O que são Gigantes Verdes?
Gigantes Verdes são árvores de grande porte, com mais de 1,5 metros de perímetro de tronco medido a 1,3 metros do solo.
Graças às suas dimensões impressionantes, têm a capacidade de albergar um grande número de organismos tornam-se refúgios essenciais para a biodiversidade.
De forma simples, podemos dizer que uma Gigante Verde é qualquer árvore tão grande que uma pessoa adulta não consegue abraçar sozinha.
What are green giants?
They are large trees, with more than 1.5 meters of trunk perimeter measured at 1.3 meters from the ground and which have the capacity to host a large number of organisms.
As the trees grow, they accumulate structures that act as shelter for a large number of living beings. They are called microhabitats and can be, for example, cavities, dead branches, wounds on the bark, among others. In total there are 64 different structures that can be found in the Catalog of microhabitats, developed by the Integrate+ Project.
Over the past few years, efforts for nature conservation have been increased, which can be seen in the creation of national parks and other areas designed for this purpose, however there is still an increase in species that disappear every day.
More and more people have been alerted to the importance of starting to integrate concrete actions of nature conservation in the activities and places that man manages for his own benefit, such as forests, agricultural fields or urban areas.
This is where large trees come in.
Trees, in addition to giving us oxygen and fixing atmospheric carbon, giving us resources such as wood or fruit, usually have associated cultural and historical values, especially those we encounter in our daily lives and which are in our gardens , public parks and private properties.
In a landscape increasingly transformed by man, it is important to conserve the few places that have the capacity to remain constant for several years and that thus allow the existence of life for decades.
Trees of high ecological interest, usually also have unusual dimensions and therefore have a greater capacity to support microhabitats that allow the occurrence of these living beings.
The trees that surround us are thus fundamental pieces to conserve the nature that surrounds us and that is why it is up to all of us to help in their conservation.
Quanto maiores e mais antigas forem as árvores, maiores são os benefícios que nos oferecem em termos de ecossistema
Como é que os Microhabitats apoiam a vida selvagem?
À medida que as árvores crescem, desenvolvem estruturas únicas conhecidas como microhabitats, que servem como abrigo, locais de reprodução e fontes de alimento para uma grande diversidade de seres vivos.
Estas estruturas incluem cavidades no tronco, ramos mortos, fissuras na casca, e ninhos abandonados, tornando estas árvores de grande porte essenciais para a biodiversidade.
Os microhabitats desempenham um papel essencial na preservação da vida selvagem, suportando aves, insetos, mamíferos, fungos e outros organismos. Com o aumento das pressões humanas sobre os espaços naturais, identificar e proteger estas árvores torna-se fundamental para assegurar a continuidade da vida selvagem e dos serviços de ecossistema que as Gigantes Verdes sustentam.
What are green giants?
They are large trees, with more than 1.5 meters of trunk perimeter measured at 1.3 meters from the ground and which have the capacity to host a large number of organisms.
As the trees grow, they accumulate structures that act as shelter for a large number of living beings. They are called microhabitats and can be, for example, cavities, dead branches, wounds on the bark, among others. In total there are 64 different structures that can be found in the Catalog of microhabitats, developed by the Integrate+ Project.
Over the past few years, efforts for nature conservation have been increased, which can be seen in the creation of national parks and other areas designed for this purpose, however there is still an increase in species that disappear every day.
More and more people have been alerted to the importance of starting to integrate concrete actions of nature conservation in the activities and places that man manages for his own benefit, such as forests, agricultural fields or urban areas.
This is where large trees come in.
Trees, in addition to giving us oxygen and fixing atmospheric carbon, giving us resources such as wood or fruit, usually have associated cultural and historical values, especially those we encounter in our daily lives and which are in our gardens , public parks and private properties.
In a landscape increasingly transformed by man, it is important to conserve the few places that have the capacity to remain constant for several years and that thus allow the existence of life for decades.
Trees of high ecological interest, usually also have unusual dimensions and therefore have a greater capacity to support microhabitats that allow the occurrence of these living beings.
The trees that surround us are thus fundamental pieces to conserve the nature that surrounds us and that is why it is up to all of us to help in their conservation.
