Post on 28-Oct-2019
Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 9-11 May 2016
Challenges and threats for
Mediterranean forests :
Le Parc Naturel
Régional du Luberon, a nice
example!
Thierry GAUQUELIN Member of CS du Parc Institut Mediterranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie
!
Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon
Mediterranean forests????
Above all, forests subject to mediterranean climate.
Therefore, no concept of structure, biological types or functional types.
Mediterranean climate :
Climate marked by a strong deficit of precipitation during the
warm season, causing stress for the vegetation which is submitted to a dry summer period.
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A climate that was not always Mediterranean…
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Calcosol OHP (Saint Michel l’Observatoire)
Pubescent Oak ecosystem
• between 80 cm & 110 cm clayey horizon
• penetration of Sca/Rca down to 70 cm in formof
pockets
• Rca - calcarious bedrock, compact and hard,
inpenetrable by rooting systems %
!
Soils often superficials…
Beech forest, Gargano, Pouilles,
Italy
Concerning the structure, Evergreen and sclerophyllous but also decideous forests.
Holm Oak forest Puechabon
!!!!!!!!!!! Aleppo Pine forest
2.1 millions km2 under a Mediterranean bioclimate
10 regional hotspots of plant biodiversity
10% of vascular plants richness of the World on 1.6% of the Earth surface
The Mediterranean region, a major hotspot of plant biodiversity
Europe : 11 500 plant species on 9.9 millions km2
Europe : 11 500 plant species on 9.9 millions km2
Médail F. & Quézel P., 1997. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 84, completed by
Véla E. & Benhouhou S., 2007. Comptes-Rendus Biologies, 330.
290 tree species vs135 pour North Europa
On the Northern shore of the Mediterranean basin,
The main trend :
-Increase of forestal areas
But a lot of threats!:
-Climate Change
-Fragmentation
-New forest use demands (timber, wood fuel, recreational activities)
-Invasions !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Cédraie of Luberon
For mediterranean area (9% of the whole french forest):
1,17 millions ha in 1989
1,33 millions ha in 1999
Increase of 15000 ha by year
Abandonment of agricultural and pastoral lands
Recolonization of restanques by Aleppo Pine
Climate Change???
Holm Oak : PUECHABON (CEFE)
Downy Oak : O3HP (IMBE; ECCOREV)
Aleppo Pine : FontBlanche (INRA)
A network of experimental observatories in French Mediterranean ecosystems
Garrigue : Massif de l’Etoile (IMBE)
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In the Parc du Luberon!
Downy Oak (Quercus pubescens) : More than 500.000 in the Mediterranean area
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STRUCTURE BIODIVERSITY
FUNCTIONING DYNAMICS
FORÊT FORÊT
Climate Change
O3HP : Understand the Downy Oak ecosystem submitted to
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Increased drought strongly decreased litter decomposition but the presence of several plant species in the litter mixtures appeared
to mitigate this impact.
Litter décomposition in different species mixtures
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Drier conditions affected decomposers negatively, directly by reducing detritivorous mesofauna, but also indirectly by
increasing the predation pressure on detritivorous mesofauna by predatory mesofauna
Some taxa disappear completely as Neelipleona
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Mésofauna associated to litter
What are the Research Challenges for future? "
-Study the different biodiversity levels…from the mesofauna to the mycorhizal community
… which play a fundamental rule in ecosystems functioning -Linking biodiversity, evolution, dynamics and functioning -Linking “nature” and productive systems -Linking “hard sciences” and humanities and
social sciences and Linking forestry, agricultural and social approaches and objectives
….For all this, your Workshop on old growth forests!!!!
- and perhaps, linking North and South of the Mediterranean: forest structure, dynamics and threats are very different on the two shores of the Mediterranean and confrontation between these different
situations is essential to understand the global evolution of Mediterranean forests
!