European areas. This astonishing high-mountain aquatic ecosystem is in the natural park of l’Alt Pirineu, a protected area included in the Natura 2000 network.
Up to 5.300 visitors pass annually through these peatlands, as they go to climb the Pica d’Estats mountain (3.143 m), most of them in August (up to 2.300 visitors). This intensive stepping harms the vegetation and species living there, especially those more sensitive and vulnerable to changes and therefore more threatened.
To avoid this negative effect, a wood walkway encircling the peatlands has been constructed. It has been one of the actions of the LimnoPirineus project, partially funded by the European Union, and which started in 2014 and will finish in 2019.
Also, as a part of the task, the way in the Plans de Sotllo has been signalized (GR red and white signs) to avoid visitors taking new shortcuts and alternative routes. During next months, information panels will be installed next to the Vall Farrera mountain refuge, as well as next to the wood walkway to encourage visitors to use it. Also, in other points in Plans de Sotllo shorter wood walkways have been installed, in order to preserve smaller peatlands.
The new wood walkway."The main goal of the LimnoPirineus project is to develop works to improve the conservation of lakes, rivers, peatlands, and to protect the threatened species that live or depend on these habitats”, explains Marc Ventura, coordinator of the project and scientist at the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes of the CSIC. “Very often, we find there is little awareness of the richness of these ecosystems and how vulnerable to human impact they are. That’s why outreach is another essential goal of the project”.
The actions of the project take place in the natural park of Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici, the natural park of l’Alt Pirineu and the lake Estanho de Vilac (Vall d’Aran). The partners are the local administration Consejo General de Aran, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the University of Barcelona, and the companies Forestal Catalana S.A. and Sorelló, Estudis al Medi Aquàtic S.L.
All of them work together to obtain a detailed map of the ecosystems, their state of conservation and hazards, and therefore to decide in every case the more suitable conservation action. The actions can be improvements in lakes, peatlands or water springs, but also the release of specimens to reinforce native species populations such as the Pyrenean sculpin (Cottus hispaniolensis), the Pyrenean brook salamander or other amphibians.
Web of the project: http://www.lifelimnopirineus.eu/en