SOS PRADERAS deals with the loss of biodiversity due to the disappearance of mountain mowing meadows and the changes suffered by traditional modes of exploitation. Regarding the latter, two trends are observed: intensification and extensive abandonment. Thus, the project provides complementary solutions to improve the management of these habitats by the environmental administrations, promote the design of adapted agro-environmental supports and achieve the profitability of markets based on the collection and production of mowing meadow seeds.
SOS PRADERAS allows improving the knowledge of these agro-systems and developing methodologies to diagnose conservation states. In this sense, it generated a database of managers of protected areas of the Sudoe and collected good practices of livestock management and management of these meadows. Likewise, it conserved geoplasms of mountain mowing meadows of northern Portugal, Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees to deepen the biology of its seeds. Thus, there are representative seed mixtures that can be used for the recovery of the meadows. On the other hand, it evaluated the production methods of mowing seed seeds and their species through in situ and ex situ tests.
Among the tools developed, the following stand out:
- Active management actions in mowing meadows.
- Manual of good practices for the management of mowing meadows aimed at the conservation of its biodiversity.
- Diagnosis methods on the state of the meadows.
- Strategy and biodiversity conservation plan in Germplasm Banks.
- Characterization tool for seeds and fruits of flowering meadow species for certification and seed conservation purposes.
- Basic protocol in certification processes for seed mixtures.
- Methods and calendars of seed collection and cultivation protocols.
SOS PRADERAS has contributed to raising society's awareness on the disappearance of mowing meadows and their effects on biodiversity so that this problem falls within the agenda of local-regional priorities. Thanks to the project, the area of ??floristically diversity in at least 10 protected natural areas of the Sudoe territory was increased proposals aimed at each local and regional reality were developed that allow the use of CAP funds in the transformation of the management model of the target meadows and a pilot of a commercial product was developed consisting of a mixture of certified native seeds.
