Objectives
Climate change represents a serious threat to cork oak forest conservation in the Mediterranean zone. These areas are among the most vulnerable to global warming, and cork oak is a key feature of the landscape. The project Life + SUBER was funded to improve cork oak grove management by promoting adaptation to climate change and increasing the resilience of these forests, while maintaining the associated value chains, specially cork production.
The findings of the project are organised under four specific goals for forest management: foster adaptation to climate change, reduce risk of large forest fires, restore degraded forest and integrated pest management of the oak groves.
Objectives
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Activities
The project studied both implementation and transfer of good management practices from the forests studied (most of them in Catalonia) to other European areas. Based on their work, the project compiled a guideline for best forest management practices for these groves. The publication is available in Spanish, Catalonian, English and Portuguese
Activities
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Additional information
Concerning forest fires, the project lists a series of objectives and measures to apply to reduce the impact and harmful effects of a potential fire.
First it is critical to reduce the surface fuel load in order to lower the potential flame height in case of fire. This can be achieved by reducing shrub cover and plant waste for example through clearings, selective scrub removal or proper treatment of residues (e.g. chipping).
Then, complementary to the control of the surface fuel, the height of the tree crown base should be raised. This creates discontinuity between the tree crowns and the vegetation underneath. Although this may increase the surface wind and fire speed, it avoids the fire spreading to the crowns, which is especially damaging for the trees. For the same purpose it is also important to reduce the density of the crowns through thinnings and clearings. However, it should be noted that a very low tree density also not desirable for these Mediterranean oak forests as this may negatively affect the biodiversity and retention of surface moisture.
Finally, it would be good to have some large trees spread across the forest. This increases the potential of survival and regeneration in certain situations. These taller than the average trees may serve as seed reservoir, for example when a fire has partially affected some of the tree crowns.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Other EU research and development funds
- Project acronym
- Life + SUBER
- Agricultural sectors
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- Forestry (wood & timber)
- Other permanent crops
Project keyword
Resources
- Information and dissemination products of the project
- Guide: Climate change adaptation measures and recommendations for cork oak fore…
- Guía de recomendaciones y medidas de adaptación al cambio climático en la gesti…
- Guia de recomanacions i mesures d’adaptació al canvi climàtic en la gestió de Q…
- Guia de recomendações e medidas de adaptação à mudança climática na gestão de Q…
Contacts
Project coordinator
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CONSORCI FORESTAL DE CATALUNYA (CFC)
Project coordinator