REWET Open Lab 7
Paul da Gouxa, Portugal
Location:
Paul da Gouxa, Alpiarça, Portugal
Type of wetland:
Low peatland
Size:
140 ha
Site manager:
75% private property (Quinta da Atela), 25% public domain (Câmara Municipal de Alpiarça)
OL coordinator (organisation and country):
Universidad de Évora, Câmara Municipal de Alpiarça
Explore Paúl da Gouxa
A Natural and Cultural Haven Northeast of Lisbon
Paúl da Gouxa is a unique ecosystem located 103 km northeast of Lisbon (Portugal). Paúl da Gouxa is a wetland of inland waters, with a low peatland, swampy willow groves and reeds in great conditions. In August 2023, it was declared a natural reserve. Paúl da Gouxa is an area of private domain, whose current owners are the local municipality of Alpiarça and Quinta da Atela. Land use is quite restricted because it is in the Public Water Domain, which means that any activity related to water use (for example, water intake/retention or recreational activities) requires institutional authorization. It can be observed that the area was used for agriculture (abandoned rice and corn fields in 1975), sheep/cattle grazing, and extraction of inert materials (which ceased in 2000 at the initiative of the municipality of Alpiarça). Among interesting aspects of Paul da Gouxa is the existence of the largest population of the endemic Sorraia horse. The Sorraia is an extremely rare breed, and is one of the very few types of original wild horses that are still living.
Restoring the Unprotected Peatlands
Conservation and Community: Reviving Europe's Overlooked Habitats
Due to the lack of information about the existence of this type of habitat in Portugal (and even in Europe since they are located outside the three peat-belt regions), it has not been designated as a Special Protected Area in the frame of Natura 2000 network. The peatland area has been subject to several threats in the past due to: drainage for farming, sand abstraction activities, damp filling area, agriculture, cattle breeding, hunting, tentative peat extraction, motocross activities, night festivals. The area was subject of restorations thanks to the EU funds of the LIFE project RIPIDURABLE, in which propagation of native vegetation and bioengineering techniques for soil stabilization were implemented. The local people were also involved in activities to understand the importance of the ecological status of water and pollution.
Unlocking Potential: REWET Project Objectives
Collaborative Conservation: Exploring Ecosystem Services at Paul da Gouxa Wetland
The REWET project has multiple objectives for the Paul da Gouxa wetland. Greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and N2O) will be monitored, and various ecosystem services will be studied: erosion (flood protection/disaster risk), food production (rice cultivation), biomass for energy production (common reed), and biodiversity, climate regulation, soil formation (particularly in the sand extraction areas), water purification, and cultural services (using willingness to pay). Paul da Gouxa offers a unique opportunity to study the collaboration between private owners (Quinta da Atela), public domain (Câmara Municipal de Alpiarça), and local stakeholders associations (Grupos dos Amigos da Natureza de Alpiarça).
