Candidatura Reserva da Biosfera - Santana Madeira Biosfera

communities and by association, of all species ecologically connected.
Figure 50. Native herbaceous and shrub vegetaion in Laurisilva forest
12.1.3. Main Human Impacts
The impacts present and future come from stress factors such as increased touristic
load and harvest of plant material, habitat degradation and destruction caused by
herbivory through introduced species such as rabbits, rats and mice. These stress factors
are common to all native species, but will have a larger negative impact on species that
are threatened with extinction, and may affect the recovery of their natural populations
and survival of the species in the medium and long term. It is essential to carry out
continuous monitoring in order to assess the evolution of natural populations of all these
species and the degree of influence of all threat factors have, in order to evaluate the
need to implement additional specific measures to each species on the verge of
extinction.
The installation of equipment for energy production from renewable sources has
been increasing on Madeira Island. Accordingly, whenever possible the instalation of
renewable energy sources in the existing and future infrastructures, should be
Application of Santana, Madeira to Biosphere Reserve – UNESCO - MAB 91