The Resilient Natural Areas working group, corresponding to WP3 of the LIFE PYRENEES4CLIMA project, met on 12 and 13 May in Jaca to share progress made as part of its actions on Pyrenean ecosystems that are sensitive to climate change.
Led by IPE-CSIC and CBNPMP, the group works on monitoring the impacts of climate change on the mountain range’s natural ecosystems and on developing demonstration actions aimed at strengthening their adaptation and resilience.
Durante el encuentro, las entidades socias han compartido avances científicos y técnicos relacionados con la monitorización de lagos de alta montaña, el seguimiento de especies exóticas invasoras, la gestión de los recursos hídricos, los sistemas de regadío, los acuíferos de alta montaña y la evolución de glaciares y cuevas de hielo. Estos trabajos permiten mejorar el conocimiento sobre los cambios que ya afectan a los ecosistemas pirenaicos y avanzar en herramientas útiles para la gestión y la toma de decisiones frente al cambio climático.
For high-mountain lakes, monitoring work has revealed increases in surface water temperatures and changes in thermal regimes, with effects on deep waters and on the cycling of elements and nutrients.
Regarding invasive alien species, the first comprehensive assessment carried out across the mountain range was presented. It identified more than 650 alien species present in the region and prioritised 32 invasive species due to their capacity to spread, their impact, and the difficulty of controlling them.
Progress was also presented on water resources and irrigated areas linked to agricultural systems supplied mainly by the Pyrenees, as well as on the study of the high-mountain karst aquifer of the Monte Perdido massif, which is key to the water supply of water-dependent ecosystems in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park.
Work on the monitoring of glaciers and ice caves was also shared. These particularly sensitive elements of the Pyrenean cryosphere have shown an accelerated decline in recent years.
Monitoring them is essential to understanding the evolution of climate change impacts in high-mountain areas and to raising awareness of their effects in remote areas.
The meeting also made it possible to coordinate the next steps for WP3, move forward with the definition and mapping of monitoring sites, address the four-yearly report on climate risks, and strengthen collaborative dynamics with local stakeholders.
LIFE PYRENEES4CLIMA aims to promote climate change adaptation in the Pyrenees through cross-border cooperation, scientific knowledge, and the implementation of demonstration actions that strengthen the resilience of Pyrenean territories and ecosystems.
