- 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞... -

Within the LIFE BEETLES project, the operational team of the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change, acted to control the invasive species 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 at Mistério da Praianha, on Pico island.

This control followed the species detection when monitoring one of the most pristine intervention areas on the island, where the project’s target species occurs: the Ground Beetle (𝘗𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴).

In total, the team removed manually approximately 240 Kg of this species. Due to the characteristic of each branch being able to take root easily, its removal is a lengthy and careful process to be effective in the long term.

The 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 is a species that has been introduced to the Azores for ornamental purposes but has become invasive, threatening the colonization of native plants or overlapping them.

Mistério da Prainha Intervention Area (Caminho dos Burros Walking Trail’s starting point) where the presence of the invasive species 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 was detected and controlled.

Operational teamwork during the removal of the invasive species at the Caminho dos Burros Walking Trail’s starting point, in Mistério da Prainha.

The final result of the operational team’s work after the removal of the invasive species at the Caminho dos Burros Walking Trail’s starting point, in Mistério da Prainha.

Area with native vegetation and the invasive species 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 before the intervention.

Area with native vegetation and the invasive species 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘮 after the intervention.