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Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2011

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa	NT	resident	1995	10,000-15,000 breeding pairs	B2
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis	LC	winter	2009	15-30 individuals	C6
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis	LC	resident	2009	3-6 breeding pairs	C6
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	NT	resident	2010	600-1,000 individuals	A1, B2, C1, C6
Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus	LC	resident	2009	600-1,500 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Short-toed Snake-eagle Circaetus gallicus	LC	breeding	2006	9-13 breeding pairs	C6
Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciata	LC	non-breeding	2006	3-10 individuals	C2
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	LC	breeding	2010	15-30 breeding pairs	C6
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster	LC	breeding	1995	850 breeding pairs	B2
European Roller Coracias garrulus	LC	breeding	2006	85-105 breeding pairs	A1, B2, C1, C2, C6
Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra	LC	resident	2006	2,800-7,700 breeding pairs	C2

Note: This table presents the IBA criteria triggered and the species that triggered then at the time of assessment, the current IUCN Red List category may vary from that which was in place at that time.

For more information about the IBA assessment process and criteria please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat Level 1	Threat Level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	annual & perennial non-timber crops - shifting agriculture	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	annual & perennial non-timber crops - small-holder farming	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Biological resource use	hunting & collecting terrestrial animals - persecution/control	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	utility & service lines	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Some of site covered (10-49%)	Not assessed	Not assessed	negligible

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protection status:

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Vessants de la Noguera Ribagorçana	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	6,527	protected area overlaps with site	793
Vessants de la Noguera Ribagorçana	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	6,527	protected area overlaps with site	0
Vessants de la Noguera Ribagorçana	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	6,524	protected area overlaps with site	0
Valls del Sió-Llobregós	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	26,581	protected area overlaps with site	11,277
Valls del Sió-Llobregós	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	26,808	protected area overlaps with site	0
Valls de Sió-Llobregós	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	26,873	protected area overlaps with site	0
Vall la Vinaixa	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	3,024	protected area overlaps with site	0
Vall de Vinaixa	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	3,024	protected area overlaps with site	0
Vall de Vinaixa	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	3,024	protected area overlaps with site	0
Serra Llarga-Secans de la Noguera	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	8,941	protected area overlaps with site	0
Secans de Mas de Melons-Alfés	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	7,606	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Secans de Mas de Melons-Alfés	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	6,420	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Secans de la Noguera	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	8,928	protected area overlaps with site	5,386
Secans de la Noguera	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	8,928	protected area overlaps with site	0
Secans de Belianes-Preixana	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	1,927	protected area contained by site	1,925
Secans de Belianes-Preixana	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	6,523	protected area contained by site	0
Secans de Belianes-Preixana	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	6,506	protected area contained by site	0
Plans de Sió	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	10,362	protected area contained by site	0
Plans de Sió	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	5,230	protected area overlaps with site	5,290
Plans de Sió	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	10,387	protected area contained by site	0
Plans de la Unilla	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	977	protected area contained by site	0
Plans de la Unilla	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	977	protected area contained by site	0
Plans de la Unilla	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	978	protected area contained by site	0
Mas de Melons-Alfés	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	7,616	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Granyena	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	6,635	protected area overlaps with site	0
Granyena	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	6,619	protected area overlaps with site	2,954
Els Bessons	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	425	protected area contained by site	0
Els Bessons	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	425	protected area contained by site	0
Bessons, els	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	425	protected area contained by site	0
Bellmunt-Almenara	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	4,045	protected area overlaps with site	0
Bellmunt-Almenara	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	3,467	protected area overlaps with site	3,464
Bellmunt-Almenara	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	4,053	protected area overlaps with site	0
Anglesola-Vilagrassa	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	1,136	protected area contained by site	0
Anglesola-Vilagrassa	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	1,133	protected area contained by site	857
Aiguabarreig Segre-Noguera Pallaresa	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	10,101	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Aiguabarreig Segre-Noguera Pallaresa	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN)	10,113	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Aiguabarreig Segre-Noguera Pallaresa	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	10,101	protected area is adjacent to site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Native coniferous woodland, Mixed woodland, Alluvial and very wet forest, Broadleaved evergreen woodland	-
Shrubland	Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis	-
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland	-
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers and streams, Water fringe vegetation	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Perennial crops, orchards and groves, Other urban and industrial areas	-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
forestry	-
hunting	-

For further information about the land use classification please click here.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lerida steppes. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/02/2021.