Image author: Javier García Fernández/ Fototeca CENEAM
Mediterranean forest of pines, wild olive trees and other accompanying shrubs-nv
Javier García Fernández/ Fototeca CENEAM
In 2009, the Life Boscos project was launched on the island of Menorca, which contributed to the adaptation of Mediterranean forest ecosystems to the negative impacts of climate change through sustainable forest management. The actions carried out included reducing forest density and increasing both structural and specific diversity. This improved resilience to water stress and fire risk. Dry wall fences were repaired, a traditional method of livestock management in Menorca, effective in preventing fires thanks to its barrier effect; pasture areas were recovered and irrigation ditches were restored.
Dry stone wall surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation
Javier García Fernández / Fototeca CENEAM
In 2009, the Life Boscos project was launched on the island of Menorca, which contributed to the adaptation of Mediterranean forest ecosystems to the negative impacts of climate change through sustainable forest management. The actions carried out included reducing forest density and increasing both structural and specific diversity. This improved resilience to water stress and fire risk. Dry wall fences were repaired, a traditional method of livestock management in Menorca, effective in preventing fires thanks to its barrier effect; pasture areas were recovered and irrigation ditches were restored.
Path and wall in a Mediterranean environment
Javier García Fernández / Fototeca CENEAM
In 2009, the Life Boscos project was launched on the island of Menorca, which contributed to the adaptation of Mediterranean forest ecosystems to the negative impacts of climate change through sustainable forest management. The actions carried out included reducing forest density and increasing both structural and specific diversity. This improved resilience to water stress and fire risk. Dry wall fences were repaired, a traditional method of livestock management in Menorca, effective in preventing fires thanks to its barrier effect; pasture areas were recovered and irrigation ditches were restored.
Interior of a Mediterranean forest with an information board
Javier García Fernández / Fototeca CENEAM
Through the Life Boscos project, a series of educational, communication and interpretation actions were carried out aimed at changing the existing perception of the island's forests, as well as a series of materials for disseminating and publicising the project. The aim was to inform society of the importance of forests and the environmental services they provide, as well as their fragility and vulnerability to climate change and the need to act to preserve them.
Path next to a stone wall surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation
Javier García Fernández / Fototeca CENEAM
Life boscos project poster on a partner farm
Javier García Fernández / Fototeca CENEAM
Almost half of Menorca is occupied by forest land, the vast majority of which is privately owned and included within agricultural and livestock farms where part of the surface area is forested. The Life Boscos project set out to develop a series of actions in close collaboration with the estates and the owners of the land, the farmers who work them, and in this way determine the degree of adaptation of the forest to climate change.
Information poster on the risks of climate change in the forests of the island of Menorca
Javier García Fernández / Fototeca CENEAM
Through the Life Boscos project, a series of educational, communication, and interpretation actions were carried out aimed at changing the existing perception regarding the forests of the island, as well as a series of dissemination and outreach materials for the project. The goal was to raise awareness in society about the importance of forests and the environmental services they provide, highlighting their fragility and vulnerability to climate change and the need to act in order to preserve them.
The LIFE BOSCOS Menorca project, launched in January 2009 by the Menorca Island Council, has as its central objective the adaptation of Mediterranean forest ecosystems to the adverse impacts of climate change through sustainable forest management practices. This five-year project seeks to directly address the challenges imposed by climate change on Menorca, an island that, due to its geography and climate, faces unique environmental risks that require specific adaptive solutions.
The LIFE BOSCOS approach is particularly relevant given the predicted increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events such as droughts and wildfires, which are particularly damaging to island forest ecosystems. Moreover, the project has a strong component of community participation and inter-institutional collaboration, engaging private landowners, forest managers and various social agents to promote forest management that is both ecologically and socially sustainable.
