A keystone species of iberian ecosystems
The European Nature Trust works with CBD-Habitat to help conserve the Iberian lynx. An emblem of wild Iberia, the Iberian lynx is a key regulator of Spain’s ecosystems, balancing trophic cascades throughout the ecosystem. In the past, the species was abundant across Spain and Portugal, but through poaching, habitat loss and the decline of wild prey, numbers had declined to two isolated populations by the early 2000s.
Along with the collaboration of many groups, notably property owners who grant access to their land for conservation purposes, CBD-Habitat Foundation is helping to turn things around for the Iberian lynx. The organisation’s work has helped to recover the population to more than 1,600 today. The benefits of protecting and restoring the Iberian lynx and its habitat extend far beyond the local environment, to the surrounding communities and to the entirety of Europe.
