Għadira Nature Reserve
The Għadira Nature Reserve ( Maltese ir-Riserva Naturali ta'l-Għadira ) is a nature reserve in the extreme northeast of the island of Malta . It is only separated by a busy road from one of Malta's most popular beaches, Mellieħa Bay , in a basin, both slopes of which are built on, and the city of Mellieħa is just a few kilometers away .
Bird and plant protection area
The area officially designated as the first Maltese nature reserve in 2001 is operated by Birdlife Malta on behalf of the Maltese environmental and planning authority MEPA. The approximately seven hectare area mainly contains salt marshes , but also a small freshwater area. The salt marshes are wet all year round, but in summer, when there is very little to no rain in Malta, the salinity of the water increases. The year-round mean between 2003 and 2007 was between 4.46% (2003) and 5.94% (2007). During the rainy season, the area occasionally floods, then water is drained into the sea and the salt content on the marshes drops.
The facility is mainly used for the protection and research of birds and plants in Malta, but also for environmental education of schoolchildren. It is open from November to May, when there are guided tours along the nature trails. Due to its unfavorable location, the area is subject to strong pressure from neighbors, and vandalism regularly occurs, for example pollution of the sensitive wetlands with oil or the destruction of vegetation.
In 2007, Għadira was home to 232 largely indigenous, partly endemic plant species. These are usually raised in their own tree nursery and then planted in the area. In addition, attempts are being made to reintroduce certain plants that are particularly rare in Malta and formerly found in Għadira, but were eradicated by the construction of the coastal road and the destruction of the dunes (including the beach spurge ( Euphorbia paralias) , the beach thistle ( Eryngium maritimum ) and the snail clover species Medicago marina ).
154 bird species were sighted there in 2007, 10 of which were breeding on site and 72 were ringed . Malta is a central resting place on the route of migratory birds across the Mediterranean . In addition, as far as possible, the occurrence of other animal species is tracked, especially vertebrates and well-identifiable invertebrates . Separate research is being carried out on some animal species, such as the Mediterranean sorrel ( Aphanius fasciatus ) that lives in the salt water basins .
See also
literature
- BirdLife Malta (Ed.): Ghadira Nature Reserve - 2007 Report . 2009
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hilke Maunder: Il-Ghadira - Malta's first nature reserve In: Spiegel Online, February 6, 2001, Online , accessed on June 4, 2010
Web links
Coordinates: 35 ° 58 ′ 11.1 ″ N , 14 ° 20 ′ 49.6 ″ E