- “Defending biodiversity is the most powerful natural defence we have in the face of the climate emergency,” Aagesen stressed
- This project, which has been coordinated by the Brown Bear Foundation and has had the Biodiversity Foundation as a partner, has contributed to improving the habitat of the brown bear and increasing knowledge of the impact of climate change on the species
- 150,000 trees and shrubs have been planted to produce summer and winter fruits with low climatic vulnerability. 25,000 chestnut trees grafted with local varieties have also been produced and planted
The Third Vice-President and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, participated this Wednesday in the final event to present the results of the LIFE Bears with a Future project “Improvement of key food resources for the Cantabrian brown bear and prevention of winter conflicts in a climate change scenario“, which has been organized by the MITECO Biodiversity Foundation at the headquarters of the Ortega-Marañón Foundation, in Madrid.
The project, which has been coordinated by the Brown Bear Foundation since 2020 and which has had the Biodiversity Foundation as a partner, has allowed the implementation of actions aimed at improving the habitat of this species, classified as endangered and vulnerable to different threats, including climate change.
During his speech, Aagesen stressed that this project “is a successful agenda”. “We have to continue working, but this is a successful agenda: in less than three decades brown bear populations have gone from less than 70 specimens to more than 400 specimens that inhabit our mountains today, I think it is a reason to celebrate. This project is an example of action where all the administrations have worked together with conservation NGOs, the scientific community, universities and groups linked to leisure activities in the mountains where these bears live,” said the vice-president.
At the meeting, which brought together representatives of the European Commission, the autonomous communities participating in the project (Principality of Asturias and Junta de Castilla y León), as well as the rest of the project partners, entities, universities and social groups involved, the achievements were discussed and the collaboration and involvement of the different administrations was highlighted. entities and sectors involved in the conservation of the brown bear and its coexistence with human activities, promoting the figure of the brown bear as a benefit for the conservation of nature and the development of local communities.
THE CANTABRIAN BEAR, THREATENED BY CLIMATE
CHANGEIn Spain, the Cantabrian population of brown bear is estimated at about 370 specimens, according to the latest census carried out by the different autonomous communities in which it lives. Global warming is impacting the production of wild fruits on which the species feeds. Some, such as blueberries, have already had irregular harvests in recent years and others, such as forests dominated by beech and Atlantic oaks, are expected to suffer a drastic reduction in the Cantabrian distribution area.
On the other hand, climate change also encourages bears to hibernate for less time or not at all. In this scenario, it is foreseeable that there will be more active bears in winter, so it is advisable to inform and raise awareness among people who practice sports or leisure activities in the mountains to avoid encounters that involve any danger.
“There are two crises, the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis, which are strongly interrelated, because less biodiversity equals more global warming, and more global warming equals more biodiversity loss. Therefore, defending biodiversity is the most powerful natural defence we have in the face of the climate emergency, offering nature-based solutions,” stressed the Minister for Ecological Transition.
In this context, the LIFE Bears with a Future project has contributed to providing solutions to these issues through forestry actions and awareness-raising actions aimed at these groups.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIONS OF THE PROJECT
The actions carried out have made it possible to increase knowledge about the impact of climate change on the brown bear thanks to an analysis of the vulnerability of food sources and critical areas, as well as a study on the suitability of habitat for fruit-producing species of interest to the Cantabrian brown bear in climate change scenarios. These studies have been carried out with the advice of the universities of Cantabria, Oviedo, Valladolid and Extremadura.
The project has carried out a set of forestry actions with a focus on adaptation to climate change that compensates for the lower fruiting that this causes in the brown bear’s food, promoting alternative resources for its food. This approach makes it possible to take advantage of the benefits of nature to tackle climate change, which, in addition to affecting ecosystems, affects the local economy and people’s well-being.
Specifically, 150,000 trees and shrubs have been planted to produce summer and winter fruits with low climate vulnerability. 25,000 chestnut trees grafted with local varieties have also been produced and planted. In addition, the Natural Heritage Foundation of the Junta de Castilla y León, a partner in the project, has carried out silvicultural interventions in oak groves and demonstration actions in mixed beech-oak forests, to which it has linked the creation of interpretive itineraries for the general population and schoolchildren, information actions for professionals in the sector and university students, as well as volunteering actions.
The project has also improved the information and involvement of people who practice leisure activities in winter in bear forests (hikers, mushroom pickers, nature photography professionals and hunters) with the aim of preventing conflicts with bears due to the reduction of their hibernation. More than 80 meetings have been held with groups linked to these activities, which have been very involved in the dissemination of the different informative materials generated within the framework of the project.
These actions have also promoted the creation of local employment and the positive image of the brown bear among the population.
LIFE BEARS WITH A FUTURE
LIFE Bears with a Future has been coordinated by the Brown Bear Foundation. The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has participated as a partner, together with the Natural Heritage Foundation, of the Junta de Castilla y León (FPNCyL). The regional administrations of the Junta de Castilla y León and the Principality of Asturias collaborate in the project, and the Principality of Asturias also contributes to co-financing. The Tierra Pura Foundation collaborates in its actions and co-finances the project. It has the financial contribution of the LIFE Program of the European Union.
