Direct benefits:
- Cultivated crops, namely Rice, maize and permanent pastures.
- Reared animals and their outputs , namely Marinhoa cattle for meat; other cattle breeds for meat (Charolais, Limousine, crossbreed); Holstein Friesian cattle for dairy products like milk.
Ancillary benefits information:
The Marinhoa is an endemic species and is a certified cattle breed for Aveiro region, having an added market value.
The area has a high intrinsic value due to its biodiversity and also due to its representativeness of a sustainable land use type and water management and it could be explored in the future for ecotourism.
Costs investment information:
No quantitative data available (note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century).
Costs land acquisition unit:
Costs total information:
No quantitative data available (note that some of these infrastructures were built in the 19th century).
Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity:
Yes, BVL is recognized as model of biodiversity and balance between man activities and wildlife.
The Baixo Vouga Lagunar is integrated in Ria de Aveiro Special Protection Area (SPA – with the Natura 2000 code PTZPE0004). This SPA regularly supports over 1 % of the population of the pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) and 60 % of the population of the purple heron (Ardea purpurea).
Baixo Vouga Lagunar is an important for 173 species of birds, such as the fish-hawk (Pandion haliaetus), the purple heron (Ardea purpurea), the black kite (Milvus migrans), the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) and the white stork (Ciconia ciconia). It is also an important habitat for mammals like the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and the European otter (Lutra lutra), for amphibians like the common toad (Bufo bufo), the tree frog (Hyla arborea), the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), the marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus) and the Iberian Painted Frog (Discoglossus galganoi), for reptiles, namely the Iberian emerald lizard (Lacerta schreiberi) and the viperine water snake (Natrix maura), and for several fish species including the eel (Petromyzon marinus) and the lamprey (Lampetra planeri). According to the EU Directive 92/43/EEC some of these species are classified as "strictly protected" (e.g. the otter and the tree frog). Also for IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the otter is in the “red list”, classified as “Near Threatened” as well as the Iberian Emerald Lizar
Ecosystem provisioning services:
Information on Ecosystem provisioning services:
Provision of the following services (by means of bocage):
- Cultivated crops, namely Rice, maize, oat, alfalfa, ryegrass and pastures;
- Reared animals and their outputs, namely Marinhoa cattle for meat; other cattle breeds for meat (Charolais, Limousine, crossbreed); Holstein Friesian cattle for dairy products like milk; and equine cattle;
- Wild plants, i.e. Wild berries;
- Fibers and other materials from plants, algae and animals for direct use or processing, namely: Wood, timber, flowers, eucalyptus for industrial products such as cellulose for paper;
- Groundwater for non-drinking purposes;
- Biomass-based energy sources, i.e. ‘Bocage’ living hedges are trimmed for firewood
- Mechanical energy, i.e., Physical labour provided by Marinhoa cattle
Ecosystem impact climate regulation:
Information on Ecosystem impact climate regulation:
Living hedges will enhance the 1) GHGs storage, including soil carbon; 4) increased permanent biomass. The canopy also enhances the surface area for the settlement of atmospheric PM (particulate matter). In this specific example ‘Bocage’ as green infrastructure reduces the visual impact and the smell from a pulp mill industry
(Directorate General Environment) - Disclaimer