|
1. Project objectives Communal forests in Extremadura constitute a special landscape with great historical, ecological and cultural values because they are one of the few agrosilvopastoral systems in Europe with a communal exploitation of natural resources by local forest-users. LIFE+ Project “Comforest” aims at analyzing and monitoring the main forest features and the environmental status of communal woodlands in Extremadura, and laying down guidelines that make compatible the traditional and communal forests exploitation by local forest-users with the long term conservation of natural resources. The specific goals of the Comforest LIFE+ project are the following: 1.Collection and analysis of information about the legal state, historical origin, and communal exploitation systems of each of the communal forests in Extremadura. 2. Monitoring and analysis of information about the forest and environmental status of communal forests by means of forest inventories using Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology (innovative methodology in Extremadura), together with sample plots technique. 3.Laying down forest management guidelines for the conservation and regeneration of each type of communal forest, in order to link the traditional and communal forests exploitation by local forest-users and the long term forest resources conservation. 4.Creation of a public register of communal forests 5.Dissemination of project goals, means, actions and results, especially by means of the editing of the Extremadura Communal Forests Publication
2. Actions A. PREPARATORY ACTIONS: A1. Project Technical Planning B. IMPLEMENTATION PHASE: This phase involves the compilation, analysis and monitoring of the main forest features and environmental status of the communal woodlands in Extremadura. The implementation phase actions are: B1.Analysis of the legal state, the historical origin, and communal exploitation system of communal forests B2. Analysis and monitoring of the forest and environmental status of communal forests in Extremadura. B3.Sustainable forest management guidelines for the conservation of communal woodlands B4. Creation of a public register of communal forests C. MONITORING OF THE PROJECT IMPACT: The implementation of this action will lead to evaluate the effects of the Project actions in the improvement of the communal forests environmental conditions, and the socioeconomic impact in the local forest-users.The monitoring actions are: C1. Effects of the Project actions in the environment C2. Socioeconomic impact assessment D. COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION ACTIONS: These actions disseminate the project’s objectives, means, actions and results: D1. Life+ Project web page. D2. Installation of Project´s informative boards D3. LIFE+ Project dissemination report (Layman´s report) D4. LIFE+ Project publicity campaign D5. Editing of the Extremadura Communal Forests Publication E. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING ACTIONS. Consist of administrative, technical and financial management of the project and the monitoring actions like audits, and project´s networking: E1. Project management and project progress monitoring E2. Evaluation and monitoring of the Project effectiveness E3. LIFE+ Project Network E4. External audit E5. After-LIFE+ Communication plan
3. Expected results (outputs and quantified achievements): The main expected results of the LIFE+ project are the following: On the first hand, legal state, historical origin, and the exploitation system of communal woodlands will be analyzed to identify what of them nowadays have or had in the past a land communal exploitation. To know about the main forest features and environmental status of communal woodlands in Extremadura, they will be monitored by means of forest inventories using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology (innovative methodology in Extremadura), together with sample plots technique in the field. Wildlife, botany, forest health conditions (pests and diseases), global warming effects on the forest decay of oak stands, and the lack of natural regeneration will also be monitored by surveys. The results of these inventories will be analysed and summarized in silvicultural reports, one for each communal forest. On the other hand, sustainable forest management guidelines for the conservation and regeneration of communal forests will be also established and disseminated to achieve long-term a mixed land communal use compatible with the conservation of natural resources and the forest regeneration. A public register of communal forests will be created to give more legal security and defense to land common exploitation rights, ensuring so the public domain nature of communal woodlands, Finally, project objectives, actions, and results will be disseminated , specially the creation and edition of the Extremadura Communal Forests Publication. (3000 units). |
