As part of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, work continues on the removal and control of invasive alien species in the Lagoa dos Cubres project area on the island of São Jorge.

This intervention is part of Action C8.1 – Control and eradication of invasive alien plants in restored habitats – and is being carried out by the team from the São Jorge Environment and Climate Action Service.

Invasive alien species pose one of the main threats to biodiversity, competing with native species for space, light, water and nutrients. Controlling them is therefore essential to the success of the ecological restoration of this habitat, contributing to its long-term recovery and resilience.

This work is particularly important not only for the protection of the native and protected herbaceous plants found at Lagoa dos Cubres, but also to ensure the success of the reintroduction programmes for endemic flora that have been implemented over the years as part of the project.

The control of invasive species is an ongoing, long-term process, essential for consolidating the results achieved and ensuring favourable conditions for the conservation of native flora in its natural habitat. With the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union.