The Municipality of Funchal, in partnership with the University of Madeira, is developing a project that aims to evaluate, improve and promote the conservation of pollinators in the Funchal Ecological Park. This project is aligned with the National Strategy for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity 2030 and is carried out in partnership with the national network, Pollinet.
While talking to reporters, Nádia Coelho, Technical Advisor to Directorate of the Environment and Climate Change, highlighted the main objectives of the project, which are: “to survey the pollinating species present in the Park; identify pollinating species associated with native and endemic plants; assess the status of pollinators through research activities and create a reference collection that will serve to identify the species and sensitise the population to the need for their conservation.
Nadia Coelho further stressed that pollinators are essential for maintaining the biodiversity of natural ecosystems and sustainable agricultural production. Most pollinators are insects, mainly bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, moths, and beetles. She warned that changes in land use, agricultural intensification, biological invasions, and climate change are the main threats to biodiversity. In the face of the global decline in pollinators, it is crucial to develop a regional strategy to halt their decline and maintain the sustainability of pollination services. Pollinators in island systems, as a consequence of their different ecological characteristics, are more prone to extinction and vulnerable to disturbance and biological invasions. However, few studies have been conducted on the islands of Macaronesia.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
