MN Consultors

The practice of climbing in either conventional or via ferrata paths can affect geology and wildlife. Concerning the biodiversity, the main impacts may occur on some species of rupicolous flora and fauna.

Since 2006 Montsant Natural Park has a regulation of climbing practices based on both the location of known raptor nesting points and the species that use each of them, which divides climbing zones in free, conditioned or forbidden for these practices.

In order to update the information available in those management areas, and if necessary set changes in the current regulation, MN Consultors performed the 2015 census of the rupicolous raptor species nesting or maintaining active ranges in areas where climbing is allowed.

The study focuses especially on both detection (photo characterization) and mapping areas of primary use, nests and nesting platforms.

The results include the detection of up to eight bird species nesting in the same climbing area, so as the Griffon vulture Gyps fulvus, breeding recently in Priorat, and the Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus nesting in the natural park for the first time. They also show an important breeding failure of these scavenging species, while the Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus or the Common kestrel Falco tinnunculus seem to have fewer problems and show a high breeding success in quite crowded areas. Other breeding species of interest detected in climbing areas are the Black wheatear Oenanthe leucura, the Rock dove Columba livia, the Common raven Corvus corax and the Blue rock thrush Monticola solitarius.