LIFE+ BOSCOS seeks to improve the situation of the Mediterranean forest and make it more robust in the face of climate change, working with the island’s socio-economic sector.

Within the framework of the LIFE SHARA project, which aims to promote adaptation to climate change, we have developed a series entitled ‘Sharing Solutions. Climate Change Adaptation Initiatives’ to disseminate good practices in the various sectors of society.

The aim of this series is to Disseminate real experiences that illustrate both the impact and adaptation to climate change in different geographical areas, living environments and productive sectors. These are dissemination and awareness-raising resources that aim to be useful for any entity, institution or person that promotes actions against climate change. Each of the initiatives is presented in  three formats (a video interview-report, a written report and an exhibition panel).

In the narrative on improving the governance and adaptation of the Mediterranean forest in Menorca, Miquel Truyol, island director of Rural and Marine Affairs of the Island Council of Menorca, tells us how they developed the LIFE+ BOSCOS project: ‘Sustainable Forest Management in Menorca in a context of climate change’.

The project aimed to improve the situation of the Mediterranean forest and make it more robust in the face of climate change, working with the island’s socio-economic sector.

Almost half of Menorca is occupied by forest land, the vast majority of which is private and included in agricultural and livestock farms in which part of the surface is forested. Wild olive trees, white pine forests and holm oak groves are the most abundant forests, generally in the form of mixed masses. One of the most interesting aspects is the mosaic-shaped structure, where shrubby and wooded areas alternate and agricultural areas, which allows the maintenance of a high biodiversity both animal and vegetable.

The work strategy was to collaborate closely with farmers and ranchers, the people who have in their hands the care and improvement of the forests. Thus, the key elements of the project were the evaluation of different forms of forest management in order to improve adaptation to climate change and the search for formulas to pay for the environmental services they provide to society.

Following an open call, the project selected 10 collaborating farms in which a Forest Management Plan was designed that included climate change adaptation objectives. Thus, in each of the farms, different improvement actions were carried out, with special attention to the evaluation of the costs and results of each of them.

The actions framed in the project included the reduction of forest density, excessive due to the abandonment of uses in recent decades, and the increase in both structural and specific diversity. Both actions have proven to be effective in improving resilience to climate change impacts such as water stress and wildfire risk.

In addition, efforts were invested in improving the condition of drywall enclosures, the traditional method of livestock management on the island, effective in preventing fires thanks to its barrier effect. Also, in the recovery of pasture areas and the restoration of ditches.

Finally, a series of educational, communication and interpretation actions were promoted aimed at changing the social perception of the island’s forests, raising awareness of their importance and the environmental services they provide, as well as their fragility and vulnerability to climate change and the need to act to preserve them.

An essential element of this initiative is its continuity over time. The Island Council is integrating the results of LIFE+BOSCOS into the aid programmes for agriculture and livestock on the island and, in particular, into the Biosphere Reserve Agricultural Contracts, an initiative that was born in 2005 with the aim of extending the use of sustainable practices in the countryside. Thus, the pilot experiences that were developed through the LIFE project are being transferred to the island as a whole.

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