Reforestation is the activity that is carried out to plant trees in a place where trees used to grow, and due to different circumstances, be it felling, fires, diseases or another reason, these trees died. At present, reforestation is an increasingly important operation for the survival of many living beings, including man. This post will show what Reforestation is, its meaning, objectives and importance.
The reforestation
The reforestation activity is part of the silvicultural management of the forests. Then Reforestation is understood as an activity typical of forestry, to repopulate with trees those areas of land that have been depopulated of trees for a certain time, for various reasons. In other words, it is an activity typical of forestry.
The discipline that is responsible for the administration and management of forests or jungles in order to obtain a constant production of this resource, in a sustainable manner, is called "silviculture". The management of forests through forestry, has the primary purposes, be these: the permanence and improvement of the quality of the forest mass and its multiple use. Depending on what you want to obtain, such as production of wood, firewood, fruits and environmental quality.
Since man began to build cities, extend areas to cultivate, extract wood for construction, and other activities for the development of human beings, forests have been destroyed by cutting down large numbers of trees. Due to this, and knowing the importance of vegetation in the quality of life of human beings, and in response to the commitment to safeguard the environment, Reforestation projects have been carried out.
In addition, Reforestation is also referred to as the planting of forest species in more or less large quantities of these trees on surfaces where they did not grow, or for which there is no data to have been so in recent times (so least in the last 50 years), in this activity instead of saying Reforestation, the term "afforestation" should be used.
Large-scale reforestation
Due to the various reforestation and afforestation projects that are carried out in different countries of the planet, especially in the Asian continent, the areas of forests and forests have increased. The result of these reforestation projects allowed the continent of Asia to increase one million hectares of forests in just 5 years, between the years of 2000 and 2005. Likewise, this type of environmental project has allowed the surface of areas forest has grown in 22 of the 50 countries on the planet with the most forest area.
According to data offered by different countries where several reforestation projects are carried out, the area of tropical forest in the Central American country of Salvador grew by 20% between 1992 and 2001. If this trend of recovering forested areas continues of the earth, according to studies carried out for the year 2050, it is estimated that the area covered by forests in its entirety will be around 10% more than it was in 2006. To visualize this figure, it would be a space the size of India, totally covered by trees.
Forest rescue in China
This recovery of forest area is due to the concern of governments such as China, to rescue large areas of forests that were destroyed in the past. To achieve this Reforestation project, Chinese citizens, who are in their faculties, between the ages of 11 and 60, have the obligation to plant between 3 to 5 trees each year; if not, then he has to do other work that is comparable to other activities in the forest service.
This reforestation project carried out by the Chinese government dates from the end of the 50.000th century, in the last third of that century. According to government data, about a billion trees were planted per year and about XNUMX km were restored.2 of forest area. By 2016, this activity ceased to be a civic obligation, although it is maintained that on March 12 of each year, in China, the planted vacation is held.
As well as the previous project, the "Great Green Wall of China" plan is currently being carried out, which has the objective of planting trees, with the goal of curbing the extension of the Gobi desert. However, the project is moving slowly due to the high percentage of trees, around 75%, which die after planting. So far the percentage of forest area in North China has grown from 5% to 12,4%.
Since this ambitious project to rescue the forests of China began, starting in the last decade of the 1971th century, in the year 47, which was the decade in which this Reforestation plan began. It is recorded in the plan's database that the forested area has increased by 2001 million hectares. For the year 35 it was estimated that some XNUMX billion trees had been planted. This country, in its quest to rescue the forests, manages the proposal of the aerial reforestation and soil conservation system, to control erosion.
Rescue of forests in other parts of the planet
Just as in the Asian continent, these environmental initiatives are carried out in favor of the conservation and preservation of natural resources, carrying out ambitious large-scale reforestation projects. On the African continent, a project was also implemented to control the desertification of the soil and stop the expansion of the Sahara desert, which has a name similar to the Asian one.
The African Reforestation project is called the "Great Green Wall of Africa", which has the objective of planting trees and rescuing African forest surfaces. For this case, the proposal to use seawater greenhouses is handled. Likewise, the concern of citizens to acquire products obtained from forest resources that are cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner, has led the owners of wooded lots and the lumber industry to be more careful every day in the good forestry management of these forest spaces. .
In North America, the project to rescue its forests or jungles carried out by the Arbor Day Foundation is financed on the basis of donations and with this it acquires and conserves the forested areas before they are bought by the different lumber industries. Its objective is to be able to protect the largest number of forested areas and prevent their deforestation. Simultaneously, it also helps to preserve the life and cultural traditions of the primitive tribes that live in these forests.
Different environmental organizations work to conserve forests and other natural ecosystems, some of which are: Cool Earth, Community Forestry International, The Nature Conservancy, WWF/Adena, Conservation International, African Conservation Foundation and Greenpeace. In the case of Greenpeace, it has dedicated itself to the task of inventorying the still pristine forests and publishing them via the Internet.
At the same time, the World Resources Institute has prepared a map where forests are recorded that existed in the year 6.000 BC and the forest area at the beginning of the XNUMXst century. With this information, the area of forest that has been lost is evidenced, as well as the amount of reforestation that would have to be carried out to repair the environmental damage caused by humanity.
Reforestation Objectives
When Reforestation projects are proposed, they seek to achieve different objectives, depending on the institution or private institutions or the State, that carry it out. The objectives are diverse, some of these are: rescuing the forest from a certain plant species, preserving natural spaces such as National Parks. Some objectives of a Reforestation are listed below.
- Reestablish green areas and environmental protection
- Management and conservation of the hydrographic basin
- Soil conservation for erosion control
- Carry out the sustainable production of timber species for industrial use
- Combine extensive cattle ranching with forest reserve areas
- Tree planting to build windbreaks and protect agricultural crops
- Planting of forest species to prevent the advance of the border of desert areas
- Rescue forest species that were over exploited
- Preserve natural forests and ecological balance
- Achieve sustainable management of wood for use as domestic fuel
- Establish recreational areas
- Increase the number of forested areas to control global warming and increase the production of oxygen and control atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Depending on the objective of the Reforestation, it is suggested to use native forest species and sometimes plant exotic species, preferably fast-growing and that have been studied as non-invasive. So that all planted forest species grow in balance. In this way, a positive impact is achieved with the Reforestation activity.
Importance of Reforestation
The importance of the scope obtained by the afforestation and reforestation projects of spaces of damaged areas and the social planting plans is their positive impact, due to the various social services with which they contribute. This allows specifying that Reforestation is a human action that brings benefits to the environment as a whole. However, sometimes it can have a negative impact. This point can be clarified by reviewing the activities derived from a Reforestation project, such as:
- The production of species for reforestation in forest nurseries
- Obtaining the trees planted and depending on the purpose of the Reforestation of: wood, cellulose pulp, poles, fruits, fibers and fuels.
Environmental impact
When Reforestation projects are carried out and everything that this activity entails, such as the production of trees to: rescue endangered species, the protection of hydrographic basins or timber trees for production or another purpose, they entail environmental impacts that can be positive or negative.
Positive impact
The positive impact of the Reforestation activity in the forests that had been destroyed and also, by the planting of forest species in nurseries, originate from the resources that are produced and the environmental services that they provide. Among the resources that are produced are listed: wood cuts, the extraction of cellulose pulp, pole manufacturing, fruit harvesting, fibers and fuel production.
Among the environmental services that they carry out are the planting of trees to design community groves and also the planting of various forest species in the gardens and patios of their homes. Other environmental services derived from Reforestation are: Strengthen land on slopes, build living fences with tree species, design vegetable tunnels to lower the temperature.
new fuel source
The development of plantations to avoid the exploitation of natural forests to extract wood and its derivatives as fuel, results in transforming a negative impact into a positive impact. This change occurs in view of the fact that these plantations for the extraction of wood work with fast-growing forest species and since they are plantations designed by plots, roads and accesses are projected.
It is possible to obtain a production of wood or fuel in less time, it is easier to access the plots where the trees to be extracted for commercialization are planted and because the plantation of the trees is separated by plots, where they are grouped by age and species. a more uniform product in quality and age is obtained. Unlike natural forests where access is more intricate and the age of the trees and growth rate are unknown.
Likewise, another way to reduce the extraction of wood in natural forests and conserve these wooded spaces, are community plantations for the extraction of firewood and fuel or fodder that have been implanted near the towns so that it is the same community that carries out the management. of these plantations. In this way, the natural forests are less threatened by the inhabitants who carry out grazing.
This leads to a positive impact, because with these community forests they would allow carrying out forestry tasks in a planned manner and would be a way to reduce the pressure of grazing on the local vegetation of the marginal lands surrounding the towns. These community plantations allow a beneficial use of the land without competing with more commercial uses.
Increased forest services
Reforestation projects bring a series of benefits such as: increase in the area protected by the plant cover provided by trees, improve soil fertility, due to the decomposition of foliage, trunks and the intervention of saprophagous organisms. It improves the structure of the soil, its permeability, and increases the availability of nutrients in the soil that can be used by plants.
It is possible that instead of using firewood for fuel, it is replaced by manure, this change means that the manure is not used as fertilizer for agricultural crops, then, the production of firewood will help maintain and increase the fertility of the forest soils. . Likewise, the erosion caused by rainwater drops and the wind caused by the speed of the winds will be reduced on the slopes, areas of agricultural crops and on surfaces where the soil is not stable, as is the case It happens because of the sand of the dunes.
Trees through their crowns help distribute rainwater and reduce the flow of rainwater that falls to the ground, reduce the impact of water shocks on the ground and therefore reduce water erosion, regulate the flow of water from rivers, decreases the deposition of sediment in the river waters and, in addition, decreases the temperature on the surface near the treetops.
Combining the planting of trees with agricultural crops such as coffee, cocoa and other agricultural items can be important to improve harvests, as part of the benefits of planting trees for the soil and the climate. The importance of combining agricultural and forest crops is that it prevents the proliferation of pests that usually appear in monoculture production systems.
It is important to note that the land surface covered both by agricultural plants cultivated in large extensions of land in conjunction with the plantations of forest individuals, is a way of absorbing atmospheric carbon and an important way of coping with global warming caused by the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Reforestation programs can be diverse and the answer is similar, because they generate more positive impacts than negative ones. Activities such as: planting trees on boulevards, avenues and parks. Tree plantations on government land such as agricultural roads, riverbanks, adjacent to agricultural crops. Providing environmental, aesthetic, food and other useful products for man.
In the same way, the benefits provided by reforestation for environmental conservation projects are greater, such as: protective strips of slopes, windbreak barriers, soil erosion control, conservation of hydrographic basins and other projects that help preserve nature. and rescue wooded spaces, which help environmental quality.
Environmental education and awareness
In order for the Reforestation programs to achieve the expected success, they must be carried out jointly with environmental awareness and education plans so that citizens are increasingly motivated and educated about the importance of caring for the environment, wherever they are and , respect the environmental policies established by the governments and governing bodies of the environmental plans.
Citizens can be educated and sensitized in favor of conserving the environment, encouraging them to participate in forestry activities, such as: nursery practices, knowing the different species of trees, promoting students to train and educate themselves in environmental matters to train children of school age, and citizenship.
Temporary negative impact
However, forestry activities such as plantations for commercial use of tree products can cause negative impacts. In view, to develop these projects, large areas of natural forests are cut down to develop plantations with other forest species that will be commercialized in the future.
The planting of forest species in large extensions of surfaces entails the preparation of the planting surface, which can have a negative impact, due to the cutting and elimination of natural vegetation that behaves as competitive. The negative impact of eliminating this vegetation contributes, in turn, to impact other environmental values such as fauna (birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, among others).
As well as these negative impacts produced by preparing the planting land, there are also the negative impacts on the socio-economic values that these can generate, from activities such as land clearing, such as: increase in the erosion surface, imbalance of the water cycle, compaction of the land, the loss of nutrients, due to the elimination of the superficial layer of the soil, where organic matter accumulates. Some of these impacts may be short-lived, and the spaces recover once the vegetation re-establishes itself.
Impact caused by forestry
The reforestation of large extensions of land where plantations are carried out to obtain a certain forest product, are forests created by men and therefore artificial. That they are managed by forestry techniques in long-term crop cycles, in which some negative impacts may occur, whose magnitude will depend on the conditions of the place before being intervened, as well as the techniques used in the preparation of the land, the selected species for sowing, treatments applied during crop rotation and exploitation methods.
Impact on the hydrological cycle of the basin
Reforestation and afforestation projects in the most arid and xerophytic regions can affect the soil water cycle, lower the groundwater table, and affect the flow of water from the tributaries of the rivers.
Soil structure
The soils of reforested or forested surfaces may suffer from nutrient depletion due to the use of fast-growing and short-cycle forest species, causing a decrease in soil fertility, due to the impoverishment of soils, due to the constant removal of the biomass. As well as, due to long-cycle rotations, whose negative impacts can be: soil compaction, soil damage due to clearing during the removal of vegetation by mechanical means and fires, and due to mechanical preparation and harvesting.
Monitoring must be carried out in order to avoid soil erosion in plantations where the cover is poor or sparse and thus the soil is uncovered. Also, if litter is placed to protect the soil from rainwater and solar radiation. You have to be careful because it is more vulnerable to the threat of forest fires and, in turn, because this practice reduces the absorption of water by the soil. Likewise, depending on the litter species, it is possible that one or two may dominate and the chemical conditions of the soil are transformed, for example, conifers acidify soils.
Importance of irrigation water and conflicts of interest
In some plantations that have irrigation systems, there may be significant inconveniences due to conflicts of interest for irrigation water. This can happen because the return water from irrigated plantations, which are developed in semi-arid regions, can become saline. If this occurs, it happens that this water is less useful for other communities and neighboring plots and leads to a decrease in the quality of surface water. Causing a contamination of surface and groundwater being a danger to users.
Selection of plants for reforestation
In reforestation projects carried out as part of a conservation project, they usually choose fast-growing forest species and are usually foreign species. This is because these exotic species are fast growing and the final product that is harvested is satisfactory. Similarly, because the seeds of these tree species are easier to get at local seed shops. Also, the selection of exotic species, the life cycle and care must be known more than that of native species.
Before, some of the benefits of planning a Reforestation with exotic plants were described. Although it should be noted that reforestation with species from other countries has its pros and cons. Like working with a species that could have given good results in some plantations and, however, its behavior is the least expected, causing inconveniences or false hopes.
Given that when introducing new species in a different environment from the one they are used to, they do not always grow as expected and it may be due to environmental conditions of the place of plantation, they are not suitable and the plant species is at the limit of tolerance of some environmental factors such as: precipitation, temperature, soil, pests and diseases to which they are not resistant, among others.
In contrast, although the native species have a slower growth with respect to the foreign species, but because they are better adapted to the environmental conditions of the place, their long-term viability is better. This is because nature itself has been in charge of improving its genetic conditions for centuries, selecting and refining the most suitable ones. Which makes them more apt to survive eventual climate changes and more resistant to some pests and diseases.
This issue of choosing the species to be used for reforestation is an important factor to analyze, given that in some cases the native vegetation has been eliminated, as they are slow-growing plants, at quite high socio-economic costs, to give it There was room for reforestation with exotic species because they are fast-growing and, however, the results were lower than expected and even with respect to the original vegetation of the place. Not being able to justify the investment costs.
The opposite can also happen and the exotic species behaves in a surprising way and, in this case, the species responds very well to the environmental conditions of the planting site and an overproduction is obtained. This opportunity may occur when exotic species behave as dominant species and displace the native ones, becoming weeds and conquering spaces other than the original planting site and becoming plants with a population growth that is difficult to control.
When seeking to select or choose one or more exotic species for reforestation, it is suggested to carry out field tests and investigate various sources, in order to know their response to certain environmental conditions. Especially in those Reforestations for conservation in which the objective is to form and maintain a cover of fast-growing trees. Therefore, it is convenient to work with fast-growing forest species and native forest species that grow a little slower and that guarantee a successful plantation.
Research on the environmental characteristics and end uses of many tropical tree species still needs to be deepened with little information on their growth habits, planting methods, nutrient, water, soil, irrigation, and plantation establishment requirements. It is suggested to inquire with the inhabitants of a locality where seeds are being collected and the native species that is of interest to plant in the Reforestation is known.
Likewise, before carrying out a Reforestation with a little-known species, it is suggested to know its local approval. This, because this can be an additional inconvenience when choosing a specific exotic species, such as for planting trees from which wood for posts or firewood will be obtained. Without taking into account native species, which can be used for the same purpose and are better adapted to environmental conditions.
For example, a forest species can be chosen that is used to obtain firewood, which has very good results when planted in one place and, however, when it is going to be reforested in other places, it is not appropriate for places where other types of cooking are used. This in view, people have different points of view, in reference to the qualities of wood and other forest goods, because of different cultural traditions. For this reason, before introducing an exotic species, it is suggested to test its acceptance by local people.
Socioeconomic Aspect of Reforestation
Reforestation has a socio-economic importance for the place where this forestry activity is carried out, due to the potential employment that the activity also entails, to conserve natural forests. And sometimes the improvements of the facilities and services of the locality. Just as it has positive aspects in this socio-economic factor, it also has negative aspects, especially in unused areas.
These negative socio-economic aspects are related to imported labor, which leads to a saturation of the local infrastructure and social services, producing social friction, discrimination, and health problems. In those projects in which urban projects such as roads are built, problems related to the arrival of foreigners are generated, impacting the localities where they arrive, causing social changes due to greater contact with new customs.
Activities derived from the Reforestation project such as the planting of trees near the houses, the planting of rows of trees by the community, generally entail providing direct benefits for people and the community. In the event that the Reforestation project is to obtain firewood, it helps to reduce the number of hours and the effort that was made to collect it for the kitchen, allowing that time to be used in other activities.
The production of forage plants helps to improve access and reserves of food for animals, a provision that is more important in the dry seasons. A way to obtain high income from the sale of products such as: wood, fruits, nuts, as well as other products harvested from forest plantations. For this, it is necessary to plan the cutting of the trees at the moment when the market conditions are the best. Also when the wood or the money are precise.
Community plantations can provide a source of temporary jobs, which are positions offered to people without land and who lack resources within the community, this occurs especially in the early stages of planting and harvesting the plantation. The comparatively low demand for labor and economic resources after planting and before the trees are harvested are advantages for foresters when logging is carried out on their own land. Although trees can be planted in marginal areas that are poorly suited to forestry, on small areas of vacant land, they are no competition for the most profitable jobs.
On the contrary, the large extensions of land, with private reforestation for commercial exploitation of wood or the plantations of the communities to obtain wood or other products, or the large extensions of land for protection. Like protecting hydrographic basins or strengthening sand dunes, they can result in inconveniences due to land ownership and even situations of rights to use the land and its riches.
In the plans to carry out reforestation in communal plots, they usually fail to consider or have no information on traditional rights, especially in reference to the use of the land or authorized access. And even Conservation Reforestation carried out on deteriorated plots can cause social problems.
This is the case of degraded soils, which are used to collect firewood, as an access road and fodder to graze cattle by the locals, it being possible that the degradation of the land is caused by them to take advantage of this way. So by proposing a Reforestation in this plot and although it is beneficial for the environment, a social conflict is being created, by preventing the locals from transiting through it or being used as traditionally it benefited the community. This is why before planting Reforestation projects and achieving the approval of the locals.
The foregoing must be considered in view of the fact that it is a common mistake in reforestation projects to put aside the different contributions that a natural forest can offer, such as: roots and tubers, mushrooms, nuts, condiments, fruits. , honey and others. They are collected in the forests and wild thickets, which are near roads and paths or near cultivated fields or next to farmhouses, from which part of the population, such as women, sell them and earn income.
Especially those that grow in marginal zones of arid and semi-arid areas, and these foods collected in these places can help solve the nutrition and feeding of the family, or also to generate sources of income, in the periods of growth of the fruits in trees and not harvesting. These types of wild fruits, which are sources of food, tend to be ignored and lose their prestige, especially when economies are projected to be more monetized and people are more urban and have a more specialized education.
Leading to a loss of sensitivity towards the benefits of plants and the opportunity to consider these vegetables as sources of food and income, as well as their importance and benefits in the food security of the locality, and even this occurs when the Reforestation of areas and pose it as a socio-economic solution for the locality.
When a reforestation of an area is planned, a diagnosis and socio-environmental evaluation must be made to manage the information on the availability of the food resource per year, in the place where the environmental project is going to be carried out. Also, its use by different ethnic groups and economic backgrounds. With this evaluation inform the designers so that they take these data into account.
This is because, in general, the designers overlook the uses that are given to forest resources and assets at present, as well as their potential use, in order to conceive a more abundant selection of products. What it is about is to avoid, that this common mistake continues to occur in plantation projects that seek to reduce the pressure on the Forest Reserve Zone, is to direct productivity to few species and items in order to meet the local requirements. Entailing, that the locals continue exploiting the forests.
On very few occasions, large reforestation projects plan to generate products that can be sold by local companies and thus generate income, since they consider that by taking into account that the coordination of scattered requirements, this will take a long time to specify. of a lot of institutional development. Resulting in low economic performance.
Another situation that usually occurs is the ownership of the land and the trees that grow on it. In many countries, the State is the one that has the responsibility over all trees, whether they are planted or wild, causing many to be discouraged from wanting to carry out a Reforestation project.
Especially when a reforestation project has been developed on land that was believed to belong to the community, and it happens that the responsibility for it falls on certain people. And the products generated, instead of benefiting the community, will have to be directed to a group of people with better resources. Not fulfilling the social work that was sought.
In social reforestation projects, socio-economic drawbacks have to be overcome, especially due to the fact that this type of activity is still new. Causing that neither the technical forestry staff of the project, nor the people of the community, are empowered by experience and knowledge for this project.
In these socio-environmental projects, such as carrying out reforestation, the rural community must participate in the tasks and tasks that are designed to manage and produce their trees and the forests they reforest for their own well-being. The population has to be educated and informed about the costs and benefits that they can obtain from participating, and also how this benefit will be delivered to them. So that in this way they increase their participation in this type of social reforestation project.
The behavior of the residents who are part of the community reforestation project must be trained and educated to achieve a total change to transform the customary collection of firewood, and other types of products generated by the forests naturally. and also with the cultivation of the forest.
Forest technicians are educated and trained to administer and manage wild forests and, in addition, have the function of protecting community forests; and yet it is difficult for them to gain the trust of the people in the community. Lacking the ability to communicate and study social systems, which they need for you to actively enter social reforestation projects. This is one of the problems that usually arise.
Frequently, in these community reforestation projects, plants obtained from seeds that were easier to collect are planted, instead of investigating which are the species that best adapt to the place and also what results they want to achieve. As a result, when the Reforestation project has advanced and the plantations are grown and established, the locals sometimes ignore how to take care of them, when to do some maintenance activities and when to harvest, and even what to do with the harvest.
So, it happens that the plantations that were carried out to achieve an objective or objectives, end up being used for another purpose or not really used, because there was no clear plan designed from the beginning. Especially in communities where the locals were used to working with agricultural crops and are used to cutting down trees to have land for agriculture.
So, by changing the type of cultivation, it is difficult for them to realize the benefits of reforestation projects, which reduce agricultural areas and do not exist or do not have the equipment required to exploit and move the trees. Therefore, motivation and good advice would be convenient in this type of situation.
Concluding that there are several economic risks related to Reforestation. Because the business of forest products are very variable, or even stop being carried out in just one movement. When political and economic regulations are transformed, it is feasible that changes arise in the allocation of funds and objectives of socio-economic projects.
Fortuitous events such as forest fires, the presence of pests and diseases that can damage Reforested trees and, if there is a drop in the stock markets, there will be an economic detriment. Maintaining the spirit to continue the Reforestation project is fundamental, because the benefits will be seen in the third year of the project's start, otherwise the spirit for the project will be directed towards the priority needs of the community.
Reforestation in Spain
The practice of Reforestation has been carried out since ancient times. One of the tasks that the Roman legionnaires had and carried out was to scatter seeds and tree fruits such as chestnuts and acorns on the lands of the conquered towns and regions. This to supply food in case of going out of the campaign again in search of new conquests. Thus they already had part of the food for the army assured.
The regulations that for each tree that is felled have to be planted several new specimens are also of ancient date, especially from the Renaissance, which was from that time that the cutting of trees for use in the naval industry increased. , by regulating maritime trade. In a letter from Felipe II written in 1582 addressed to the President of the Council of Castile, he made known his concern about the damage caused to the forests, and the many complaints of future generations about the conditions in which they were left. .
Despite this concern by the Spanish monarchy to conserve forests, the first planned reforestations and following technical criteria are from recent times. Spain is one of the leading countries on the resolution of this environmental problem. After a few centuries negative impact on Spanish forests, whether due to grazing activities, logging, forest fires, crops.
With some conservation proposals in the 7th century and especially in the XNUMXth century due to the importance of wood for the army. However, what also affected the conservation of these forests was the disentailment process at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. That with the purpose of improving the availability of money by the State, this destined to sell XNUMX million hectares of forests of the nation that had been previously confiscated from the municipalities, the church and other "dead hands" that did not have them producing , being after sold used for agricultural crops.
Due to changes in the use of these lands and environmental processes, over time abundant and catastrophic floods occurred, causing great soil erosion and loss of land, displacement of materials and hundreds of thousands of deaths, blaming the magnitude of these disasters to the lack of vegetation cover of these ancient forests, which failed to subside and divert the force of the waters.
As a result of this environmental disaster, some conservation measures were proposed for the preservation of the forest spaces that still remained, achieving the first census and spatial planning, for which the first "General Classification of Public Forests" was published in 1859. Also, for the year 1862 the "Catalogue of Forests of Public Utility" was made, which were not going to be included in the confiscation. For the year 1877, the Forest Reforestation Law was approved, which had as its objective the large-scale Reforestation of the country.
In order to continue advancing in the reforestation of forests and stop the expansion of the agricultural frontier, at the beginning of the XNUMXth century the Hydrological and Forestry Divisions were instituted, which were the beginning of the Hydrographic Confederations, which at present are the institutions in charge of carrying out the management of the extensive Spanish hydrographic systems.
This system of management of the Spanish Natural Environment was the source on which the European Union would base itself to extend this proposal to all the basins of Europe, through the Hydrographic Demarcations contemplated by the Water Framework Directive. However, it was not until the 1930s, during the Second Republic of Española, that the first attempts at the "General Plan for the Forest Repopulation of Spain" began, drawn up by Luis Ceballos y Fernández de Córdoba and Joaquín Ximénez de Embún, a plan that began to be executed after the end of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), starting in 1939.
This "General Plan for the Repopulation of Forests in Spain" proposed to be in force for 100 years, with timely revisions during this time. This plan came into force in the post-Spanish civil war period. The same was executed during about 40 years of Franco's dictatorship, beginning to stop being executed in the transition period. According to Reforestation data from the 50s, some 150.000 hectares were reforested each year, and in contrast, in 1989, only some 1.000 hectares were reforested.
The first years of execution of the plan "General Plan for the Forest Repopulation of Spain" the Reforestation activity was very well received and became a model of forest management in the international arena, however, over time it received much criticism. once Democracy began in Spain.
In the last years of 1970 and 1980 these reforestation tasks were highly questioned and labeled as autarchic, totalitarian and adjusted to the Francoist model. In later years, in the 1990s, once Democracy was consolidated in Spain, Reforestation projects took on a new boom, at that time they were coordinated by the Autonomous Communities, which the Spanish State had made responsible for the conservation of the forests. .
These new reforestation projects were executed more in accordance with the environmental and social approaches and requirements, and following schemes for planting with native species. These Reforestation plans were financed in part by the European Union, and were focused on using private agricultural land that was not very productive and managed to repopulate large extensions of land, reaching figures of Reforested hectares very close to that of the 50s. .
In this millennium in Spain, the activities of Reforestation and plantations are within the framework of the various forestry projects of the respective Autonomous Communities and have as a reference framework the Spanish Forestry Plan for the years 2000-2032, which apparently takes up the initial idea plan by Luis Ceballos and Fernández de Córdoba and Joaquín Ximénez de Embún.
According to the data presented by the Spanish Society of Forestry Sciences, by the year 1860 of the 12th century there were around 11 million hectares of surface under forest and they continued to be destroyed, reaching a minimum of 1950 million hectares for the year of 18. However, this area under forest has increased to about 2011 million hectares for the year XNUMX, according to data from the FAO.
This recovery of forest surface corresponds to about 5 million hectares reforested and planted according to the Reforestation plans carried out during this period of time. At present, both Spain and Israel are the two leading countries in restoration and reforestation technology.
Reductions to Reforestation in Spain
The reforestations carried out in Spain between the decades of 1940 and 1980 of the XNUMXth century were achieved by implementing very invasive planting land preparation techniques, which had a high negative environmental impact, especially in the rural landscape and natural vegetation, although have been successful in terms of the continuity of the plant masses. The experience of these works has led to the fact that in the Reforestations of recent years the preparation of the land is punctual and they carry out the subsoil of the soil.
Regarding the choice of plant species to be used for reforestation, this has been a point of discussion among forest technicians, environmental groups, botanists and naturalists, due to the excessive use of forest species of the genus Pinus instead of leafy crown species. Likewise, due to the use of foreign species considered producers, such as: Eucalyptus sp. Pinus radiata, Pseudotsuga menziesii and others.
The explanation of the forest technicians regarding the selection of trees of the genus Pinuses, Of those that selected 6 species originating from the Iberian Peninsula and another from the Canary Islands, it was due to their rapid growth and resistance to environmental conditions, with respect to leafy forest species. These characteristics helped to form soil faster and preserve it, in turn producing more wood in a short time.
Complementing this scientific information, the technicians made reference to the fact that pines are a dominant plant species, due to their good colonizing capacity on bare surfaces, even greater than leafy species. Because these species of leafy plants develop better growing under shade and require more developed soils. These leafy species are planted between the pine forests and, as the leafy species grow, they naturally displace the pines, while the soil forms deeper and is shaded.
Gradually, the pines are being relegated to marginal spaces, with greater unevenness, steepness and less soil layer. However, if there is a problem of pests or diseases that attack leafy species, death of plants due to a very cold frost or drought for a long time. As well as, a combination of these factors, the pine trees will repopulate the area and the cycle begins again. The occurrence of the ecological successions of these plant species towards the climax is inconstant and, due to these, the pine forests have been maintained over time.
In spite of all these technical justifications, the differences on the opinions if the pines are suitable or not for the Reforestations, still remains. Also, that in some sectors they excuse or ignore the fact that there are native species of pines and other species of conifers that apparently already grew in the Iberian Peninsula before the species of leafy trees. Among the conifers would be: junipers, junipers, firs or cypresses.
This information is supported by paleobotanical studies, carried out on pollen in peat bogs, which according to indicate an arboreal pollen superiority of coniferous species in different places, especially at the foot of the mountain, until possibly the High Middle Ages. When, after a general drop in pollen from forest trees and an increase in pollen from grass species and cultivated plants, was observed, it is then that leafy species began to be more abundant in those regions.
This may respond to the adaptation of the forests that have remained despite the actions of humans, especially to the continuous fires that have increased since then, this apparently is also evidenced by the increase in the remains of ashes in the peat bogs Entailing, that the formations of "quercineas" and their con are favored by human actions.
The existence of different opinions about the Iberian pine forests by different sectors of society has resulted in many people questioning the possibility of the existence of ancient pine forests, such as the pine forests of the Sierra de Gredos, a place where collections have been carried out. of information in peat bogs from pollen records of P. sylvestris And p. nigraIn addition, very old fossil pine wood and pineapples were obtained, some thousands of years old.
The increase in leafy pollen in the Middle Ages, as well as the increase in ash deposits, can be explained by the continuous fires caused by agricultural, agricultural and war activities. This is the case of extensive livestock farming, where the cattle would move better through a land deforested by fires caused by farmers, for many years and that still continued to be practiced in some Spanish regions until well into the XNUMXth century.
In the agricultural activities carried out in the Mediterranean, the low decomposition of the remains of vegetable crops, of the dead biomass, accumulates and this makes it difficult to replenish the forests. However, this is achieved by the continuous forest fires caused by natural causes, such as those caused by lightning strikes. Conifers and hardwoods are resistant to natural fires, but respond with different strategies.
The foregoing indicates that according to forest technicians, reforestation with native conifers should not be so prejudiced, especially in bare and impoverished soils. Although in the XNUMXth century the use of conifers for reforestation was exceeded and little importance was attached to the planting of leafy species, which may have been to guarantee the success of reforestation and, for productivity goals, to supply the primary wood sector.
The increase in the area of hardwood forest that has begun to be recorded in the inventories of Spanish forests, apparently gives reason to the justifications of the forest technicians. In recent reforestation projects that have been carried out in Spain, several species of pine plants are carried out as colonizing and protective species, along with hardwoods as less dominant species to be established.
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