Using Business and Biodiversity to put Conservation into practice: The Herdade do Esporão Case study

Using Business and Biodiversity to put
Conservation into practice: The Herdade do
Esporão Case study
Maria do Carmo Tavares Silva, Sandra Antunes, Nuno Oliveira & Filipa Gouveia
IUFRO Landscape Ecology International Conference Bragança 2010

Main goals
• Biodiversity Action Plan
• ‘Business & Biodiversity’ Philosophy
• Agroforestry model
• Sustainable management and Certification
• In practice…
Whole company engagement,
integrating the model into the core
strategy

Dam view from the enotourism © AmBioDiv, 2010

Methodology
Definition of High Conservation Value Areas through Habitat Approach
Habitat A
Sp. Flora A1 Sp. Flora A3Sp. Flora A2 Sp. Flora Ax
ArchitectureStructure
Ecological complexity
Ecological niche
Reproduction FeedingRefuge Shelter...
Sp. Fauna A1 Sp. Fauna A3Sp. Fauna A2 Sp. Fauna Ax

Types of Land Use
• Vineyards and Olive Groves
• Holm Oak Montado (Parklands)
• Holm Oak Woodlands
• Stone Pine plantations
• Stone Pine plantations with sparse Holm Oak
• Orchid meadows
• Grasslands
• Streamside woodlands and grasslands
• Rosemary scrubland
• Gardens
• Social areas

Vineyards and Olive Groves
• 450 ha of Production area (71 ha biological
production)
• A lack of proper ecological structures was found,
namely habitats for enhancing natural enemies
(biological pest control to reduce the use of
pesticides and insecticides)
• Restoring grassland margins in the Esporão Vineyards
and Olive groves, through ecological restoration of
the set-asides areas and by installing meadow and
grassland patches. In order to reduce tillage, we also
propose the use of grazers, in this case sheep, to
control the weeds
Beetle Banks
Hedges
Briza maxima, Bromus hordeaceus, Cichorium intybus,
Coleostephus myconis, Dactylis glomerata, Trifolium stellatum,
Lotus hispidus

Holm Oak Montado and Woodlands
• Represents the largest landscape unit of
Esporão estate (750 ha)
• Converted through stone pine afflorestation
•Pyro bourgaeanae-Quercetum
rotundifoliae woodlands (restricted to
streamsides and damp areas)
•Restoration of these areas in order to
provide food and shelter for fauna
populations, by planting myrtle, rosemary,
lavender, edible fig, hawthorn, strawberry
tree and elmleaf blackberry species
“Scents of the forest” Project
Create habitats for wildlife
Restore some degraded
areas
Possible marketing : tea /
condiments
“Sugar in the forest” Project
Providing food to the fauna
Create habitats for wildlife
Restore some degraded
areas
Number 1 2
PRESENCE
Inclination (%) 2 3
Orientation N E
Area (m2) 100 100
Coverage (%) 80 75
Species number 10 15
Characteristic species of the association and communities top
Quercus rotundifolia 2 2 2
Pyrus bourgeana 1 1 2
Olea sylvestris 1 - 1
Daphne gnidium - 1 1
Thapsia villosa + - 1
Asparagus acutifolius - + 1
Rubia peregrina - + 1
Companions
Allium massaessylum + + 2
Cytisus scoparius 2 - 1
Rubus ulmifolius - 2 1
Cistus ladanifer 2 - 1
Lavandula luisieri 1 - 1
Tamus communis - 1 1
Fraxinus angustifolia - 1 1
Bryonia dioica - 1 1
Crataegus monogyna - 1 1
Asphodelus ramosus 1 - 1
Dactyllis glomerata - 1 1
Aristolochia paucinervis - 1 1
Osyris alba - + 1
Gynandriris sisyrinchium - + 1
Umbilicus rupestris + - 1

Holm Oak Montado
• Forest Management Plan has been revised;
• Predator control no longer implemented;
• Tree density reduction in pine plantations;
• Minimal tillage;
• Biodiversity Action Plan;
• FSC oriented management (in process of certification).

Stone Pine Plantations and Stone Pine
Plantation with sparse Holm oak
Financing afforestation projects was
allegedly done to get more land
productivity and environmental gains
(Biodiversity, carbon, soil…). Due to
heavy soil preparation, excessive tillage
and excessive tree density the Holm oak
trees present in these areas are dying,
suggesting that their roots were damaged,
destroyed and infected. We suggest
progressive removal of all Stone Pine,
good management of scrubland and
investigating Holm oak decline for further
reforestation.

Orchid meadows
• Present in open grasslands and meadows
between February and June
•These are managed for low grazing intensity,
since they are mainly present in sensitive
areas
• Orchid genus Serapias and Ophrys
metapopulation reached over 20 individuals,
making this a HCVA
•Priority habitat (as listed in the Council
Directive 92/43/EEC) if one of the following
criteria is observed: rich orchid composition
(> 4 species); presence of an important
population (> 20 individuals) of one or more
orchid species.
Synthetic table of the Phlomido lychnitidis-Brachypodietum phoenicoidis Br.‐Bl., P.
Silva & Rozeira 1956, at edges of tracks, with low inclination, E, 10 m².
Characteristics: Phlomis lychnitis 4; Companions: Paronychia argentea 2, Gynandriris
sysrinchium 1, Vulpia ciliata 1.
Serapias strictiflora
Serapias lingua
Serapias parvifloraOrchis papilionacea
Orchis laxiflora
Orchis morio
Ophrys tenthredinifera
Seven orchid species

Streamside woodlands and grasslands
Caridade streamside
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Presence
Inclination (%) 2 2 3 2 2 3 3
Orientation N N NE E N NE W
Area (m2) 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Coverage (%) 90 100 90 90 90 95 90
Species number 8 6 11 8 15 10 9
Characteristic species of the association and communities top
Fraxinus angustifolia 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 7
Crataegus monogyna - - 2 1 2 1 1 5
Ranunculus ficaria 1 - 1 - 1 1 1 5
Scilla peruviana - - 1 - + 1 - 3
Rubus ulmifolius - 1 - - - + - 2
Aristolochia paucinervis - - - - 1 - + 2
Companions
Nerium oleander 2 3 1 2 1 3 3 7
Geranium molle + 1 1 1 1 1 + 7
Dactylis hispanica - - 1 1 1 1 1 5
Linum bienne 1 - 1 - - - - 2
Muscari comosum - 1 - + - + - 3
Orobanche mutelii - 1 1 + - - - 3
Ornithogalum baeticum - - - + + + - 3
Pyrus bourgeana + - - - 2 - - 2
Asparagus acutifolius - - - - 1 - + 2
Smyrnium olusatrum - - - - 1 - + 2
Gynandriris sisyrinchium - - + - 1 - - 2
Narcissus bulbocodium - - + - + - - 2
Rubia peregrina 1 - - - - - - 1
Anagallis arvensis + - - - - - - 1
Ophrys tenthredinifera - - - - + - - 1
• Ficario ranunculoidis – Fraxinetum angustifoliae
communities
• Rubo ulmifolii – Nerietum oleandri communities
• Typho angustifoliae – Phragmitetum australis)
Ciconianigra

Five RELAPE species
Streamside woodlands and grasslands
Ophrys tenthredinifera – CITES CONVENTION
Narcissus bulbocodium – Habitat Directive V,b)
Linaria spartea – European endemism
Genista polyanthos – Iberian endemism
Narcissus jonquilla - Iberian endemism

The amphibian populations are not
settled
"So... Caridade stream is a Biodiversity Paradise?”
• The european otter (Lutra lutra) and
some waterfowl are increasingly feeding
on the crayfish
• Through a flow management strategy
which will change the hydrologic trends,
in concern to the continuing decline in
water levels
• High populations of red
swamp crayfish (Procambarus
clarkii)
• Low input of water from the
dam discharge
Not so far… unfortunately there are some facts
to be solved…"
How can we solve this??

Rosemary scrubland
• Pollination ecosystems service
• Provide stepping-stone corridors to many species
of invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians and birds
Lavandula stoechas L.
What will be done to this habitat?
• Land managers will minimize grazing intensity
• Pollination services will be measure, in order
to measure its ecosytemic value
•Also, the maintenance of these habitats tend
to safeguard and enhance pollination function
in order to ensure effective pollination of wild
plants - specially orchids species

Ecotourism
• Birdwatching, butterfly-watching…;
• Trails in the ‘Montado’ and around the Caridade stream
banks experiencing the beautiful landscapes and thriving
wildlife;
• The Flower Trail - observation of orchids, wild tulips, etc.;
• Bike tours and drives through pre-defined trails within
the estate;

• Ecological evaluation of vine and olive groove’s natural enemies – Crop Protection
• Selection of test areas for the organic vineyard – 71 ha
• Selection of test areas for the organic olive grooves – 8 ha
• Forest and wetland Biodiversity assessment (fauna, flora and habitats);
• Concerning butterflies, almost as many species confirmed as the fauna known for all the
Alentejo (regional hotspot);
• Initializing restoration programs of Holm Oak ‘Montado’ and woodlands.
Done so far…

Work in Progress:
Management guidelines :
VINEYARDS
Installation of ecological infrastructures - beetle-banks;
Installation of nest and breeding boxes for birds as well as bat boxes;
Restoration of 4 ecological degraded areas;
Monitoring of pests and natural enemies in the organic test areas.
OLIVE GROOVES
Installation of ecological infrastructures - beetle-banks;
Monitoring of pests and natural enemies in the organic production plots.

Wetland Management Actions :
• Restoring wetlands;
• Create protection buffers around the waterbodies;
• Restoring margins and banks;
• Habitat monitoring trough the use of bioindicators such as invertebrates (butterflies,
damselflies and dragonflies), amphibians and flora;
• Use of bridges to avoid car crossing in streams;
• Involvement of land owners across the stream bank in the conservation plan.
Work in Progress:

THANK YOU
AmBioDiv ~ Valor Natural
Ambiente, Conservação da Natureza e Sustentabilidade, Lda.
R. Filipe da Mata, 10, 1º Frente, 1600-071 Lisboa
Tel.: 217 975 132; Fax: 217 979 141
www.ambiodiv.com; ambiodiv@ambiodiv.com

Using Business and Biodiversity to put Conservation into practice: The Herdade do Esporão Case study

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Using Business and Biodiversity to put Conservation into practice: The Herdade do Esporão Case study