Multifunctional Mediterranean

Forests
Juan Botey Serra
Mediterranean Forest Owner
CFC / COSE / CEPF / IFFA

Brussels, 23 May 2006 ELO / Comission UE

 When the limiting factor of forest
growth is the water instead of the
light (Mediterranean condition)
• Management of forests is needed to avoid water
competitors at soil level with clearages and
extraction of bushes. If not fire manages it.
• Strategies to save the cost:
– Livestock on the forest
– Use biomass for energy purposes
– Aids for prevention of forest fires
 Which are our forest products ?
• Cork. (EU is first world producer)
– Trees of 40 to 250 years, harvested each 9 to 14 years.
• Pine Cones (EU is first world producer)
– Trees of 25 to 150 years, harvested each year
• Gum Resin
– Trees of 30 to 80 years, harvested each year.
• Fire wood
– Trees and bushes of 10 to 100 years
• Biomass
– Trees and bushes harvested each 6 years if not livestock
• Wood
– Trees of 40 to 60 years
 Which could be other products ?
• Mushrooms
• Hunt
• Agrotourism
• Ornamental green
• Livestock (pigs, cows, ...)
• Other forest fruits (berries, chestnuts,...)
 Which are the main needs for
these productions?
• Adult trees proportionated to water income
on the soil level.
• Absence of forest fires to arrive adult trees
• Continuous management on the cycle of the
trees.
• Innovation of harvesting systems
 How to rich it ?
• Avoiding forest fires
• Assuring light benefits to energy applications.
Linking it with Climate Change programs and
renewal energy policies.
• Family forestry management has the tool to assure
the management for the whole tree cycle. The
trans-generations tool.
• Banks don’t like this kind of long term tools, and
States change each five years his managers.
Plantación
Plantacióndede
pinos:
pinos: 1, 10yy
1, 10
33
33años
años
después
después
The paper of Family Forestry in
Europe

• More than 20M people manages near the 60%

of forests
• The actual stage of forests and his biodiversity
comes from the management of generations of
owners
• Not a lonely bank likes forestry investments
• If the profitability of forests disappears for the
owner, management finishes, and forest fires
take his management role in Mediterranean
region.
Aid to our European ecosystems

Demand cork stoppers on wine bottles

Our grandchildren will be happy