Barrinha de Esmoriz/Lagoa de Paramos (19669)
Portugal, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Barrinha de Esmoriz/Lagoa de Paramos
Central coordinates: Latitude: 40.9667, Longitude: -8.6333
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 8
Area of KBA (km2): 3.96153
Protected area coverage (%): 85.38
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Coastal lagoon communicated with Atlantic Ocean by a canal and rounded by well-developed riparian vegetation and mud flats. The area is fed by two rivers: the ditch Silvalde, whose mouth is at the north-bank of the lagoon, and the ditch Maceda, that dischargues at the south-bank. The two ditches form the central part of the lagoon, that is bounded by a litoral dune string. At Barrinha de Esmoriz's surrounding area, there are pine-woods (at South), humid/ripariam forests (at East and South), sand-dunes and beaches (at West), agricultural landscapes (at North, East and South), a plateau with crawling and shrubby vegetation (at North) and buildings (at North, East and South).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: Barrinha de Esmoriz/Lagoa de Paramos is the main humid zone at portuguese north litoral, between Ria de Aveiro and River Minho Estuary. Besides species in the table, is to relate the breeding of Charadrius alexandrinus, and the reedbed passerines: Acrocephalus arundinaceus and A. scipaceus. Barrinha is also very important to passerines in autumn passage.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | military | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 13 | |
| Introduced Vegetation | 13 | |
| Grassland | 13 | |
| Forest | 13 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 13 | |
| Marine Neritic | 13 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 13 | |
| Shrubland | 13 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: In spite of Barrinha de Esmoriz beeing integrated at the second phase of Rede Natura 2000, there is not any official conservation plan. Comunication of lagoon with ocean depends on sea action and/or human intervention, so now, lagoon is not influenced by tides, that is why important water level fluctuations occur, harming birds breeding. Construction of sewage farm at Esmoriz have improved water quality at Maceda ditch (Southern); Silvalde dintch (Northern) continues very polluted turning very bad indeed water quality at Barrinha de Esmoriz.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation & service corridors | Utility & service lines | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Farinha &Trindade (1994)Lopes et al.(1996,1998)Lobo et al.(1997)Loureiro & Pooley(1994)Loureiro & Sá(1988,1995)Rosa et al. (2001)