Portugal
By means of this reforestation project, we contribute to the restoration of the unique montado landscape in Faia Brava reserve, Portugal.
By means of this reforestation project, we contribute to the restoration of the unique montado landscape in Faia Brava reserve, Portugal.
trees
hectares
species of trees
Northeast Portugal is characterized by the montado landscape, a beautiful mosaic of grassland and trees. This landscape, also known as dehesa, is typical for Spain and Portugal and has come into being by both grazing and forest by-products, such as cork.
Because of forest fires, large-scale cereal production and sheep farming, however, this landscape has changed drastically. Farmers see less and less perspective and move to the cities, the land is no longer maintained and the soil is scorched.
This entails challenges, also in Faia Brava reserve, one of the biodiversity hotspots in the Iberian peninsula. Most of the trees have disappeared from the reserve, the rich nature from days gone by has made place for strongly impoverished grounds where only grasses and shrubs grow. All of this renders the area vulnerable to wildfires and desertification.
The high level of diversity of trees and shrubs ensures that many different animal and plant species will feel at home in the forests. In order to restore the mosaic landscape, we will work together with ATNatureza, planting tree-islands. In total, 8,000 trees will be planted in groups. This involves oak, aspen, juniper and sturdy shrubs, such as hawthorn and sloe.
Fencing will be placed around the tree-islands to protect them from damage by livestock and wild animals. In this way, the young trees will be taken good care of. Once they are fully grown, they will spread their seeds naturally and contribute to a great wealth of fauna and flora in Faia Brava.
Faia Brava Reserve is an area of one thousand hectares with unique flora and fauna, including several endangered species, such as Egyptian vulture and Iberian wolf.
Our partner Associação Transumância e Natureza (ATNatureza) executes the project. ATNatureza was founded in 2000 and has a lot of experience in the domain of ecological restoration and nature conservation in Portugal. The foundation owns and manages more than 1,600 hectares of nature reserve, including Faia Brava, one of the largest privately owned parks in Portugal. In this way, ATNatureza is an important player in the development of Greater Côa Valley, a region with considerable rewilding potential.