07/07/2023 and las 09:49 CEST
This custom threatens numerous species of plants and animals that live under them.
Stack stones in the field, creating mounds with them, became fashionable a few years ago as a form of artistic expression or just to pass the time. But those who engage in this seemingly innocuous practice are unaware of the damage to the environmentsince numerous species inhabit under the stones.
As recently warned by the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), whose scientists have participated in an international study on the subject, removing stones from the ground and then stacking them harms various animal and plant species, some of which are in danger of extinction.
In an article published in the scientific journal Human-Wildlife Interactionsscientists pointed out two years ago that these mounds have appeared in a good number of protected areas, both in Spain and the rest of the world, thanks to the spread of this custom that social networks allow. Although in Spain specific cases were cited in the Balearic and Canary Islands, the truth is that there is practically no place (especially on the coast) where the aforementioned mounds do not appear.
Under the stones there is life that depends on them
But what does the damage they cause consist of? According to scientists, these structures modify the habitat of animal and plant species that use rocks as shelter or depend on the microclimate conditions associated with them. In fact, we have all seen how, when lifting a stone from the ground, under it there are usually insects, spiders or other small animals (worms, ‘ball bugs’, etc.) that have their home there.
Image of a place full of piles of stones | Getty
Isolated stones create special conditions of temperature and humidity that are key for species such as insects, snails and spiders and the arrangement of stones influences the dynamics between predators and prey or between competitors.
“This nefarious practice have a mainly concerning impact in arid areas, in which these microclimatic conditions are essential for the species that take refuge under the stones. In addition, they erode the soil and cause damage to the vegetation. For this reason, moving, removing or breaking these stones can cause an imbalance in the ecosystem”, says Anna Traveset, a CSIC researcher who works at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (a joint center of the CSIC and the Universitat de les Illes Balears).
Sign prohibiting this practice in Formentera (Baleares) | allformentera.com
The scientists describe the potential impact of this practice and point to some areas where they have confirmed detrimental effects on biota. On the island of Madeira (Portugal), habitat disturbance associated with the construction of rock mounds is a threat to several endemic species with very small distributions, such as the moss species Atlantic hedgehog, “critically endangered” according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The endemic lizards of Madeira (Teira dugesii) or those of the Balearic Islands and Pitiusas, Podarcis lilfordi y Podarcis pytiusensisrespectively, depend on these rocks for shelter, as well as other endemic invertebrate species.
“Let the stones not move”
“There are several species that depend on these stones as shelter. and therefore we ask anyone visiting sensitive nature conservation areas not to move these stones. Follow the instructions and try to reduce its impact as much as possible. It is not easy to anticipate the consequences that apparently innocuous activities, such as the construction of these stone mounds, may have in areas with sensitive and threatened species”, warns Traveset.
Piles of stones | Pixabay
The researchers ask the authorities to impose restrictions on the construction of these structures and to dismantle existing ones, so as not to encourage new ones. “In fact, this banal fashion imported from other cultures constitutes a Serious attack on the environment and the landscape of natural areas”, highlights the CSIC researcher.
There are cases in which the problem has acquired such a proportion that city councils and other administrations are beginning to impose fines for stacking stones in natural spaces. This is the case of the City Council of Camariñas (A Coruña), which a couple of years ago installed posters warning of the heavy sanctions (up to 6,000 euros) for those who perform these practices.
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Contact of the Environment section: [email protected]