In the quiet mountain villages of northern Portugal, centuries-old stone water tanks and irrigation channels may now be serving a surprising new purpose.
In the quiet mountain villages of northern Portugal, centuries-old stone water tanks and irrigation channels may now be serving a surprising new purpose.
Research published in Ecosphere and led by scientists at the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) reveals that these historic structures, once central to traditional village life, are now providing critical breeding and refuge sites for amphibians, as natural wetlands are increasingly under pressure from climate and land-use change.
At Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal’s first protected area and its only national park, pristine ecosystems blend with traditional villages that have existed for generations. As rural life fades and many of these villages are largely abandoned, the communal laundry tanks, stone fountains, and irrigation channels that once sustained rural life remain as quiet features in a human-altered protected landscape.
« As natural habitats face increasing pressure, understanding and maintaining these man-made refuges may be crucial for conservation efforts, ensuring even highly modified landscapes can support vulnerable species », says Dr.
