Wildlife benefits from ecological work at the Borinquen geothermal project
Restoration work over the past three years has improved the connectivity of forest species and ecosystems in the area surrounding the Borinquen geothermal project in Costa Rica.
Ecological connectivity near and around the Borinquen geothermal project in Costa Rica has increased by 4.5% over the past three years, following the actions of the national electricity company Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE), as part of its environmental commitments to wildlife.
The objective of ecological connectivity is to analyze the relationships between flora and fauna species that inhabit fragmented natural areas near the geothermal power plant located in Canas Dulces district, Guanacastecan Township, Liberia. Once this analysis is done, the job is to create conditions that also preserve and increase this connectivity.
As part of this commitment, ICE promotes actions such as controlling grass growth, perimeter closures, dispersing native tree seeds, and establishing wildlife crossings; as well as the surveillance and monitoring of the flora and fauna of the area.
All of this work has led to better conditions for nature in the factory’s territory of influence, ICE said in a statement.
Borinquen has an area of 1,414 hectares, of which 834 have forests and another 466 are in the process of recovering forest cover. Species such as the spider monkey, jaguar, tapir and glass frog, as well as toucans and birds of prey inhabit this area.
According to the Integral Connectivity Index (IIC) application, functional connectivity on the Borinquen map increased from 0.22 in 2018 to 0.23 in 2021, representing an increase of 4.5%. The IIC value is between 0 (null) and 1 (maximum).
“Characterizing and monitoring habitat connectivity is essential for the conservation of ecological processes and the interactions of populations, communities and ecosystems,” explained Johan Valerio, environmental manager of the Borinquen geothermal project.
In addition to fulfilling socio-environmental commitments, ecological connectivity strengthens the ecosystem services of the area of influence, as well as conservation processes in the areas surrounding Rincón de la Vieja National Park, declared a Natural Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1999. .
The Borinquen geothermal project is located in the western part of the Rincón de la Vieja volcanic massif. It envisages the construction of two power generation plants, each with an installed capacity of 55 MW, the first of which would enter service in 2027.
Source: the Nation