Candidatura Reserva da Biosfera - Santana Madeira Biosfera

The Ilhéu da Viúva islet has a natural characteristic floristic heritage of the Madeira
coast, which show various species of unique plants to the archipelago of Madeira,
namely: Pride of Madeira (Echium nervosum), the Fish Stunning Spurge (Euphorbia
piscatoria), the Madeira Sea Stock (Matthiola maderensis), Sinapidendron (Sinapidendron
angustifolium), the Burnt Sow Thistle (Sonchus ustulatus) and the Saucer Plant (Aeonium
glandulosum), in addition to the Juniper (Juniperus turbinata ssp. canariensis) - very rare
endemic Macaronesia tree, that is this islet reached one of the biggest sizes known. This
vegetation comprises predominantly xerophytic grasses and shrubs, well adapted to high
salinity of this habitat, with several Madeira and Macaronesia endemic species.
Although not very diverse, the marine flora is abundant,. In the intertidal and
upper subtidal the green alga Codium adhaerens and brown seaweed Halopteris filicina
forms mats over the rocks. With increasing depth and decreasing light, the green algae
are replaced by brown Lobophora variegata and red Asparagopsis armata algae. Less
frequent species of Corallina sp. Dictyota sp., and Jania sp. and some incrustant algae
species can also be observed.
From the ornithological point of view, the site of the Ilhéu da Viúva Islet is a
privileged place for the nesting of some pelagic seabirds species, belonging to the
Procelariformes Order, of which the Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis,
A010) is the best known example. To nest, this group of migratory birds with European
unfavorable conservation statutes, depend on areas with little disturbance and
inaccessible to predators. Thus, places like Ilhéu de São Jorge islet assume, in our days,
supreme conservation interest. The other pelagic seabirds seeking these habitats are the
Bulwer’s petrel (Bulweria bulwerii, A387) and Madeira storm-petrel (Oceanodroma
castro, A390). Here we can still find two shore seabird species breeding: the common
Tern (Sterna hirundo, A193) and Yellow-legged Gull (Larus cachinnans). The common
tern is a summer breeding population whose conservation status was assessed as
Vulnerable in the last edition of the Red Book of Vertebrates of Portugal.
In the marine environment, due to the large hydrodynamic of its waters, there is
a huge assembly of different fish species, some of commercial interest and livelihood for
local people. In this ichthyological wealth, stand out as resident species, some large fish,
such as the Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus), Island Grouper (Mycteroperca
fusca) and the Red Hogfish (Pseudolepidaplous scrofa), as well as a variety of other
94 Application of Santana, Madeira to Biosphere Reserve – UNESCO - MAB