LIFE PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND INCREASING APPRECIATION OF THREE HIGH MOUNTAIN HABITATS (LIFE03NAT/E/000064)

CONSERVATION ON YEW, SPANISHJUNIPER AND BLACK PINE FOREST IN THE

VALENCIAN REGION (2004 - 2006)

SUMMARY

Actions carried out during the LIFE projectManagement and Increasing Appreciation ofThree High Mountain Priority Habitats from 2004to 2006 have contributed to the conservationof yew, spanish juniper and black pineforests in five SCIs of the Natura 2000 networkof the Valenc ian reg ion: A l t Maestrat ,Penyagolosa, Puebla de San Miguel, Aitana-Serrella-Puig Campana and Mariola-Font Roja.The project has been co-financed by theEuropean Commission and the GeneralitatValenciana (regional government of Valencia,Spain) and has undertaken the following actions:

· Reinforcement of populations of themain species that characterise the habitatstrough the plantation of thousands of seedlings,the restoration of the best examples of veterantrees and the eradication of invasive species.

· Encouragement of the involvement oflocal society in the conservation of habitats, andpromotion of new sustainable ways to exploitnatural resources through seminars, lectures,exhibit ion and dissemination materials.

· Dissemination of the natural values ofhigh mountain habitats, through the establishmentof ecoeducative paths, the onset of didacticprogrammes for schoolchildren and adults andthe design of a webpage:www.lifemuntanya.com

The project has been executed by the:

Conselleria de Territorio y Viviendade la Generalitat ValencianaServicio de Conservación de laBiodiversidadC/ Francesc Cubells, 746011 VALÈNCIAphone nº.34 - 961973500www.lifemuntanya.com

Project duration: from january 1st to december31 2006Budget: 1.317.000 €Financed on a 40% basis by the EuropeanCommission and 60% by the General i tatValenciana

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THE PROBLEM

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Yew, Juniper and Black pine forests are three priority habitats which only cover a small surface in the highestinland mountains of the Valencian region (Spain).

In a good number of the sites where yew trees as well as mountain and Spanish junipers occur, they growas isolated adult specimens and produce few fertile propagules with a low germination success. Additionally,massive dieback of mountain junipers owing to pests or poorly known diseases has also been observed.These facts jeopardy the long term survival of these rare habitats within our territory.

An additional conservation issue is posed by veteran specimens of the trees that characterise the differenthabitats, which require maintenance works so as to stem their decay and guarantee their survival.

Last but not least there are localised invasions by exotic species in the three habitats that have to beeliminated in order to prevent their future spread.

As to what regards the social component of habitat conservation, mountain villages in the vicinity of projectareas are badly affected by depopulation. Consequently, a dramatic reduction in human activities whichplayed an important role in habitat conservation has taken place during the last decades, resulting increasedfire hazard and soil erosion.

Finally, the poor knowledge of the natural values of high mountain Valencian habitats by an urban societyincreasingly detached from the rural environment poses an additional risk for their conservation. This risk iscompounded by an increase in the pressure of visitors from urban areas to rural environments in quest ofoutdoor activities. Thus, there is an urgent need to disseminate the natural values of high mountain environmentsamong potential visitors so as to make them aware of their natural heritage, its value and its conservationneeds.

HOW TO TACKLE THE PROBLEMS?

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There is a need for a deeper scientific understanding of:

- the actual status of yew tree and Spanish juniper forests- the optimisation of yew tree seed germination- the underlying causes for the dieback of mountain junipers- the state of conservation and the number of veteran tree specimens

To improve the conservation status of the three high mountain habitats,thousands of saplings and seedlings of the species that characterisetheir plant communities have been planted. These young plants havebeen mostly reared in the nurseries within project areas so as to attainto goals: on the one hand to acclimatise plants to their future habitatsand on the other to allow local population to identify this activities asa potential sustainable resource.

Conservation and dissemination of the best examples of veterantrees of the three habitats, in addition to the intrinsic value of eachspecimen, serves as an important means to increase public awarenesson the value of each of these habitats.

The low regeneration rate observed in the three high mountain habitatsmight be an outcome of a low rate of visits made by animal dispersers.Therefore plantation of fruit bearing plant species and installation ofself supplying small watering troughs has been undertaken in order toattract potential dispersers. Additionally, ecological beehives – fromwhich honey is not extracted - have been placed at strategic places tofavour pol l inat ion and ult imately propagule production.

As a means to ensure conservation of high mountain habitats propagulesof characteristic plant species have been stored in germplasm banks.

The three high mountain habitats offer potential economic resourcesto the rural population that have to be exploited in a sustainable wayso as to achieve a twofold goal: their conservation and the reversal ofthe depopulation trend that has taken place during the last decade.Several seminars have been organized so as to focus local entrepreneurson opportunities for sustainable activities.

Aware of the fact that in order to preserve the natural environment itis essential to know it an important effort has been made during theproject to disseminate natural values of yew, Spanish juniper andblack pine forests. To achieve this goal several materials have beenpublished, among which posters, cards within a holder, calendars, aweb page, didactic units, a cartographic tool for yews, several exhibitions,television documentaries as well as installation of informative boardsin ecoeducative paths and veteran trees.

THE RESULTS: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS

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· Demographic analysis of yew treepopulations. The 5 SCI where works have beenperformed during the project have been thoroughlysampled. Yew trees have been counted, characterisedand localised by means of gps. 6451 specimens withinthe five SCIs have been located, which represents aseven-fold increase in the number of trees with regardto previous data for the whole territory of the Valencianregion. The largest increase has corresponded to theSCI Penyagolosa. In view of these results, a thoroughsearch of potential habitats for yew in the rest of theCastellon province is urgently required, in order toestablish in a scientifically sound manner the status ofthis vulnerable species in our region.

· The Valencian institute for agronomic research(IVIA) has established the micropropagation protocolfor yew tree embryos. This technique has allowed tocut down the dormancy of yew seeds from 2-3 years to1-3 months. Therefore this technique can be used toaccelerate the production of yew saplings.

· The University of Valencia has undertaken thegenetic characterization of yew tree populationswithin the Valencian region. The main outcome of thisstudy is that there are two distinct genetic areas withinthe Valencian region, the Iberic area (Castellon andnorth of Valencia province) and the Baetic area (Alicanteand south of Valencia province).

THE RESULTS: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS

· The Botanical Garden of the University ofValencia has collected 195 lots of seeds of the mostcharacteristic plants of high mountain habitats, and theyhave been stored in the germplasm bank of theGeneralitat Valenciana and the Botanical Garden..

· Up to 21.000 seedlings of 23 species havebeen planted to improve the conservation state ofhabitats and favour their natural regeneration. Thespecies that have been planted are preferably thosethat produce fruits that are eaten by dispersers.

· Eradication of invasive species such asRobinia pseudoacacia that threatened to colonise oneof the best yew formations of the Alicante province hasbeen successfully accomplished. Robinia trees werefelled and their stumps immediately smeared withglyphosate to prevent resprouting. In the Pegunta ravine,specimens of the non-native poplar Populus nigra xCanadensis have been also felled, and its trunks havebeen used to make troughs.

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THE RESULTS: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS

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· Bee hives havebeen installed in the Teixerad’Agres (Mar io la) andCañada Jo rge rav ine(Puebla de San Miguel) inorder to increase thep o l l i n a t i o n o f h i g hmountain plant species.

· Troughs havealso been installed so asto attract animal speciesthat play an important rolein dispersing plant species.

· Phytosanitarys t u d y o f J u n i p e r s .T r o p o s p h e r i c o z o n econcentrations have beenmeasured and insects aswell as fungi present onbadly affected or deadspecimens of Juniperss t u d i e d . T h e m a i nconclusion of this study isthat Juniper dieback cannotbe attributed to a singleagent . There fore thesolution to this seriousconservation issue is notstraightforward and moreresearch needs to be done.

· For the study of the evolution of vegetationand other experimental works 750 metres of fencesto exclude cattles and large wild herbivores havebeen installed. Fenced surface amounts to 19.280 m2

in Puebla de San Miguel and Benifato (Aitana).

THE RESULTS: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS

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· Urgent restoration and maintenanceworks have been carried out on 15 veteran trees.

· Veteran trees have been inventoried andinformative panels have been set up for didactic use.Additionally, 8 paths have been fitted with informativeboards describing the flora and the different habitatsencountered along the trail as well as traditions andlore. The aim of these infrastructures is twofold: onthe one hand to promote knowledge of the naturalenvironment and on the other to attract visitors tothese areas which ultimately will benefit local hostelry.

THE RESULTS: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS

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· Abundant dissemination material – suchas posters, calendars, cards, brochures - has beendistributed so as to inform local inhabitants and visitorsof the environmental value and the cultural heritageof high mountain areas. Additionally, 2.500 plants ofeach of 6 aromatic plant species - 15.000 in total- native to the mountain areas dealt with in the projecthave been reared locally and complementarilydistributed to visitors and local inhabitants.

· Seminars and conferences on theNATURA 2000 network, the project itself and thenatural values of the 5 SCIs as well as sustainabledevelopment of agricultural and tourism activitieshave been organised.

· Three books offering didactic resourcesto school teachers for activities revolving around thehabitats dealt with in the project have been writtenand published. School boys have also participated ina good number of afforestations.

· An exhibition of plant drawings made by alocal artist has been circulated during the project lifetime.Guided field trips have been also organised in somevillages for the general public but also for universitystudents.

· The international workshop on the yewtree and yew forests of the western Mediterraneanwas organised in cooperation with a local bank – Cajade ahorros del Mediterráneo – and the Spanish Ministryof Environment. The list of participants includedrepresentatives of all Spanish regions where yews growas well as Portugal, France and Italy. The conclusionshave been published as a book.

· Two television documentaries have beenproduced for the local television (Canal 9 y Punt 2) forthe shows “Europa al dia” and “Medi Ambient”, so as todisseminate the aims of the project and encourage localentrepreneurs. Several interviews on the radio dealingwith project have also been made (Radio Els Ports,Cadena SER-Castellón, Samaruc programme Radio 9).

· The old nursery of Penyagolosa has beenrehabilitated and used during the project for theacclimatisation of saplings before their introduction inhigh mountain habitats. After the project the nursery willbe part of the natural park facilities. Additionally, a newgreenhouse has be installed in the natural park of FontRoja in Alicante.

THE RESULTS: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS

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