In nature, an unwritten rule determines who eats whom. This is known as the trophic network: a system of interconnections in a fragile balance which, in limited environments such as the islands and islets of the Pitiusas, cannot withstand external interference without suffering severe consequences. On the mainland, for example, several species perform ecological functions that in the Pitiusas — due to their reduced biodiversity — are carried out exclusively by lizards. This means that the disappearance of this reptile from the islands would trigger a “cascade effect” with dramatic consequences.
This was explained on Tuesday to Diario de Ibiza by biologist and university lecturer Antonia M. Cirer, following her talk at the latest session of the 9th Environmental Conference of the Balearic Islands, held in Formentera.
“Island ecosystems involve a reduced number of species, which means that each one fulfils more than one ecological role. On the mainland, lizards may perform a single function, but on an islet they can carry out three or four different ones — and all of them effectively”, Cirer explained. “If they disappear, an imbalance will occur across the entire food web, affecting absolutely all species”, the expert warned.
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