Improvement of agroforestry estate in the Empordà plain - Life eCOadapt50

Agroforestry management work in a 22 hectares estate with the aim of promoting the agroforestry mosaic and evaluate the improvement of ecosystem services and the reduction of climate risks.

Date of onset	23/10/2024
Sector	Agrcicultural and forestry
Lead partner	Associació per al Desenvolupament Rural Integral de la Zona Nord-Oriental de Catalunya
Territory of performance	Lladó (Alt Empordà)
Climatic risk	Increased risk of forest fires Decrease in crop and pasture production Increase in irrigation needs
Budget	42.035,40 €

 

Heterogeneity of landscape, greater complexity and biodiversity of ecosystem

Current forest masses of the agroforestry Empordà plain require management actions in order to provide new ecosystem services (blue water, biodiversity, primary production) and reduce climate risks, such as forest fires or pests and diseases linked to forest weakening. At an environmental level, the creation of a mosaic agroforestry and woodland areas converted into pasture grounds promotes landscape heterogeneity and, therefore, a greater complexity and biodiversity of the system.

With this objective, in La Teulera estate, located in the municipality of Lladó (Alt Empordà) of 22 ha they have been working on a vegetable garden and cereals agroecological production since 2010, an action inspired in agroforestry based on felling and not on plantation, as in other areas, has been promoted.

Planned forest management in 20.5 ha of La Teulera estate

The estate has great natural value since the Manol river crosses it in the middle and there is a maple forest, some box-shrubberies -now affected by the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis)- with Ilex aquifolium single holly trees. In the north-east area of the estate, there is a forest mass that has been abandoned for years and which was planned with a Forest Management Plan in 2018.

The action consists of forest management of 20.5 ha of the estate for grazing, where the following actions will be carried out:

1. Clearing of a holm-oak sprout of 1.4 ha. In this area strips of land will be made every 24 m with the objective of building a tree fencing system in order to favour the production of acorn trees.
2. Four types of forest management in the other 15.7 ha:
   1. 8.7 ha of holm-oak woods, where a selection and improvement of stipes in order to reach a density of 600 stipes/ha will be carried out.
   2. 3.5 ha of Aleppo pine with holm-oak undergrowth, where 10 pine tree/ha will be left and the holm-oak wood will be cleared at 300 stipes/ha in order to obtain grazing land and acorns.
   3. 3.5ha of Aleppo pines with holm-oak undergrowth, where a 300 stipes/ha density of holm-oak trees will be left.
   4. 1 ha of control with the current vegetation.
3. Scientific monitoring of the project

Assessment of the suitability of introducing the Catalan donkeys, which are already grazing in 5 ha of the property in the agroforest system created. Otherwise, the introduction of Albera or Bruna cows would be evaluated depending on the results of the scientific study.