Saturday, January 12, 2013
Ntm (2012)Proposal suggests construction of road through Xatt l-Ahmar watercourse.The Malta today 9th June pg 8-9
Nature Trust insists construction of road would limit the space for agricultural land, a source of local income for the locals.
Nature Trust has urged the authorities not to approve the construction of a concrete road through the watercourse at Xatt l-Ahmar near Ghajnsielem.
"This area features one of the very few watercourses in the Maltese Islands where fresh water flows during most of the year, even after several rainless months. It is also one of the very few watercourses that flows from north to south on the island of Gozo," the environment NGO said in a statement.
Nature Trust said that the supply of water comes from the nearby large freshwater pond known as 'L-Għadira tal-Papri'.
"When it overflows, the nearby watercourse is filled with constant flowing water. Both the freshwater pond and the watercourse are important from an ecological point of view," it said.
Nature Trust said that the freshwater pond keeps the nearby vegetation green even in summer and sustains residential and migratory birds such as Moorhen, Mallards and Kingfishers.
Other fauna that visit the pond include several species of dragonflies that need freshwater for their reproductive cycle. Rare plants such as the Corn Marigold have been noticed along the watercourse, which is also home to a few salt-loving shrubs such as the Maltese Salt-tree and the Shrubby Seablite.
"There is no need to construct a new road to access the small beach, as it is already accessible via a concrete road running parallel further west. The road passes near the local fougass and eastwards towards the beach, as shown in the attached map," flora conservation officer Jeffrey Sciberras.
"Moreover, the watercourse in question still has adjacent fields that are still in use. Allowing the construction of such a road will destroy the rural and natural beauty of the area, and limit the space for the necessary agricultural land, which is a source of local income for the locals"
Sciberras said that the area should be accessed only through hiking, to preserve the natural beauty and the calming silence of the area, which is enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.
Caruana,B.(2012) Indigenous species could be wiped out due to government incompetency. The Malta today 11th July pg 8-9.
Alien species in all habitats have started to colonise native habitats due to Malta’s lack of control when it comes to importation.
Native species of animals and plants alike in Malta could be in danger of being overrun, or even completely extinguished, by alien species in all habitats as they have started to colonise most native habitats across the islands and is likely due to Malta's lack of control and enforcement when it comes to importation.
Jeffrey Sciberras, botanist and Flora Conservation Officer of Nature Trust Malta, finds it concerning that in spite of all the knowledge regarding alien species and their devastating effects, Maltese authorities still allow exotic species to enter.
"Local authorities still allow exotic species to enter our country with the least enforcement and control once they have been introduced. The Red Fountain Grass is the latest example of lack of responsibility from the authorities," Sciberras explains.
This point is also reiterated by environmentalist Alfred E. Baldacchino who says that his greatest concern is that importation of such species is being done without observance to the national and international legal obligations, including the European Union's.
"Furthermore, some of these alien invasive species are being imported and used and financed by public funds and approval by Government," he explains.
The environmentalist says the immediate measures would be to honour the legal obligations Malta has, particularly with towards the EU Environment Acquis.
"This responsibility mainly belongs to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority which is the competent authority in this field. It is of no consolation to publish colour documents such as the National Environment Policy and the Guidelines for the control of Invasive Species if these are not strictly and immediately enforced, or ignored by other Ministries. Once an invasive species gets established, it is next to impossible to eliminate it," Baldacchino says.
Alfred E. Baldacchino says the threat from invasive alien species is widespread and will become more specific as they settle in Maltese ecosystems.
"A few examples include the Palm Tree, Mulberry Tree and Fig Tree, as well as the possibility of wild indigenous geranium species," Baldacchino says.
Besides flora species, several fauna species have been introduced over the last five years or so have also caused evident and damaging effects.
These include the Red Palm Weevil which has killed a large number of Palm trees, the Geranium Bronze Butterfly, the Mulberry Long-horned beetle which has devastated nearly all old Mulberry trees in Malta and a number of land snails found primarily around garden centres.
"This is far from an extensive list of invasive alien introduced fauna. This unfortunately reveals the failure of the Ministry concerned regarding the importation of exotic species and controlling the phytosanitary [fumigation] certificates declaring that imported species are free from disease and other dangerous species, according to national and international obligations," Baldacchino says.
Alien species can be introduced as ornamental plants, as pets or by accident, through imported soil and other trees or plants.
Red Fountain Grass is well known around the world for its invasiveness from many scientific journal and articles and yet it was allowed to be imported to Malta and introduced as an ornamental plant on road strips and roundabouts.
"After a couple of years of its introduction, it escaped rapidly into the wild, and is on the increase, and nothing is being done to control it," Jeffrey Sciberras says.
The term Ruderal Habitat is usually used for those habitats being colonised solely by alien species, especially those that have a majority of annual species.
"Genetic pollution is another great concern. Some species which are native to Malta, such as rosemary, olive-leaved Germander and the Great Sage were also recently introduced from abroad, which are of different genetics from our wild native populations," Sciberras says.
Through pollination by insects, Sciberras says these plants from different gene pools can easily interbreed, possibly creating hybrid generations, reducing the purity of wild indigenous populations.
Pest species of insects may also be introduced by foreign plants and devastate local populations.
"The rosemary beetle has devastated local populations of rosemary in inland valleys," Sciberras says.
Education and enforcement could be the answer to limiting alien species from being introduced and spreading.
"Educating the locals about native species and their habitats could help to build preference within the public over alien ornamentals. Enforcement on laws about alien species should be strengthened and strongly implemented. There should be more focus on native species to be used for ornamental purposes," Sciberras believes.
The conservation officer believes existing alien species should be removed manually both from completely devastated sites, and from ecologically important sites.
"Not allowing alien species to colonise ecologically important sites will keep those sites pristine, while for other sites, it may give chance for native species to re-colonise, or for new afforestation projects to be held.
"Introducing participation of the public, both adults and children, for forestation projects with native species of shrubs and trees, and hands on education about our local environments could help reduce the risk of completely wiping out indigenous species," Sciberras explains.
Professor Patrick Schembri, a University lecturer and marine biologist, says his main concerns involve alien species in the marine environment.
"The invasion of native species by non-indigenous species could represent a threat to the economy and human health as well as the integrity of biotic communities. This is a threat recognised worldwide," Schembri says.
He says it is difficult to predict what the impact of an alien species can be beforehand or which native species are likely to be impacted.
"Experience has shown that aliens may interact with native species in unexpected ways. The concern is more about the effect of aliens on local ecosystems than on individual species. If an alien changes the structure of a local ecosystem, multiple species will be affected as a result."
When it comes to the introduction of exotic species in the marine environment, Schembri explains that this usually occurs through shipping transportation, either as hull-fouling or in ballast water.
It can also take place via aquaculture and by the release from captivity such as the disposal of marine aquaria into the sea.
"However, there has been a very interesting phenomenon associated with rising seawater temperatures, attributed to global warming. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, a large number of species from the Red Sea entered the Mediterranean and established themselves in the easternmost part of the sea, the Levantine Sea, where they have remained until recently," Schembri explains.
However, many of these species started to expand their distribution westwards over the last couple of decades because waters, previously too cold, have become warmer and hospitable to these species.
"Maltese waters now have a number of these westward-moving alien species. For example, the small Red Sea Mussel which entered via the Suez Canal, which was previously rather rare locally, has recently greatly increased its populations on Birzebbugia's rocky shore," Schembri says.
The Red Sea Mussel now forms dense beds covering the rock of this particular shore and is affecting the organisms occurring there.
What about reducing the risk of completely wiping out indigenous species?
Schembri says that the obvious thing would be to prevent entry in the first place because once a marine alien species has established itself, it is practically impossible to remote or even control it.
"For species that are introduced directly by human activities, like shipping, aquaculture or the aquarium trade, some precautions can be taken. However when it comes to the range expansion of aliens already established in other parts of the Mediterranean, there is nothing much that can be done," Schembri says.
SCIBERRAS, J. & SCIBERRAS, A (2012) Wild pigeons and doves of the Maltese Islands. The Malta Independent, June 11th pg 9.
The majority of the locals believe that hardly any birds exist in the Maltese islands; except for sparrows and pigeons. In reality this is not the case, because just over 450 species of birds have been recorded in Malta, 52 of which often nest, while others visit irregularly.
Jeffrey Sciberras and Arnold Sciberras write
The number of wild pigeons and doves species (collectively known as Columbids) found locally is sufficient enough to make someone appreciate the rich biodiversity that our country sustains.
Most people, when thinking of the word ‘pigeon’, envisage city pigeons – unfortunately also sometimes referred to as 'rats of the sky’ or ‘rats with wings’– or think about the domestic pigeon breed known as Homer or homing pigeons. When it comes to the word ‘dove’, people immediately think of the migratory Turtle Dove which is prized game for hunters. This generic thought holds some truth, but certainly does not refer to all the species of doves and pigeons we encounter on the Maltese Islands. In fact, seven species of pigeons and doves occur in the wild on the Maltese Islands. In nomenclature, wild pigeons in Maltese are called ‘Tudun’, while domestic pigeons are called ‘Ħamiem’. The word ‘Tudun’ also specifically refers to the European Wood Pigeon. Three species of migratory and local wild pigeons occur here, including the largest species, which is the European Wood pigeon, Columba polumbus; the Rock Dove, Columba livia from which all the domestic races have derived, such as the Feral Pigeon, Columba livia (domest.) and the Stock Dove, Columba oenas, which is similar in appearance to Feral Pigeons, but has shorter black wing bars and eyes that are completely black, lacking the orange iris . The European Wood pigeon and the Stock dove are two migratory species which are both scarce and rare visitors, which have never been documented to breed on the Maltese Islands. In contrast, the Rock Dove frequently breeds in local cliffs, and unlike the other two species, it is a resident species. Unfortunately, it has become very rare to see pure-breed wild Rock Doves in Malta. This is due to the fact that this species has been domesticated for a long time (more than 5000 years) and many varieties and breeds have artificially evolved from it. Feral Pigeons are likely to be descendants of primitive domestic pigeons which escaped, managed to survive in the wild, and interbred with wild Rock Doves.
Feral Pigeons are distinguished from domestic breeds simply because, despite the multitude of colours, their morphology (not plumage) is almost identical to wild Rock Doves. Due to an explosive growth from Feral Pigeons, the species has become an exceedingly common bird on a global scale, but the pure wild race, at least in Europe, is quite rare and has a limited distribution along the cliffs of Northern Europe. In 2001, one of the authors (AS) made an attempt to breed the wild Rock Dove. While the breeding inside Għammieri was successful, reintroductions in the wild seemed difficult because Feral Pigeons have to be eliminated first, and Pure Rock Doves often fall target to Hunters.
Doves are morphologically smaller than Pigeons. Four species visit the Maltese Islands. The largest species is the Eurasian Collared Dove, Streptopelia decaocto, which until recently was considered as a rare visitor but is now an established breeding bird. This species has been extending its range all over Europe and hence it started to arrive here in large numbers and eventually started breeding here. It first established itself as a breeding bird at Għajn Żejtuna; but eventually it started spreading in various localities such as Addolorata Cemetery, Buskett, Lija, Attard, Pietá, Fawwara and even in Comino and Gozo. Given chance, this species will spread all over the islands within a few years because in addition to being a prolific species, migratory individuals have tendencies to join resident flocks. The second largest species is the European Turtle Dove, Streptopelia turtur, which migrates in large numbers but is very rarely granted a chance to nest, even though many attempts have been reported over the years. The third largest and rarest species is the Laughing (or Palm) Dove, Streptopelia senegalensis. Another dove found on the Maltese Islands is the Barbary Dove, Streptopelia risoria (domest.). It is debatable whether this species is a domesticated breed descendant from the African Collared Dove Streptopelia risoria roseogrisea, or a totally different species. This species has bred in the wild via escaped individuals and sometimes hybridises with the Eurasian Collared Dove.
Pigeons and doves are generally weary of humans but a few, including those mentioned, have adapted to live near humans and found urban life more suitable. The European Wood Pigeon and the Collared Dove withstand urban life, but the major cities around the world, are dominated by Feral Pigeons. Can anyone imagine cities without this bird? If it weren’t for mankind, this race would not have existed. Humans managed to raise wild Rock Doves in captivity. When the species became tame, by artificial selection, several breeds and plumages emerged, none of which ever existed before. The purposes of domestic breeds are several, namely as sources of food, such as the Broiler, for competition and sport such as the Homer, and for exhibitions such as fantails, Pooters, Dwarfs, and so on. Feral pigeons obtained the various plumages from domestic breeds, but regained the morphological characteristics of the original ancestors from wild Rock Doves. This species was one of several which also assisted the renowned naturalist Charles Darwin to formulate his theory regarding evolution.
Many people assume that feral pigeons bring nothing but diseases, and these are considered to be a treat to architectural features, statues and buildings. It is true that their urban settings mean that they are not tidy and that their acidic faeces dissolves carbonic structures and to many bird breeders, naturalists and so on, the feral race is seen as a common species without any ecological value whatsoever. On the other hand to those interested in the classification of biodiversity, this race is a clear example of evolution. It is true that when a species evolves, it constantly changes to adapt to its environmental surroundings. The feral pigeon is not only a mix of coloured plumages which decipher nothing, but an array of forms, some of which persisted to exist and continued from one generation to another, in order to become distinct. This means that certain plumages have become standardised, and in some cases reached dominancy. From observations made by the authors, seven consistent varieties have been identified. Locally, the consistent varieties evolved in areas where the species is abundant, such as Valletta, Floriana, Ta' Xbiex, Msida, Ħamrun, Comino and Victoria (Gozo).So far no records or documents exist to show that these varieties are taxonomically recognized, except for the fact that feral pigeons can easily interbreed with wild Rock Doves . It is likely that certain varieties within time can become endemic. This has happened in places around the globe where species have become isolated. The varieties are morphologically pure, but not necessarily genetically pure as they can be interbred with other forms. Although it was noted that birds of opposite sexes are mostly attracted to similar plumages.
The so called ‘varieties’ are the following: nomenclature for such varieties is often colloquially used for describing individual birds in domestic breeds:
- The Blue Bar is the closest plumage to the original, which clearly belongs to the Nominate Rock Dove. The colour is bluish-grey, with two black bands on each side of a wing. Generally, the bands of the feral pigeon are thinner and not often as consistent as those of the Rock Dove. The tail is grey and black-tipped. The neck feathers are shiny with purple and green iridescence. The rump is white. Those very similar to the original are rare.
- The Blue Checkered is similar but is uniformly-dotted on black and on the wing. Common.
- The Dark variety is black from head to the wing-edge, but its rump and tail are similar to that of the original. Common.
- The Red Bar is like the Blue Bar, but whitish-grey while the neck and chest are brownish-red, with red bands of similar shape to those of the Blue Bar. Scarce.
- The Red Checkered is similar to the Blue Checkered but instead of having grey and black, they have a brownish-red pattern. Frequent.
- The Brown variety is similar in pattern to the Dark variety, but with shades of reddish- brown. All of the brown colored varieties have brown veins on their feathers.
The rest of the forms that exist are intermediate between the mentioned consistent varieties, without any uniform pattern. Albinistic and melanistic forms occur. Albinistic flocks of pigeons are restricted to public gardens and farms. Melanistic pigeons are rare on the whole. Very rare forms sometimes seen are the Bronze, which is a likely descendant of the brown variety, and the Bluish-Red Bars are likely to be a cross between the Blue Bars and the Red Bars. Certain individuals are similar to any variety, but have odd characteristics such as white primary feathers, or irregularly placed white feathers on any part of their body, and these are referred to as Pied pigeons. With time, feral pigeon varieties outside Malta have become distinct subspecies. One example is Columba livia atlantis, which is found in Northern European countries along the Atlantic. Another example is found in England, at Trafalgar Square, where the entire population of feral pigeons evolved into the Dark Variety.
In recent years, some cities around the world started to implement measures to reduce the feral population of pigeons. This has become a necessity, in order to control the spread of disease, reduce genetic pollution with the original wild stock, and to prevent further damage to historical architecture. But at least it should be done in a humane or natural manner, such as reintroducing birds of prey that feed on feral pigeons. However, to some people the loss of feral pigeons from towns and cities is a big loss since it has become synonymous with urban infrastructures and societies.
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