Διαδικτυακή Πύλη Συνεργασίας Για Τα Δάση

The aim of this brochure is to provide an overview both of the activities of the European Network Integrate and the variety of cases in Europe. Furthermore, it presents some of the key observations and recommendations which have been generated over the first four years

Mediterranean forests provide a wide range of important benefits and services to the society that go far beyond traditional forest products. Their biological and social heterogeneity makes their management and conservation a complex task, which cannot be reached through the classical management and conservation approaches applied in other parts of the world. A new spatial and temporal reference is needed, combining resources management, biodiversity conservation and restoration. The concept of Forest Landscape Conservation, proposed by IUCN and WWF, seems to address the special social and biological features of Mediterranean forests. The relevance of Forest landscape Restoration in a Mediterranean context is analysed, discussing the value of this approach as a means to regain ecological integrity and enhance human well-being in deforested or degraded Mediterranean forest landscapes. Possible constrains are mentioned and a strategy to overcome them is discussed

Conventions and policies for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation state the need for increased protection, restoration and climate change adaptation of forests. Much degraded land may be targeted for large-scale forest restoration, yet challenges include costs, a shortage of regeneration material and the need for restored forests to serve as a resource for communities. To ensure ecosystem function for the future, forest restoration programs must: (1) learn from the past; (2) integrate ecological knowledge; (3) advance regeneration techniques and systems; (4) overcome biotic and abiotic disturbances and (5) adapt for future forest landscapes. Historical forest conditions, while site-specific, may help to identify the processes that leave long-term legacies in current forests and to understand tree migration biology/population dynamics and their relationship with climate change. Ecological theory around plant–plant interactions has shown the importance of negative (competition) and positive (facilitation) interactions for restoration, which will become more relevant with increasing drought due to climate change. Selective animal browsing influences plant–plant interactions and challenges restoration efforts to establish species-rich forests; an integrated approach is needed to simultaneously manage ungulate populations, landscape carrying capacity and browse-tolerant regeneration. A deeper understanding of limiting factors that affect plant establishment will facilitate nursery and site preparation systems to overcome inherent restoration challenges. Severe anthropogenic disturbances connected to global change have created unprecedented pressure on forests, necessitating novel ecological engineering, genetic conservation of tree species and landscape-level approaches that focus on creating functional ecosystems in a cost-effective manner