Presenting the LIFE Project “Conservation of the Dupont’s lark and its habitat in Soria”

This project, with funding of 3,4 million euros, is composed of eight partners: the Autonomous University of Madrid, the Regional Government of Castile and León, the Provincial Deputation of Soria, Mancomunidad de Obras y Servicios de Corpes, Fundación Patrimonio Natural de Castilla y León, Artesa Estudios Ambientales SL, Innomaker Innovación y Desarrollo SL, Actividades, Estudios y Proyectos en el Medio Natural SL.

This morning, the public presentation of the LIFE Ricotí Project “Conservation of the Dupont’s lark and its habitat in Soria” took place in the Ducal Palace of Medinaceli, during which the most relevant aspects of the project have been shared with the main stakeholders involved: mayors of the area, NGOs and scientific institutions, among others.

This morning, the public presentation of the LIFE Ricotí Project “Conservation of the Dupont’s lark and its habitat in Soria” took place in the Ducal Palace of Medinaceli, during which the most relevant aspects of the project have been shared with the main stakeholders involved: mayors of the area, NGOs and scientific institutions, among others.

This is the first time that the LIFE Programme, using European funds for the management and the conservation of threatened species, provides support for the conservation of the Dupont’s lark, a species classified as “Endangered” in the “Red Book of the vertebrates of Spain”, and made it with funding of approximately 3,4 million euros, 75% of this amount is funded by the European Union.

A significant part of the budget goes to habitat restoration actions, by means of compensation to landowners in exchange for permission to act in their lands, both private and public, and indirect actions such as the installation of fences, troughs, etc. Another very important item will be developing and promoting an ornithological tourism programme, “since many ornithologists around the world consider this species as a flagship species. Even though it may seem strange to us, there are many people that are willing to travel many kilometres and pay a lot of money for the opportunity to see or listen to such a peculiar species” stated Juan Traba.

According to the director of the coordinating team, “the Dupont’s lark received a very small amount of money and little attention, even though for many of local populations, in Soria and other areas of the Iberian Peninsula, it is an interesting element that should be integrated within the cultural heritage and the knowledge of populations and, unfortunately, this is not the case”.

The main objective of this event was to involve the public representatives of opportunities for development provided by the project in the affected areas, which particularly affects the benefits derived from the implementation of the Territorial Custody Programme and the Conservation Actions.

The LIFE Ricotí Project officially started on 15 September in 2016, it was planned to be fully completed in 2021. The Autonomous University of Madrid acts as coordinator of the project, and also participate as partners the Regional Government of Castile and León, the Provincial Deputation of Soria, Mancomunidad de Obras y Servicios de Corpes, Fundación Patrimonio Natural de Castilla y León, Artesa Estudios Ambientales SL, Innomaker Innovación y Desarrollo SL, Actividades, Estudios y Proyectos en el Medio Natural SL.

The purpose of the project is to reverse negative trends of the Dupont’s lark (“Chersophilus duponti”), a bird seriously threatened, by managing the habitat, by promoting the use of traditional livestock and by working with local institutions.

The Dupont’s lark, also known as Ricotí, is one of the most threatened steppe birds of Europe: the Iberian Peninsula welcomes the continental representatives. This is a small-sized bird, with ochre and cryptic colours, which together with its distant and elusive behaviour leads to the expression “ghost of the moorland”.

The main threats regarding the species are related to the habitat loss, both in quality and extent, because of the agricultural intensification, the construction of infrastructures, reforestation and the withdrawal of extensive farming, the causes of general negative trends described in its distribution area.

Territory and population, Emblem of conservation

The LIFE Project is a great opportunity to take habitat management actions based on the scientific knowledge. The scope of activity, fully in the Province of Soria, is one of the most important cores for the species, since it constitutes 15% of the European population, and will affect two SPAs in “Altos de Barahona” (43 000 hectares) and “Páramo de Layna” (7 500 hectares), that is to say a surface of 50 500 hectares. The actions might have a positive impact not only on the Dupont’s lark, but also on other threatened steppe birds, such as the Eurasian skylark, pallid and Montagu’s harriers, the Eurasian stone curlew and the Great bustard, among others.

Regarding the population of this species, according to Juan Traba “we don’t know exactly why the most up-to-date censuses date from 10 years ago; there must be no more than 2800 or 3000 pairs in the whole Peninsula. To get an idea and establish a point of comparison, there are more than 45 000 Great bustards in Spain. There are very few steppe birds, and approximately 15% of the Spanish population, that is to say of the European population, is in Soria, in the SPAs of “Altos de Barahona” and “Páramo de Layna”. According to Traba, “People of these villages are the main characters of this project. The Dupont’s lark could become an emblem of conservation in these lands.”

One of the actions envisaged in the LIFE project is the development of a Territorial Custody Programme. This programme pursues with the signing of agreements with landowners that allows for the realization of land management, compatible with the habitat conservation of the Dupont’s lark.

In exchange for this commitment, the Territorial Custody Programme has the capacity to undertake actions related to the improvement of the livestock management and the maintenance of traditional land use: repairing and improving farming infrastructures, equipment and infrastructures to support the livestock management, and farm management plans, as well as undertake new forms of sustainable economic exploitation: a programme to promote the ornithological tourism, through agreements with local landowners for the farm adaptation to the commercial observation of birds, training local ornithological guides, environmental education programme, etc.

The majority of actions planned in custody agreements are improvement and infrastructures work, carried out through external assistance with local companies.

The doctor Traba indicated that “the idea is trying to improve around 325 hectares, which will not involve a large surface, but that could be critical when it comes to encouraging the population development and increasing the occupation area of the species. Around 50 hectares of this surface will be devoted to restore failed reforestations and the rest to restore bushes that have densified, to eliminate scattered woodland and also recover degraded lands and dumping sites.

Manuel López noted the combined participation of institutions and private companies in the development of this project, in which participates the Council through the General Directorate of Natural Environment and the Natural Heritage Foundation. The Council decided “to take this opportunity, for which it is very important counting on the active participation of the populations of these villages, we have to ensure a good atmosphere between all of them and the development of this project of land conservation”.

For his part, the president of the Provincial Deputation of Soria, Luis Rey, noted the strategic relevance of the project, from the touristic point of view, for the Province and especially for the action area. He also insisted on the idea of developing a project of ornithological tourism, through which environmental education programmes will be developed, places and paths will be established to observe this species.