LIFE CANADAS
Reconnecting spaces of the Natura 2000 Network with living sheeptrails
Restoring livestock routes, multifunctional
ABOUT LIFE CANADAS
Restoring livestock routes, multifunctional
ABOUT LIFE CANADAS
Conservation and restoration of the livestock
This LIFE project is co-financed by the European Commission, and has a total budget of 1.848.211€. It is coordinated by the Autonomous University of Madrid and counted with the participation as partners of the Directorate-General of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food of the Community of Madrid, the Directorate-General of Forest Policy and Natural areas of castilla-La Mancha, SEO BirdLife, and the Association Field In.
The objective of this project will be to make conservation actions and ecological restoration in a part of the livestock of the Community of Madrid and in the Cañada Real Cuenca, in the Community of Castile – La Mancha, with the purpose of recovering their ecological role and improve connectivity between spaces of the Natura 2000 Network.
The actions will focus on two areas: on the one hand, the Cañada Real Cuenca, who joins the Sierra Morena to the Sierra de Albarracín, where it is still held by some migrating flocks; and on the other the network of drovers roads from the Community of Madrid, to a great extent impaired by neglect, erosion or encroachment by other uses, which has led to a severe loss of diversity in the same.






Objectives of the project
- To assess the conservation status of one of the largest livestock tracks that are still in use by the nomadic shepherds as well as the network of drovers roads from the Community of Madrid to identify priority areas for connectivity among sites of the Natura 2000 network.
- Restore connectivity and functionality of the Livestock Routes to improve their role as reservoirs of biodiversity and ecological corridors between areas of the Network Natura 2000.
- Retrieve the activities of extensive grazing, traditional, preferably through transhumance, in areas where the management of herbivores is critical for maintaining the diversity and functionality of the livestock routes.
- Define the management criteria priority to incorporate into a future Green Infrastructure Strategy in Spain that includes the network of drovers roads and an adequate institutional framework for its sustainable management.
- To raise public awareness and improve the perception of the local stakeholders about the importance of Livestock in the conservation of biodiversity and the connectivity of the landscape.
actions of the project
A. 1. Diagnosis of the conservation status of the livestock.
- Using an approach of multiple criteria, the task of assessing the physical integrity of the livestock and its ability to connect areas of the Natura 2000 Network through the use of extensive livestock farming.
A. 2. Participatory processes with the social actors
- Through workshops, we will explore the conflicts in the use of the drovers roads and the priorities of the actors involved.
A. 3. Identification of sections of livestock routes for priority actions
- With the results of the actions A1 and A2 we will select the sections of the livestock on which their restoration can significantly improve their connectivity and functionality.
A. 4. Design of restoration plans for sections of livestock routes selected:
- The restoration actions will prioritize the recovery of ecological processes linked to the multifunctional role of livestock routes.
A. 5. Design of a Comprehensive Communication Plan and the image of the project
- The communication plan will establish the key messages and target audiences.
B. 1. Collaboration agreements with transhumant pastoralists and local
- We will negotiate agreements of grazing to maintain stocking rates sustainable in the livestock routes.
C. 1. Recovery of the physical integrity of selected segments of livestock routes
- The livestock routes selected will be physically demarcated. If necessary, we will remove the illegal dumping, and build steps to overcome obstacles that interrupt the drovers ' Trails.
C. 2. Regulation of motorized traffic to promote the recovery of the pasture and the transhumance
- Install physical barriers and fencing to maintain areas reserved for livestock. Is defined tracks of land to prevent vehicles from invading the pasture. Also will be installed areas to facilitate the use of pastoral (resting places, watering places, etc.) where necessary.
C. 3. Restore structural habitat in the sections of track livestock selected
- We will ensure that the foundational presence of patches of woody vegetation in the Livestock Routes selected. Also we will take back elements of the traditional landscape com the hedges and the heterogeneity of the landscape (rock outcrops, shallow soils...)
C. 4. Functional restoration of the ecological connectivity in the sections of track livestock selected:
- The management of herbivory will be the key to restore the functionality of the Livestock Routes. In cases of overgrazing by wildlife or livestock, we will implement regulatory measures of herbivory.
D. 1. Monitoring of the structure and biodiversity of the sections of track livestock:
- We will do a follow-up of indicators of conservation status of habitats and biodiversity in the Livestock Routes, with a methodology BACI (Control Pre-and post-impact).
D. 2. Monitoring of the functionality of the sections of track livestock:
- Connectivity, movement of the vertebrate wildlife along the Livestock Routes, and services of key ecosystems, will be tracked periodically (such as soil fertility, seed dispersal,...).
D. 3. Monitoring of social perceptions
- We'll be interviewing local actors and users of the livestock at the beginning and at the end of the LIFE project Streams.
E. 1. Development of the website of the LIFE project CAÑADAS
- This website will serve to transmit the information of the actions and the results.
E. 2. Development of the plan of outreach, education, and public participation:
- We will organize educational workshops and visits to the drovers Roads restored with elementary and middle school students. The appointed days will be organized with the local councils to coincide with the movements of transhumant.
E. 3. Scientific and technical journals.
- We will publish the project results in scientific articles and technical as well as informational brochures for the public.
E. 4. Participation in international conferences, seminars and workshops of experts:
- We will also be participating in international meetings on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
F. 1. Coordination activities of the project LIFE CANADAS
- The team of the Autonomous University shall be responsible for the technical management, administrative and financial of the project, that will count with a technical management for these issues. The technical committee shall meet coada three months to coordinate the actions and the degree of compliance of the project.
F. 2. Advisory committee scientific-technical
- We will create a scientific advisory committee external that will include experts in ecological restoration, grazing and transhumance. The committee shall meet at least once a year to assess and recommend to the project.
F. 3. External audit
- There will be two partial audits the costs of the project, coinciding with reports of half of project, and completion.
F. 4. Plan Post LIFE and communication:
- In a document, we will reflect a forecast of the needs to ensure the sustainability of conservation actions and communications of the after LIFE.