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1. Contestant profile

Contestant name: Emmanuel Nii Attram Taye

Contestant occupation: Student

University / Organisation University of Ghana

E-mail:

Phone (incl. country code):

Number of people in your team: 2

2. Project overview

Title: IMPACTS OF QUARRY ACTIVITIES ON WATER RESOURCES AND EFFECTTS ON BIODIVERSITY: THE ODONATA ASSESSMENT

Contest: Ghana

Quarry name: Beposo aggregate quarry

Prize category: (select all appropriate)

■Education and Raising Awareness

■Habitat and Species Research

■Biodiversity Management

Student Project

Beyond Quarry Borders

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IMPACTS OF QUARRY ACTIVITIES ON WATER RESOURCES AND EFFECTTS ON BIODIVERSITY: THE ODONATA ASSESSMENT.

COMPLETE RESEARCH REPORT PRESENTED TO THE JURY OF THE QUARRY LIFE AWARD GLOBAL COMPETITION

BY EMMANUEL NII ATTRAM TAYE AND RHODA BROWN-WOOD

SEPTEMBER, 2016

ABSTRACT

Mining activities (including quarrying) over the last decade have had drastic effects on water resources across

the country. With the insurgence of “galamsey” activities, most of Ghana’s “prized” water bodies including the

“prestigious” Pra River have become degraded. Odonata assemblages along water bodies inform of water

quality. Odonata assemblages change as environmental conditions, thus their use as effective monitoring tools

for environmental change especially in water. This study aimed at exploring how Odonata assemblages can be

employed as a cost effective and efficient tool for monitoring the level of degradation of water bodies around

quarry sites in rural Ghana for early detection and remediation. with extended uses for water bodies at other

locations of commercial or industrial activity. The water bodies in and around the Beposo aggregate quarry

owned by West African Quarries Limited (WAQL) were monitored using a combination of Dragonfly counts;

observation of female ovipositing behavior, larvae survey in benthos and presence of exuviae and physico-

chemical analysis.

This study presents results of Odonata survey at the Beposo aggregate quarry and how it relates to quality of

water in the area. The study yielded 179 Odonates form 18 species recorded during bi-monthly surveys, 15

species (79.9%) belonging to the suborder Anisoptera (Dragonflies) and 3 (20.1%) belonging to the suborder

Zygoptera (Damselflies). Species abundance was higher (51.9%) around water bodies in the quarry than

outside the quarry. The two most abundant species recorded were Pantala flavescens (33, 18.4%) and

Palpopleura lucia (32, 17.9%), both of which are occur over wide ranges of habitats. Samples from the various

water bodies under study revealed minimal influence from the quarry in terms of nutrient load and toxic influx.

Implications of encountered species on quality of water and their relatedness with physico-chemical properties

of the water bodies are further discussed.

Keywords: Quarry; Odonata; Biological indicators; water quality; environmental conditions;

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INTRODUCTION

Dragonflies and Damselflies are insects belonging to the order Odonata. They have a three stage semi-aquatic

lifecycle (as shown in Fig 1) which begins with the female laying eggs in a water body. Egg development stage

(very short time for some species (Corbet, 1999)) is followed by a strictly aquatic larval development stage where

the predatory larva/nymph feeds on aquatic organisms including aquatic insects and small fishes to develop through

several instars and moults to emerge as an adult.

The adults are terrestrial and can be totally independent of water; in some cases can be seen miles away from a

water source or their breeding grounds. Reproduction with copulation and ovipostion take most of the time in the life

of an adult dragonfly (Corbet, 1999).There is no pupal stage between the larval and adult stages (Corbet, 1999) as

is the case for many insects and the change directly from the larval stage to adult is termed incomplete

metamorphosis.

A biological indicator, herein referred to as bio-indicator is “a species or group of species that readily reflects: the

abiotic or biotic state of an environment; represents the impact of environmental change on a habitat, community or

ecosystem; or is indicative of the diversity of a subset of taxa, or of wholesale diversity, within an area” (McGeoch,

1998). Whole groups of species as well as individuals can be used as bioindicators.

Dragonflies and Damselflies have been studied extensively (Kalkman et al., 2008; Korkeamaki and Suhonen, 2002;

Karthika et al., 2012; Acquah-Lamptey et al., 2013) across the globe. Their use as tools for monitoring changes in

the environment have been studied both in Ghana (Dijkstra and Lempert, 2003; Acquah-Lamptey et al., 2013) and

around the world (Clark and Samways, 1996; Stewart and Samways, 1998; Sahlén & Ekestubbe, 2001 and Kalkam

et al., 2008).

Corbet (2004) reveals that there is a close dependence of Odonates to the ecological state of the environment. The

presence of dragonflies is an indication of a healthy ecosystem (Corbet 1999) whiles the presence or absence of

particular species reflects both human activities surrounding the water as well as the structural components of the

water (Sahlén & Ekestubbe, 2001). Some species are hardy generalists and can tolerate wide ranges or conditions

while others are very sensitive to their environment (Chovanec and Waringer, 2001; Chovanec et al., 2004; Amelia

et al., 2006; Smith et al., 2006).

Some studies (Stewart and Samways, 1998) have focused on sampling adult male Dragonflies excluding females

because their coloration is “critically” different and thus difficult to identify. Also because they almost only visited the

water to mate and oviposit, they are not suitable for use as monitors of water quality. Raebel et al. (2010),

emphasize the need to sample exuviae during monitoring of water quality as the presence of the cases is indicative

of successful breeding with the final stage the emergence of tenerals. They outline the insufficiency and inaccuracy

of using just adult as indicators on the grounds of migration and from their breeding grounds. They also discovered

that presence of ovipositing females do not give indication of water quality as some females would lay a few eggs in

any temporary pool they encounter in order to increase survival chances.

The economic importance of quarries to the countries and communities in which they operate cannot be

downplayed (Tauli-Corpuz, 1997; UNEP, 1997) especially in developing countries like Ghana. Job creation, rural

development, provision of raw material for local construction industry, and overall contribution to GDP are some

benefits of quarries operating in an area. However, aside the positive economic contributions, what are the impacts

of quarries on cultural systems, modes of livelihoods and overall life views of the communities; what are the impacts

on the environment especially on water systems? Quarries have had bad press and negative notoriety for decades

due to their negative impacts on the environment; not just the environment but also on farming practices and the

health of members in host communities.

This study looked at combining adult dragonflies and damselflies, their nymphs in water and their exuviae to

determine the state of water bodies in and around the Beposo aggregate quarry.

JUSTIFICATION

The Insect Order: Odonata is specifically selected for this study because:

There is existing knowledge of the ecological requirements of a large number of Odonate species.

A high correlation between the presence of habitat components and the presence of certain species.

A relatively long ontogenetic development makes medium to long-term monitoring possible.

They react rapidly to a change in habitat quality by appearance/disappearance or by a change in abundance.

They serve as umbrella species representing both aquatic and terrestrial assemblages.

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The prey-predator relationship existing between mosquitoes and Odonates are significant to the public health of

rural communities within quarry sites.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the study were:

i. To innovatively use adult male Dragonfly and Damselfly assemblages as surrogates of water quality where their

presence or absence is an indication of health of water systems.

ii. To use the presence of nymphs and exuviae as a measure of ecological health and habitat suitability for

breeding Odonates.

iii. To validate the use of Odonata assemblages as suitable tools for measuring water quality using physico-

chemical properties and chemical analysis.

METHODS Study area

The study was undertaken at the Beposo Quarry (see Fig. 2) (N 50° 08’ 12”, W 10° 36’ 42”) owned and run by West

Africa Quarries Limited (WAQL) is located at Atta-ne-Atta within the Beposo-Shama District of the Western Region

of Ghana and sits on 16.49 acres of land. It can be found along the Beposo–Adiembra road, about 2.3km off the

Cape Coast-Takoradi highway. Average annual temperature is between 23-32°C and annual rainfall ranges

between 1200-1800 mm. There are 165 vascular plants species (out of which seven are listed on the IUCN Red List

as globally threatened), this consist largely of Wild oil palm (Elaies guineensis), Kapok tree Ceiba pentandra and

Alchonea Cordifolia. There are about 102 bird and 8 species of large and medium-sized mammals all of which are

of Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN red list.

SAMPLING PROTOCOL

Identification of sampling stations

After a reconnaissance survey (see Fig. 3) of the quarry during which the team was taken through best practices

and behaviors to ensure safety on site, suitable sampling points were selected based on the water regime of the

site. Three (3) sampling sites were selected; Site A (Fig. 4) is a man-made pool in the active mining area, Site B

(Fig. 5) is a temporary shallow pond in grass land that gathers after rains located right outside the quarry gates and

point C (Fig. 6) is a natural pond 800m away from the quarry in the Atta ne Atta township.

Surveying Adult Odonates

Sampling was done for 30 minutes at each site and involved counts along the edges on the various water bodies

between late morning and early evening when Dragonflies and damselflies are known to be most active. Species

which are easily identified were identified and recorded on site. A pair of 8 x 42 binoculars was also used to aid

identification of adult Odonates. Since no identification key exists for the Ghanaian Odonata assemblage the keys

by Suhling and Martens (2007) and Dijkstra and Clausnitzer (2014) were used for all identifications. Species difficult

to identify in the field were transported to the laboratory and with the help of an expect Odonatologist, their

identifications were resolved. Some pictures taken (Fig. 7) also helped in confirming species identification.

Benthos and Exuviae examination

A hand net was used to collect substrate from the water and surrounding soil. This was then sifted and poured onto

a tray to search for nymphs. This was repeated several times at each station. Care was taken to minimize

disturbance of the substrate and other organisms in the water (Fig. 8 and 9). Emergent vegetation and rocks were

inspected for exuviae. The soil and plants around the ponds were also inspected for exuviae.

Measurement of Physico-chemical and heavy metal analysis

In-situ measurements of the physico-chemical properties of the water bodies were carried out using the Horiba U-

5000 multimeter probe (Fig, 10). Water samples from the three sites were sent to the Ecological laboratory

(ECOLAB) of the Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana to examine for the

presence and concentration of nutrients and heavy metals. The presence and concentration of heavy metals was

investigated using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry with the Pinnacle 900T. Nutrient load was tested using

Spectrophotometry (Fig. 11, 12).

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Rearing of Odonata nymphs and stakeholder engagement

Nymphs encountered during benthos survey were reared in the laboratory until emergence for identification. This

was necessitated because of the difficulty involved in identifying nymphs to species level. The nymphs were reared

in the laboratory using improvised containers with water from their natural habitats and were fed with mosquito

larvae. (See Fig. 13 - 16).

At the time of rearing the nymphs, stakeholders from different walks and backgrounds were engaged during a

toastmaster’s meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFA&RI). The gathering

comprised of students from various tertiary institutions and workers from various institutions including the Ministry

(Fig. 17 -18). Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were used to create awareness for the project

and the whole competition. One on one sessions with some townspeople also proved effective in communicating

research purpose and findings.

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Fig 1: Lifecycle of dragonfly Fig 2: Site survey with country coordinator

Fig 4: Sampling site A Fig

: Site survey with country coordinator Fig 3: Aerial view of Beposo aggregate quarry.

Fig 5: Sampling site B Fig 6: Sampling site C

: Aerial view of Beposo aggregate quarry.

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Fig 7: Taking a picture of a Dragonfly Fig 8: Inspecting for nymphs and exuviae. Fig 9: Benthos Sampling Fig 10: In-situ measurement

Fig 11-12: Laboratory test for heavy metals and nutrients. Fig 13-14: Rearing of Nymphs. Fig 15: Emergence of Bradynopgya strachani

Fig 16: Harvesting mosquito Fig 17-18: stakeholder engagement at toastmasters’ meeting at (MF&ARI) Fig 19: Acisoma inflatum larvae to feed Odonata larvae

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DATA ANALYSIS

Species diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener, Margalef, Pielou and Simpson)

were computed and treated as surrogates for biodiversity (Marshall et al.,

2006) using PRIMER-E v6. Microsoft Excel was used to draw bar chart and

generate tables.

RESULTS

Odonata survey data

A Total of 179 individuals were recorded for 18 species belonging to

Dragonfly families (Libellulidae, Gomphidae and Aeshnidae) and one

Damselfly family (Coenagrionidae). The most abundant species was the

Wandering glider (Pantala flavescens) with 33 individuals and followed by the

Lucia Widow (Palpopleura lucia) with 32 individuals and the Common waxtail

(Ceriagrion glabrum) with 18 individuals. The Ferruginous Glider (

limbata), the Common tigertail (Ictinogomphus ferox), the Giant skimmer

(Orthetrum austeni) and the Black emperor (Anax tristis

records of one individual each. (See Fig 20)

Site A had the highest species richness (16 species) followed by site B (12

species) and then site C (10 species). The same trend is true for abundance

and Margalef’s index. For Pielou’s evenness, site C was found to be most

even followed by site B with site A having the least even

Shannon’s index was observed at site A folowed by site B and C. Simpson’s

index saw site B with the highest diversity folowed by site A and then site C.

(see Table 1).

Wiener, Margalef, Pielou and Simpson)

computed and treated as surrogates for biodiversity (Marshall et al.,

E v6. Microsoft Excel was used to draw bar chart and

A Total of 179 individuals were recorded for 18 species belonging to three

Dragonfly families (Libellulidae, Gomphidae and Aeshnidae) and one

Damselfly family (Coenagrionidae). The most abundant species was the

individuals and followed by the

and the Common waxtail

) with 18 individuals. The Ferruginous Glider (Tramea

), the Giant skimmer

Anax tristis) had the lowest

Site A had the highest species richness (16 species) followed by site B (12

species) and then site C (10 species). The same trend is true for abundance

index. For Pielou’s evenness, site C was found to be most

even followed by site B with site A having the least evenness. Hghest

Shannon’s index was observed at site A folowed by site B and C. Simpson’s

site A and then site C.

Table 1. Species diversity indices for the study sites.

S = Species Richness, N =Species Abundance, d = Margalef H’ = Shannon’s index, 1- Lambda =Simpson

Fig 20: Bar chart showing relative abundances of Odonata species

encountered.

S N d

SITE A 16 93 3.309 0.8429

SITE B 12 45 2.89 0.9132

SITE C 10 41 2.424 0.9134

TOTAL 18 179 3.277 0.8545

indices for the study sites.

pecies Abundance, d = Margalef’s index, =Simpson’s index J' = Pielou’s index

owing relative abundances of Odonata species

J' H'(loge) 1-Lambda

0.8429 2.337 0.8743

0.9132 2.269 0.881

0.9134 2.103 0.8602

0.8545 2.47 0.8932

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WATER QUALITY PROPERTIES

Highest pH qas recorded at site C with lowest at site A. Site A also recorded

the highest conductivity an Total Dissolced Solids but lowest Turbidity. Site B

had the highest Dissolved Oxygen with Site C having the highest Turbidity.

(see table 2)

Table 2. Physico-chemical properties of water at the three sites

Analysis of water samples showed negligible levels of cadmium, arsenic,

copper, mercury and lead. Nh3 nitrogen levels however showed significant

figures especially at site A. (See Table 3)

Table 3. Results from laboratory analysis of water samples.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS

Adult females were observed laying eggs in the water at all three

sites.

Mating behavior was also observed at all three sites.

Nymphs were discovered during benthos survey at all sites.

Exuviae were encountered at sites B and C

Fig 21-22: Exuviae discovered at site B

REARING OF LARVAE

Bradynopgya strachani is the only species that successfully emerged from

larvae into adult. Other nymphs that were encountered and reared died

before they could emerge into adults. Identification based on DNA could be

done but that goes beyond the scope of this study and its budget.

DISCUSSION

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

database all Dragonfly and Damselfly species encountered are of Least

Concern (LC) (IUCN, 2016).

Odonata assemblages increased after the incidence of rains which filled the

depressions created as a result of quarrying on site A. This led to the

incidence of more Odonates visiting Site A. Odonates are known to be good

colonizers of temporary pool. Thus change in the landscape has resulted in

the creation of temporary breeding grounds for Odonates as well as other

organisms.

All three samples sites showed high abundance of other faunal components

such as frogs, grasshoppers and many aquatic insects. Plants were however

absent from the active quarrying area at the start of the project but some

plants have been grown around the boundaries of the quarry by

management. A degraded water and its environs doesn’t necessarily mean

negative effect on biodiversity, as some tolerant generalist species would

move in to colonize the area whiles more susceptible species move out. Most

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS SITE A SITE B SITE C

Ph 6.73 6.99 7.43

Conductivity 0.72 0.17 0.47

Dissolved Oxygen 7.77 8.485 6.006

Total Dissolved Solids 0.467 0.109 0.086

Turbidity 120.23 166.67 185.08

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Odonate specialists are more dependent on the vegetation structure (Shade

cover) and also occur in forested areas. The seasonality of Odonate

breeding could be the reason why tenerals were not sighted on site.

Chemical analyses show minimal effects of quarry activities on water

resource. However, levels of Ammonia Nitrogen were shown to be high in

Sites A and C. The levels at Site A could be due to the ammonia content in

the explosives used in the blasting of rock materials whereas that of Site C

could be attributed to the presenceof fertilizer in runoffs from near by farms

Toxic chemicals were in trace amounts. This is a good indication after over 2

years of operation. However, care must be taken to ensure that the trend is

maintained to ensure that water resources are not polluted with organic

waste from the site.

The following conclusions are however made:

i. Odonata surveyed revealed relatively healthy water bodies with minimal

pollution; this was then affirmed by the chemical analysis and physico-

chemical parameters measurement. This proves the effectiveness of

using Odonates as bio-indicators of water quality.

ii. Presence of nymphs and exuviae show that the water quality is good

enough to support successful breeding of Odonates.

iii. The creation of temporary shallow ditches which fill up after rains the

quarry is serving as a biodiversity hotspot to support biodiversity.

iv. Chemical analyses for heavy metals as well as measurement of

physicochemical properties of the various water bodies reveal relatively

healthy systems that have potential to continue supporting biodiversity.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The results of this project represent a bold step towards a possible

monitoring program that community members can engage in to detect

early changes in vegetation composition and water quality.

2. Due to seasonality of Odonata breeding, a year-round study is required

to obtain a full composition of the local Odonata community within the

area to serve as baseline to enable accurate comparison for effective

use for monitoring through proper comparison.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Appreciation goes to Daniel Acquah-Lamptey for assistance with species

identification. We also say a big thank you to Kwabena Larbi (Country

coordinator), Noble Biney and Charles both of Beposo quarry for their

assistance with logistics and information. To Levi Vita who helped with data

collection in the field, we say thank you. Also our appreciation goes to

Emmanuel Ansah and Prince both of Ecolab, Geography Department of the

University of Ghana.

ADDED VALUE FOR BIODIVERSITY

I. Water is life and key for the success and sustenance of any ecosystem.

II. Using Odonates as Umbrella species owing to their dependence on

water and sensitivity to changes, their numbers/populations would be

directly proportional to the populations of other species that depend on

water and be an indication of the health of the environment which would

promote biodiversity.

ADDED VALUE FOR SOCIETY

I. Safe water through easy monitoring using Odonata assemblages

II. Presence of dragonflies keep put mosquito populations under control

thus preventing malaria.

ADDED VALUE FOR COMPANY

I. Reduced cost of intervention measures to restore degraded water

systems after operation.

II. Enhance success of rehabilitation since water resources would be

unpolluted to ease recolonization of the site.

REPLICABILITY

i. Using Odonata species richness and diversity as a surrogate is relatively

easy and cost effective and can be replicated everywhere.

ii. Due to seasonality of occurrence, a yearlong survey is ideal but with a

baseline data, comparison can be made at any time of the year to tell of

changes. Baseline data should define and specify limits of acceptable

change to facilitate accurate conclusions and inferences of collected

data.

REFERENCES

Acquah-Lamptey, D., Kyerematen, R., & Owusu, E. O. (2013). Using Odonates as markers of the environmental health of water and its land related ecotone. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation, 5(11), 761-769.

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Ameilia ZS, Che Salmah MR, Abu Hassan A (2006). Distribution of Dragonfly (Odonata: Insecta) in the Kerian River Basin, Kedah-Perek, Malaysia. USU Repository. 14 p.

Chovanec, A., & Waringer, J. (2001). Ecological integrity of river–floodplain systems—assessment by dragonfly surveys (Insecta: Odonata). Regulated Rivers: Research & Management, 17(4‐5), 493-507.

Chovanec, A., Waringer, J., Straif, M., Graf, W., Reckendorfer, W., Waringer-Löschenkohl, A., ... & Schultz, H. (2005). The floodplain-index-a new approach for assessing the ecological status of river/floodplain-systems according to the EU water framework directive. Arch. Hydrobiol. Suppl, 155(1-4), 169-185.

Clark, T. E., & Samways, M. J. (1996). Dragonflies (Odonata) as indicators of biotope quality in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Journal of applied ecology, 1001-1012.

Corbet, P. S. (1999).Dragonflies: behavior and ecology of Odonata.

Harley Books.

Dijkstra, K. D. B., & Lempert, J. (2003). Odonate assemblages of running waters in the Upper Guinean forest. Archiv für Hydrobiologie, 157(3), 397-412.

IUCN (2010). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010. 3.

Retrieved from http://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed on 24 September,

2016.

Kalkman, V. J., Clausnitzer, V., Dijkstra, K. D. B., Orr, A. G., Paulson, D. R., & van Tol, J. (2008). Global diversity of dragonflies (Odonata) in freshwater.Hydrobiologia, 595(1), 351-363.

Korkeamäki, E., & Suhonen, J. (2002). Distribution and habitat specialization of species affect local extinction in dragonfly Odonata populations.Ecography, 25(4), 459-465.

McGEOCH, M. A. (1998). The selection, testing and application of terrestrial insects as bioindicators. Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 73(02), 181-201.

Moore NW. Dragonflies-Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Odonata Specialist Group, IUCN. Gl and, Switzerland, 1997.

Raebel, E. M., Merckx, T., Riordan, P., Macdonald, D. W., & Thompson, D. J. (2010). The dragonfly delusion: why it is essential to sample exuviae to avoid biased surveys. Journal of Insect Conservation, 14(5), 523-533.

Stewart, D. A., & Samways, M. J. (1998). Conserving dragonfly (Odonata) assemblages relative to river dynamics in an African savanna game reserve.Conservation Biology, 12(3), 683-692.

Sahlén, G., & Ekestubbe, K. (2001). Identification of dragonflies (Odonata) as indicators of general species richness in boreal forest lakes. Biodiversity & Conservation, 10(5), 673-690.

Smith J, Samways MJ, Taylor S (2006). Assessing Riparian Quality Using Two Complementary Sets of Bioindicators. Biodiversity and. Conservation, 16 (9):2695-2713

Tauli-Corpuz, V. (1997). Three years after Rio: An indigenous assessment.IWGIA document, (85), 39-50.

Project tags (select all appropriate):

This will be use to classify your project in the project archive (that is also available online) Project focus:

■Biodiversity management Cooperation programmes

■Education and Raising awareness Endangered and protected species

Invasive species

Landscape management - rehabilitation

Rehabilitation ■Scientific research

Soil management

Urban ecology ■Water management

Flora:

Conifers and cycads

Ferns ■Flowering plants

Fungi

Mosses and liverworts Fauna:

Amphibians

Birds ■Dragonflies & Butterflies

Fish Mammals Reptiles Spiders Other insects Other species

Habitat:

Cave Cliffs Fields - crops/culture Forest Grassland Human settlement Open areas of rocky grounds Recreational areas Screes Shrubs & groves Soil Wander biotopes

■Water bodies (flowing, standing) Wetland

Stakeholders:

■Authorities ■Local community

NGOs Schools Universities