Habitat restoration of maquis and woodland habitats in Comino

Description: This project aims to carry out habitat restoration of specific sites located in the central west part of the island of Comino. The sites restored have a total area of 5,600 m2 and cover a distance of 1,759 m. Around 4,500 trees and shrubs are expected to be planted depending on the terrain but planting is only taking place in abandoned fields and trampled areas (ERA, 2019).

Country: Malta

City: Comino

City size: 350 ha

Population: 2

start: 2018

Timeframe: 2 years

Phase: Complete

Nature-based solutions (NBS) : No

Initiator: Ambjent Malta

Latitude: 36.0167

Longitude: 14.3333

Co-benefits

Biodiversity conservation or increased biodiversity

Yes, habitat restoration is expected to improve biodiversity conservation and to restore ecological processes. Pests, high tourist inflows and droughts were identified as the main threats acting on biodiversity and potentially impacting on the success of the habitat restoration.

Ecosystem restoration and/or improved ecological connectivity

Yes, habitat restoration is expected to improve biodiversity and natural ecological processes.

Original problems

Drought and heat risk

The Mediterranean Region is considered as a "hot-spot" of climate change, having been identified in global climate scenarios as one of the most responsive regions to climate change (Lionello and Scarascia, 2018). There is a consensus in scientific literature that average temperatures will rise across most of the Mediterranean Region, and that precipitation will decrease (Ulbrich et al. 2013; Lionello and Scarascia, 2018). Observed annual mean temperatures in the Mediterranean Region are now 1.4 °C higher than the average late-nineteenth-century levels particularly during the summer months (Cramer et al., 2018).

Ecosystem degradation

Yes, the site consists of abandoned terraced fields that are exposed to wind.

Limited knowledge about biodiversity

The Malta National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) reports that the results of the Eurobarometer Surveys on Attitudes of Europeans towards Biodiversity in 2007 and 2010 indicate that 14.4% and 18% respectively of Maltese respondents had heard of the term “biodiversity” and knew what it meant. A survey commissioned by MEPA in 2011 indicates that out of the 500 persons interviewed, 24.6% of Maltese respondents heard of the term “biodiversity” and knew what it meant. In general there is a need to continue enhancing biodiversity awareness and gain more knowledge on the meaning of ‘biodiversity’ (ERA, 2018d).

SDGs

Terrestrial biodiversity (SDG15)

Yes, this action aims to increase forest cover whilst reducing the proportion of land that is degraded (ERA, 2019).

Reference: Cramer, W., Guiot, J., Fader, M., Garrabou, J., Gattuso, J.-P., Iglesias, A., Lange, M.A., Lionello , P., Llasat , M.C., Paz, S., Peñuelas, J., Snoussi, M., Toreti , A., Tsimplis, M.N., Xoplaki, E. 2018. Climate change and interconnected risks to sustainable development in the Mediterranean. Nature Climate Change. doi:10.1038/s41558-018-0299-2.

ERA. 2019. Permit “Planting of trees, Comino” (NP 0028/19/32A) to Mr. Herman Galea obo Ambjent Malta. Information obtained: 2019-11-22. Available at: https://era.org.mt/en/Themes/Documents/np%2028%2019.pdf.

ERA. 2018d. State of the Environment Report 2018: Chapter 8: Biodiversity. Reporting status from 2009 to 2015. Information obtained: 2019-11-08. Available at: https://era.org.mt/en/Documents/Chapter8_Biodiversity_04Dec18.pdf.

Lionello, P., Scarascia, L. 2018. The relation between climate change in the Mediterranean region and global warming. In Regional Environmental Change, 2018, Volume 18, Issue 5, pp 1481–1493. Ulbrich U, Xoplaki E, Dobricic S, García-Herrera R, Lionello P, Adani M, Baldi M, Barriopedro D, Coccimiglio P, Dalu G, Efthymiadis D, Gaetani M, Galati MB, Gimeno L, Goodess CM, Jones PD, Kuglitsch FG, Leckebusch GC, Luterbacher J, Marcos-Moreno M, Mariotti A, Nieto R, Nissen KM, Pettenuzzo D, Pinardi N, Pino C, Shaw AGP, Sousa P, Toreti A, Trigo RM, Tsimplis M. 2013. Past and current climate changes in the Mediterranean region. In: Navarra A, Tubiana L (eds) Regional Assessment of Climate Change in the Mediterranean. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 9–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5781-3_2.