Buskett - Habitat restoration of specific sites via the planting of indignous trees and shrub

Description: Habitat restoration of specific sites via the planting of indigenous trees and shrub

Country: Malta

City: The Buskett-Girgenti Natura 2000 site, Siġġiewi

City size: 1998

Population: 8581

start: 2020

Timeframe: Planting take place during the spring and autumn months

Phase: Ongoing

Nature-based solutions (NBS) : No

Initiator: Ambjent Malta

Latitude: 35.8562

Longitude: 14.3978

Co-benefits

Biodiversity conservation or increased biodiversity

Yes, increasing green areas, enhance the potential for biodiversity and ecosystem service provisioning (Threlfall et al; 2017).

Ecosystem restoration and/or improved ecological connectivity

Yes, one of the aims of this restoration programme is to increase the vegetation cover by planting indignous trees.

Increased quality and quantity of green and blue infrastructures

Yes, green infrastructure, by increasing green areas through implementation of Mediterranean native species.

Original problems

Drought and heat risk

Yes, the Mediterranean Basin is undergoing a warming trend with longer and warmer summers, an increase in the frequency and the severity of heat waves, changes in precipitation patterns and a reduction in rainfall amounts (Linares et al; 2020).

Loss of biodiversity

Yes, this project's actions are aimed to reduce biodiversity loss by planting indigenous trees.

Ecosystem degradation

Yes, habitats within the Buskett protected area are under a number of pressures and threats arising from soil erosion, invasive species, intensive agricultural practices, unregulated visitor access and overexploitation of species (ERA, 2013).

Low aesthetic value

Yes

SDGs

Terrestrial biodiversity (SDG15)

Yes, this action aims to increase tree cover.

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. 2013. L-Inħawi tal- Buskett u tal-Girgenti: Natura 2000 Management Plan (SAC/SPA). Information obtained: 2019-10-23. Available at: https://era.org.mt/en/Documents/L-Inhawi_tal-Buskett_u_tal-Girgenti_ManagementPlan.pdf.

Life Saving Buskett. 2018. Life Saving Buskett Project. Information obtained: 2019-11-08. Available at: http://lifesavingbuskett.org.mt/life-saving-buskett/.

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. Nowak, D.J., Heisler, G.M. 2010. Air Quality Effects of Urban Trees and Parks. Information obtained: 2019-11-11. Available at: https://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Publications_and_Research/Research/Papers/Nowak-Heisler-Research-Paper.pdf.