DEFORESTATION IN SPAIN

PORTUGAL & SPAIN MEETING

6-14 OF NOVEMBER 2010

WHEN DID SPANISH DEFORESTATION BEGIN?

Deforestation started in Spain during the Roman occupation in the first century BC and continued over the next two thousand years and more, to meet the population´s needs for fuel, housing and strategic

materials (timber to build boats).

The consequence is that most of the southern part of the country has scant forest cover, without trees or with extensive Mediterranean-type scrub. However, growing conditions are favourable in the north, and forestry

activities and industries are vigorous.

With 14.4 million hectares of forest cover, Spain is the fourth country in Europe in terms of forest resources (following Sweden, Finland and France, but excluding the Russian Federation). Forests, which occupy almost 29 percent of the country´s total land area, are increasing by about 86 000 ha per year, both through natural expansion and through the forest plantation programme that has been under way for more than 50 years, with soil protection and erosion prevention as its main aims. Spain has received funds from the European Union in support of this programme.

FOREST DIVERSITY

The most productive forests are found in the Atlantic coastal zone and are composed mostly of pines (Pinus pinaster and P. radiata) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), although some mixed natural forests of oak (Quercus robur and Q. patraea) and beech (Fagus sylvatica) are still found. In the Pyrenees, there are forests of silver fir (Abies alba), beech and pine, depending on altitude. The remainder of the country, where Mediterranean conditions predominate, is notable for its wealth of biological diversity.

PROBLEMS

Forest fires are a major problem, although there are large variations from year to year: on average, between 60 000 and 150 000 ha are burned each year, but the figure was over 400 000 ha in 1994.

Concern has been expressed over the effects of global warming on Spanish forest ecosystems, in as much as the predicted warmer, drier climate is likely to cause more fires and also the desertification of some zones of southern Spain.

Spain uses a lot of paper, but actually about 42 percent (a relatively high proportion) of the paper consumed in Spain is recycled, providing a major component in the fibre needed for paper manufacture.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

• Recycle.

• Use renewable energy.

• Prevent fires.

• Reforest.

DON´T CUT DOWN SO MUCH TREES!

DEFORESTATION: THE WORLD IN OUR HANDS