KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING NETWORKS FOR THE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF NATURA 2000 MEDITERRANEAN FOREST HABITATS IN SPAIN

Forests are key ecosystems in the Mediterranean region. They provide many services to society, but at the same time they are subject to serious threats. In Spain, over 50% of Natura 2000 area is covered by forests.  Their environmental value is still very high, but the changes they have suffered in recent times, due to the abandonment of traditional activities and climate change effects, demand the development of new management models focused on the maintenance of ecosystem services.  To achieve this goal, scientific knowledge on forest conservation and forest adaptation to climate change —available in a large body of high-quality scientific literature— should be effectively translated into actual management practices.

The RedBosques project aims to improve the management of Spanish Mediterranean forests included in Natura 2000, facilitating access of practitioners to state-of-the-art knowledge. The ultimate goal is that forest managers effectively include biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation objectives in their daily practice.

Specifically, RedBosques seeks to:

  • Outline baseline scenarios for assessing the conservation status of Mediterranean forests.
  • Develop criteria and tools for the design and implementation of forestry management practices in Natura 2000 Mediterranean forests with objectives that regard biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation.
  • Transfer state-of- the-art knowledge to target audience and stakeholders.

To achieve these goals, during a 3-year period, different actions will be carried out in order to:

  • Identify the project’s target audience and stakeholders.
  • Set up the project’s working group and the manager’s technical discussion forum.
  • Set up an exchange programme among Spanish Natura 2000 forest managers.
  • Identify a national Network of Reference Forests, based on shared criteria and protocols.
  • Identify forest management best practices including conservation and climate change adaptation objectives.
  • Implement several forest management demonstrative actions that include conservation and climate change adaptation objectives in Els Ports Natural Park.
  • Transfer the results: training programme, communication actions, technical publications…

Project facts

Funding: European Union through the programme LIFE Environmental Governance & Information 2015.
Project reference: LIFE Redcapacita_2015 (LIFE15 GIE/ES/000809)
Total budget: 590.154 €
Duration: September 2016 – October 2019
Coordinator: Fundación Fernando González Bernáldez
Partners: Generalitat de Catalunya, CREAF, Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera

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