Naturaleza en RED - Vegetation Management under transmission lines

Naturaleza en RED is a pilot project by the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona in collaboration with the Red Eléctrica Group. As part of the initiative, a study was carried out in the Montseny nature reserve to examine the areas under transmission lines, also known as safety corridors to analyse the role of the areas beneath Red Eléctrica de España’s electricity transmission lines. The first results show a significant increase in flora and fauna and confirm that the area under transmission lines act as biodiversity reservoirs and provide a refuge for different fauna species.  

Highlights 

• Creation of an evaluation protocol using a general ecosystem analysis. 

• Increase in floral density and presence of pollinators.  

• Increase in population and variety of daytime butterflies.  

About the practice 

Naturaleza en RED was initiated in the summer of 2020 and ended in December 2021. The project monitors the biodiversity present along the electricity lines in three protected areas at different altitudes, namely in Sant Celoni, Coll Formic and Seva. The aim of the project is to find alternative areas for the preservation of diverse flora and fauna in safety corridors as most lands are becoming less habitable due to intensive farming and climate change. The results of the study provide promising scope of areas near transmission lines to act as biodiversity reservoirs and enhance the diversity of species in the region.