INTEGRA project advances in the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas with new proposals in Northern Spain

The event, organised by IUCN Med and held at the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences of the University of Leon, brought together 20 experts from academia, the scientific community, non-governmental organisations and environmental management entities.

The workshop gave continuity to the process initiated by INTEGRA in Andalusia in June this year, to advance the identification of sites of global importance for biodiversity through the application of the IUCN´s Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs, and improve their incorporation within territorial planning. 

Expert knowledge to strengthen KBA proposals

Over the first two days of the workshop, the participants reviewed proposals of new KBAs as well as pre-existing KBAs that need to be updated. The work included the analysis of trigger species and the revision of proposed boundaries, population estimates and information necessary to evaluate against the criteria of the Global KBA Standard.

The workshop format was based on technical exchange and consensus-oriented discussion among specialists from different taxonomic groups and regions, with a particular focus on the north of Spain. The participants provided species data, field knowledge and recommendations to advance in proposing, revising and updating the analysed KBAs.

The workshop also allowed for the detection of information gaps for certain taxonomic groups and geographical areas, emphasising the need to keep compiling data and incorporate the experience of other specialists within the upcoming phases of the process.

Coordination with the new National Red List

The workshop included a session dedicated to the planning of the new Spanish National Red List for 2026-2027 and collaboration with the KBA identification process. The session was led by Dr. Luis Santiago Alonso, coordinator of the Spanish Species Specialist Group.

Both initiatives depend on reliable and up-to-date information about the distribution, population size and conservation status of species. Coordination between these processes can facilitate data exchange and help strengthen the scientific basis for national conservation priorities.

From technical analysis to field-based observation

On the final day of the event, the group participated on a field trip to the region of El Bierzo to visit different areas of conservation interest and discuss the identification, delineation and management of proposed KBAs.  

The first stop was at the Presa de Montearenas, where a candidate KBA has been proposed due to the presence of Gyrocaryum oppositifolium, known locally as nomevés (“you don't see me”), an endemic, Critically Endangered (CR) plant species whose distribution is limited to just a few isolated subpopulations.

The visit continued at the Castle of Cornatel, part of a new proposed KBA, where natural and cultural heritage are closely intertwined. The castle walls and rocky outcrops provide habitat for endemic, threatened rock-dwelling plants, adapted to survive in small rock crevices with very little soil. Among the species considered in the KBA proposal are Petrocoptis glaucifolia, Saxifraga trifurcata and Leontodon farinosus.

During the visit, experts from the Spanish Society of Plant Conservation Biology (SEBICOP) explained that the presence of these plants in the castle could be related to the rocks used in its construction, which were brought from a more distant site where the species were found. Thus, the very stones used to build the castle may have also created a new refuge for these endemic plants.  

The visit concluded at Las Médulas, where the group discussed some of the landscape´s main conservation challenges, including the management of wildfires.

A collaborative process which will continue beyond the workshop

The workshop enabled the participants to advance in reviewing KBA proposals, identify information gaps and agree on next steps for advancing their development. However, identifying a new KBA is a technical process which requires demonstrating that the site meets the criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard. Thus, the INTEGRA team will continue to compile additional information, validate species data and follow up with the species experts.

The collaborative fieldwork carried out by the researchers and technical experts involved, bringing together different conservation and management perspectives, has allowed us to reflect on how to make the best decisions”, highlighted Dr. Estrella Alfaro from SEBICOP, IUCN Member since 2006. 

This workshop marks another step in INTEGRA's efforts to integrate knowledge on biodiversity and ecological connectivity into territorial planning. By bringing together scientific evidence, experience from across regions and collaboration between institutions, the project seeks to strengthen the identification of important places for biodiversity conservation in Spain. 

About the INTEGRA project

INTEGRA (Integración de componentes clave de infraestructura verde en la planificación territorial) is working to strengthen the integration of KBAs and ecological connectivity within territorial planning.  

The project receives support from the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO), through co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).