15 May 2023

Controls at sites previously invaded by Carpobrotus showed the great resilience potential of natural vegetation soon after the eradication.
The recovery and evolution of these communities has continued over time, with the development and flowering of leguminous plants such as Lotus cytisoides, which by colonizing bare soils and enriching them with nitrogen, prepare the soil for more demanding species. On the rocks, the cliff liff vegetation with Limonium sp. is returning, as evidenced by the increasing presence of Crithmum maritimum and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum.
At Punta Eolo, Helichrysum litoreum and Convolvulus lineatus abound where previously there was mostly Carpobrotus.
Unfortunately, the lack of permission for removal by the Municipality, for safety reasons, or by private individuals on their land, has resulted in the persistence of some Carpobrotus populations on sea cliffs, which we have been monitoring constantly since 2016 and show no expansions. Likewise, a few isolated individuals escaped eradication due to the difficult working conditions. However, PonDerat will continue monitoring these small populations in the coming years!
What we have seen through the years and in the last control show that intervening on Carpobrotus during the flowering season and mostly by manual removal has ensured an excellent and rapid recovery of natural vegetation and contributed to the conservation of coastal habitats and species of interest, in line with the objectives of the LIFE programme.