Monitoring of the endemic plant on Pico island confirms success in population reinforcement

Oct. 21, 2025

As part of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project, a population reinforcement of Euphorbia stygiana — a species endemic to the Azores and protected by the Habitats Directive — was carried out in 2024.

This action was conducted by the Pico Environment and Climate Action Service team, following on from the conservation work carried out within the scope of the project. More recently, the success of this intervention was monitored.

The monitoring results revealed that more than 90% of the introduced individuals survived, thriving and appearing lush. It clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the implemented reinforcement actions, underlining the importance of continuous monitoring to ensure the success of conservation and ecological restoration measures.

This initiative is part of Action D5.1 - Monitoring of terrestrial habitats and species and conservation issues, a fundamental component of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project.

Monitoring not only allows the effectiveness of interventions to be assessed, but also guides future management and conservation actions.

Find out more about this project coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action at: www.lifeazoresnatura.eu