Fire on Madeira Threatens Endangered Zino’s Petrel
Major fires on the Portuguese island of Madeira have caused extensive damage to some 5,000 hectares of land, including native laurel forest and the only breeding site for the Endangered Zino’s Petrel – severely threatening the species’ breeding success.
Endemic to Madeira, Zino’s Petrel was considered extinct until as recently as the late 1960s, when a breeding colony was discovered at Curral das Freiras (Nun’s Valley) in the centre of the island, this area giving these seabirds the Portuguese name Freira. They build nests in small burrows above 1,600m in altitude, between Pico do Areeiro and Pico Ruivo – the exact area affected by recent fires.
Cátia Gouveia, co-ordinator in Madeira of the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA – BirdLife in Portugal), explains: “The situation is especially serious because the fire spread precisely through the nesting area of the Freira petrel. Many of the nests are in inaccessible areas, so we really can’t know for sure at present, but we expect that some, possibly many, of the young have died, either from burns, smoke inhalation or nest collapse. In this scenario, even if the adults have survived, this year’s reproductive success is seriously affected, since these birds only lay one egg per year.”
This is not the first time that fire has affected Madeira, its ecosystems and Zino’s Petrel, and this year’s fires have only aggravated the borderline situation that resulted from a similar catastrophe in 2010. Fires then also hit the birds’ breeding area, causing the death of 98% of chicks and destroying 80% of nests. In response, SEO/BirdLife (BirdLife in Spain) worked with SPEA and made a donation for recovery work in the affected area.
Featured Image: ©Filipe Viveiros
However, that fire resulted in perfect conditions for invasive plants to take the place of the native laurel – and this new vegetation is far more prone to fire taking hold and spreading. Heather near the Pico Ruivo area is key to the maintenance of Madeira’s water resources, but has also been badly damaged, while the forest ecosystem’s destabilisation could lead to landslides and floods in the future.
“Even though the fire is now over, this is not the end,” stresses Gouveia. “It will take decades of work to restore what was lost, and with the proliferation of invasive species, it will be difficult to have the mountains covered in our unique plants again. And it is imperative to improve regional planning to prevent history from repeating itself.”
