Cooperation between olive producers and Habitat Lince Abutre LIFE project enables the creation of more than 55 hectares of ecological corridors to promote connectivity between areas of adequate habitat for the Iberian lynx in the hills of Adiça and Ficalho, in the region of Moura, therefore actively contributing to the conservation of this species in Portugal.


It was agreed with olive producers of the region that in certain parts of their olive groves there will not take place interventions that jeopardize the development and regeneration of the natural vegetation, such as olive harvest. In return, due to resulting loss of income, these farmers receive a compensatory payment from Habitat Lince Abutre LIFE project per hectare of olive grove allocated to the implementation of these corridors.

The recovery of the vegetation in these areas, previously selected, will allow increasing the connectivity of the adequate landscape for the Iberian lynx, thereby easing its movements in the region. Simultaneously, there is an increase in the favorable areas for the occurrence of wild rabbit (as well as of other small hunting species), prey of this threatened feline and that can be an important economical resource for rural areas. We therefore hope that in the mid term this innovative measure will contribute to the recovery of the Iberian lynx in the region.



Habitat Lince Abutre LIFE project is coordinated by Liga para a Protecção da Natureza (LPN) and has as partners several public and private institutions, namely Centro de Estudos da Avifauna Ibérica (CEAI), Associação Nacional de Proprietários Rurais, Gestão Cinegética e Biodiversidade (ANPC), Associação dos Jovens Agricultores de Moura (AJAM), Direcção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (DGAV), Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF) and Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social (CIS / ISCTE-IUL). This project is co-funded in 75% by the LIFE-Nature Programme of the European Commission.


For more informations:
Eduardo Santos, LPN – +351 964 119 504

Lisbon, 29-07-2013
The National Board of LIGA PARA A PROTECÇÃO DA NATUREZA