Between 27 and 29 May, IBADER attended the LIFE DUNIAS Final Conference (LIFE20 NAT/BE/001442) held in Koksijde (Belgium), to present the fight against invasive alien species and invasive senescent trees in the Galician Atlantic Islands, as well as the strategy for the restoration of island habitats in Natura 2000. These islands are revealed as an ideal case study for demonstrating the application of best practices in the elimination of invasive species in areas of great fragility, and the subsequent restoration of the target priority habitats. The audience recognized the great work that the LIFE INSULAR team is developing in the Galician archipelagos.
The conference was complemented by a field visit to the coast of the province of West Flanders. On the occasion of this visit, different aspects were raised in common, two challenges that involve the elimination of invasive species in dune ecosystems, especially in relation to their capacity for regrowth, the dispersion of propagules, the difficulty of access to certain areas and the need to make control work compatible with the conservation of two natural habitats and sensitive species. Likewise, the visit allowed the exchange of experiences on eradication methodologies, subsequent monitoring of the intervened areas and restoration of native vegetation, reinforcing the interest of technical cooperation between projects and entities that work on the conservation and recovery of two Atlantic dune systems.
