Introduction and context Fieldwork, Training & Education Biodiversity Studies Ecological & monitoring studies Human & Management Impact Park Management Studies (Inter)national collaboration Involved researchers TAIB on Television Spanish website TAIB Powerpoint (2005) (1,2 Mb)

Introduction and context

TAIB Project S'Albufera is an intensive study of a coastal wetland and sand-dune complex in Mallorca. It was originally designed by Earthwatch Europe in collaboration with the authorities of the Parc Natural de S'Albufera. This led to the creation in 1999 of TAIB, The Albufera Initiative for Biodiversity group, which was set up to support environmental conservation at s’Albufera and more widely in the Balearic Islands through multi-disciplinary project work.

TAIB comprises an independent team of scientists, drawn from the UK, Mallorca, Spain and other parts of Europe to evaluate the effects of a controlled management regime on biodiversity and the environment, assess the relative contributions to change made by management and outside factors (including climate change) and provide scientifically based guidance for conservation management planning. This is being achieved through the constant monitoring of indicator species, and functional analysis of the ecosystem with targeted studies, often in collaboration with internationally recognised scientists and research institutes. In addition, the Project specialises in biodiversity training and invites competent volunteers to assist in data collection and monitoring. This allows the project to gather an unusually extensive data set at relatively low cost.

Objectives

Project S'Albufera aims, through an intensive study of the site, to answer the question: how can wetlands and coastal dunes be effectively managed to maintain biodiversity and their related economic, social and hydrological functions? The international benefits anticipated from this research include:

.	the use of environmental sites as an educational resource for comprehensive interpretive programmes and dissemination in all appropriate forms for residents and visitors of all age-groupsa nd to help create environmental awareness and commitment;
	demonstrating the economic importance of wetland conservation through its hydrological function;
	acting as an indicator of change to provide a basis for sound investment and planning decisions in reserve management at s’Albufera and in general conservation practice;
.	providing a standardised data bank to be re-recorded at intervals of time for comparative studies with other Mediterranean wetlands and coastal dunes;
.	establishing S'Albufera as a station for monitoring environmental change and to provide the baseline from which future changes can be assessed, The baseline comprises full and detailed ecological data to reach an understanding of composition, functioning and dynamics of the ecosystems and Public Use data, including visitor use and impact of visitor numbers.

Fieldwork programmes, Training and Education

The Fieldwork programme has been developing steadily since 1989. Fieldwork is done in Spring (April/May) and Autumn (October/November). Teams, consisting of volunteers, scientists and students, are designed to allow scientific fieldwork to be conducted in parallel with a training programme - particularly in the related topics of biodiversity and environmental management. Fieldwork programme spring 2007

Education and volunteer participation are considered to be key activities of TAIB. The educational objective is to increase insight in biodiversity conservation and wetland management. TAIB aims to enhance the skills of the participants in doing ecological fieldwork (design of fieldwork studies, sampling methods, statistics, data analysis). The course is multidisciplinary and participants are encouraged to place the fieldwork in the context of local management strategies and regional/global environmental change.

Communication of scientific results towards policy and management is important in wetland management and biodiversity conservation and therefore also issued during TAIB fieldwork periods. A continuous and interactive evaluation of the TAIB project's relevance for Parc management and local community is an example, which is discussed during the fieldwork periods.

TAIB Project list Education

Biodiversity Studies

Biodiversity studies are carried out on ecosystem, species and landscape level. The research is focussed on succession, competition and distribution of flora and fauna. Biodiversity is evaluated determine priority species within the Park. TAIB specialises in a broad taxonomic approach, effectively achieved through the engagement and support of leading taxonomists. TAIB Project list Biodiversity studies

Ecological and Monitoring Studies

Pressures from agriculture and tourism have consequences for the ecological integrity of the wetland as well as for its management. As a contribution to the development of monitoring programs and management strategies to cope with environmental changein S'Albufera Natural Park, research TAIB research encompasses two elements: 1) Describing the ecological requirements of the flora, fauna and habitats of s'Albufera. 2) Documenting long term changes in bio-indicator populations, such as insects, aquatic vegetation and orgids. TAIB project list Ecological and monitoring studies

Human and Management Impact studies

Regional expanding tourism and the intensification of agriculture place considerable pressure on S'Albufera Parc Natural. These accumulating pressures may induce changes in ecological processes despite measures of protection and conservation. These changes, in turn, threaten the continued availability of many ecological functions and associated socio-economic values to the local community and regional economy. TAIB studies evaluate the influence of human-induced activities on s’Albufera and determine the degree of environmental impact. Project-list

Park Management Studies

(Picture Biel Perello)

This are studies that formulate ideas to optimise current park management strategies from the findings of TAIB impact studies. Park management include tasks such as maintenance, cattle grazing, water sluice management, canal cleaning, education and facilitation of public use of the park. Evaluation of grazing strategies is one of the key examples of research within this theme. TAIB Project list Park Management Studies

(Inter)national collaboration and initiatives

University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) Over the last few years, the TAIB group has been keen to recruit Balearic and Spanish students who are able to carry out the research and routine monitoring work at regular intervals throughout the year. The relationship with UIB has been of great benefit in identifying a number of knowledgeable and enthusiastic young scientists who are willing and able to participate. This has allowed us to expand our long-term monitoring work in a number of areas.

International Research Institutes For a number of years,TAIB has benefited from a collaboration with Wageningen UR, Holland. Through a series of Masters’ research projects, gaps in knowledge are being filled and more detailed information gathered, particularly regarding impacts on the environmental quality, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity protection of the Park. A new collaboration, with the University of York Research Masters programme, begun in 2001, will extend this programme further. MEDWETCOAST Untill 2005 TAIB provided a training programme for wetland managers from a regional project of UNDP entitled ' Conservation of Wetland and Coastal Ecosystems in the Mediterranean Region (MedWetCoast)'. This project aimed at conserving threatened coastal and wetland biodiversity in 15 key sites in six countries/authority (Albania, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority and Tunisia). The wetland monitoring and management components of this programme build on the achievements of the Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet).

INVOLVED (GUEST) RESEARCHERS

TAIB comprises an independent team of scientists, drawn from the UK, Mallorca, Spain and other parts of Europe to evaluate the effects of a controlled management regime on biodiversity and the environment, assess the relative contributions to change made by management and outside factors (including climate change) and provide scientifically based guidance for conservation management planning.

Name and CV	Institute
Riddiford, Nick (Ecologist)	TAIB, principal investigator, from Fair Isle
Riddiford, Elizabeth (Ecologist)	TAIB, administrator,Community Conservation Initiative Kenia
Perello, Biel (Geographer and Park manager)	Parc Natural de s'Albufera/ TAIB
Other involved scientists	(in alphabetic order)
Borras, Pep (Lepidoptera photo database)	TAIB
Cantallops-Alba, Maria (Coastal Ecology)	TAIB
Donnelly, Chris (Ecologist)	TAIB
Ebejer (entomologist/dipterist)	University of Malta
Eversham, Brian (entomologist)	Beds, Cambs, Northants and Peterborough Wildlife Trust
Ferriz, Macu(biologist)	TAIB
Gibbs, David(entomologist, diptera)	Freelance Ecologist
Green, Richard(bats)	TAIB
Groot de, Dolf (Environmental Sciences)	Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen-UR
Hill, Pam (mollusc studies)	TAIB
Honey, Martin (entomology)	Natural History Museum, entomology department
King, Rachel (Ecologist)	TAIB
Medina, Angela (entomologist)	TAIB
Prunier, Florent (Ecologist)	Freelance Ecologist (TAIB)
Royo, Laura (Coastal ecology)	IMEDEA
Ruiz-Pico, Susanna (Marine ecology)	TAIB
Sergeant,Tony (spider studies)	Wildlife Trust for Lancashire
Stanier, Henry (entomologist)	British Dragonfly Bio Museum and Reserve
Strachan,Rob (Mammalogist)	TAIB
Veraart, Jeroen (Environmental Sciences)	Climate Change and Biosphere Research Centre, Wageningen-UR
Vicens, Pere (Ornithologist)	Parc Natural de s'Albufera/
Wood, Heleen (GIS specialist)	TAIB
	.

(Update June 2007)

Copyright © 2007 Please send questions and remarks to Nick Riddiford