• fr
  • en

Forests, more than a large amount of trees

In the North West part of Spain, in the region of Galicia, common forest lands are owned and managed by the people living in nearby hamlets. Special laws make sure that all the profit they yield is reinvested in the community. In order to get better benefits the inhabitants of Vincios got involved in an innovative way of exploring the multiple functions of their forests.

Context

The common forest land of Vincios is located near the city of Vigo, in the region of Galicia, in the North West of Spain. The forest produces mainly pine trees for timber and eucalyptus for paper pulp. Both species are fast-growing and very prone to wildfires.

Issue and measures adopted

The vulnerability of the pine and eucalyptus trees to wildfire has been a problem in an area were wildfires are common during the summer period. In this context, and in order to reduce the wildfire risk and obtain more products from their forests, Vincios locals found inspiration in innovative enterprises and in research groups from the University of Vigo.

Based on the findings made by the enterprises and researchers, several measuresaiming to face wildfire risks and increase benefits have been taken, namely:

  • Building a compost plant, to process the excess of biomass from the forests and reduce fire risk.
  • Chestnut and oak trees have been planted in the best soils of the forest. These slow-growing species are less prone to wildfires and they produce high quality wood, as well as chestnuts that can be sold in a good price.
  • Trekking paths have been created and visitors can find information on the benefits of the forest through a specially developed smartphone application.
  • Wild horses are bred to feed on scrubland.
  • Pastures have been created to breed sheep.

Which are the benefits obtained so far?

Some of the benefits obtained thanks to the applied measure are:

  • The increase of the forest diversification, as well as its water filtering and storage capacity. This has improved the water quality of the neighbouring Zamáns reservoir, which supplies water to the city of Vigo.
  • High quality honey is produced.
  • Studies from the University of Vigo have shown that these investments in multifunctionality have greatly increased the economic, social and ecological benefits for the area.

Why is forest diversification interesting for mountain areas?

The specific natural conditions of mountain forests (slope, climate, soils) make their exploitation difficult. Equally, the critical ecosystem services provided by forests must be taken into consideration. At the same time, in many countries the size of the forest owned by mountain actors is not too big, being necessary to combine the forest management with other economic activities.

Consequently, Euromontana considers that adapted solutions have to be developed and implemented to ensure that individuals and enterprises working in mountain forests participate in, and benefit from, the sustainable development of the forest related supply chains. This sustainability could be achieved not only, but also through diversification activities as the one showed by this good practice.

For more information, please, visit the Vincios Heritage website.

Share
27 February 2015

Euromontana sur Facebook

4 hours ago

Euromontana
We were today at the European Committee of the Regions too meet with regional policymakers from the Carpathians ⛰🤝 Thank you to Witold Kozłowski from the Małopolska region - also a new member of our Board of Directors - for our discussions!𝗪𝘀𝗽𝗼́𝗹𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗮ł𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘀𝗸𝗶 𝗶 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗶 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗻𝗮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗿. 👍Obecność wicemarszałka Witold Kozłowski w Brukseli podczas 163. Sesji Plenarnej Europejskiego Komitetu Regionów dała okazję do spotkania z dyrektorem Europejskiego Stowarzyszenia Obszarów Górskich Euromontana Guillaume Corradino. | Więcej 👇 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

1 day ago

Euromontana
One month since the #mountainconvention2024 in Puigcerdà! 🏔️ What future for #mountaineconomies? Find all the key insights in the event report! 📝🙏 Thank you to all stakeholders who shared their ideas, projects and recommendations for a brighter future in the mountains!Report 🔗 www.euromontana.org/outcomes ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

3 days ago

Euromontana
Explore the new guide on ‘rural proofing for the evaluation of the rural perspective in laws, policies, plans and strategies’: bit.ly/3O995FiPublished by the Red Española de Desarrollo Rural (REDR), it intends to support authorities in incorporating a rural angle when designing, implementing, and reviewing policies and regulations.Find more information here: bit.ly/4ev41FK #RuralPact #RuralVisionEUELARD aisbl EESC - European Economic and Social Committee European Rural Development Network ODRAZ-Održivi razvoj zajednice Prepare AISBL Luonnonvarakeskus Smeunited Euromontana Diesis Network Wallonie.be ECOLISE EU CAP Network Netzwerk Zukunftsraum Land Vlaams Ruraal Netwerk Réseau wallon PAC Ruralni razvoj RH Ministerstvo zemědělství Netwerk Platteland / Netherlands Rural Network Maaeluvõrgustik Maaseutu - Tilaa elämälle Réseau national Agricultures et Ruralités 2023 - 2027 Deutsche Vernetzungsstelle Ländliche Räume Εθνικό Αγροτικό Δίκτυο - Greek National Rural Network Magyar Nemzeti Vidéki Hálózat CAP Network Ireland Rete Rurale Nazionale Lauku tīkls Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentation et de la Viticulture Fondi.eu Krajowa Sieć Obszarów Wiejskich+ Rede Rural Nacional Rețeaua Rurală Națională - RRN Mreža za podeželje ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

2 weeks ago

Euromontana
Today, members of the Rural Pact Coordination Group (RPCG) meet online to discuss: • The forthcoming RPCG Declaration on the future of EU rural policy, which addresses the open questions in the @European Commission’s ‘key achievements and ways forward’ report;• RPCG members’ position papers on the future of Europe’s rural areas;• RPCG members’ role in the Rural Pact Conference of April 2025;• Members’ actions to date & the Rural Pact Support Office 2025 work programme.More information at: bit.ly/4fwtjnS#RuralPact #RuralVisionEU ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

Euromontana sur Twitter