The area of Mediterranean forest, which translates into an increase of 1.8 million hectares, (approximately the size of Slovenia), according to a new report on The State of Mediterranean Forests produced by FAO and Plan Bleu. Despite this increase, this type of forest is seriously threatened by climate change.
The study warns that Mediterranean forests are being seriously affected by degradation and are increasingly threatened by climate change, population growth, forest fires and water scarcity.
“Mediterranean forests have long been adapting to the pressures caused by human development. But these pressures have never been more extreme than now,” said Hiroto Mitsugi, FAO Assistant Director-General at the head of the Forestry Department.
Economic and social problems
“Unless we do more to combat forest degradation,” Mitsugi added, “more than 500 million people in 31 countries and three continents will soon face a wide range of economic, social and environmental problems.”
Elen Lemaitre-Curri, Director of Plan Bleu, noted for her part that: “In a context of rapid climate, social and lifestyle changes in the Mediterranean, forest and tree-based solutions are essential for the overall sustainability of the region, with an impact expected to go beyond forested areas Upstream forests, agroforestry, and urban trees and parks can help preserve key ecosystem services, reduce land degradation, and assist in the transition to a green, green, low-carbon, circular, resource-efficient and socially equitable economy. Harnessing this potential requires a variety of instruments, including participatory approaches and innovative economic tools and partnerships.”
Key data of the Mediterranean forest
-The forest area of the Mediterranean countries is about 88 million hectares, the size of France and Italy. It accounts for 2% of the global forest area.
-In general, the increase in forest area has been slightly higher in the northern Mediterranean than in the south, but, at the country level, the greatest loss of forest area has occurred in European countries (those with the largest area of forest lost between 1990 and 2015 were Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania)
-There are 80 million ha of degraded lands -including forests- in the Mediterranean
-Protected areas have increased, especially in regions with reduced forest areas: North Africa is home to 4% of Mediterranean forests, but these represent almost a quarter of its protected areas
-Forests store more than 5,000 million tons of carbon (about 2% of global forest carbon), with an increase of 1,650 million (2% per year) between 1990 and 2015
-Each year more than 400,000 hectares of forests are burned
-At least 339 (16%) of the species of animals and plants in the Mediterranean forest are in danger of extinction.
Degradation of Mediterranean forests
Forest degradation in the northern Mediterranean is mainly due to land abandonment and fire, while forests in the southeast of the region suffer from overexploitation for firewood, overgrazing and population pressure.
Climate change remains the most important threat to all Mediterranean forests. Rising temperatures, irregular rainfall patterns, and longer droughts will significantly alter the cover and distribution of forests and trees in the coming years.
For example, when trees try to withstand drought, they deplete their carbon stores and produce fewer carbohydrates and resins, which are essential for their health. This has already caused a decline or death of oak, fir, spruce, beech and pine in Spain, France, Italy and Greece, and of Atlas cedars in Algeria.
The population on the shores of the Mediterranean doubled between 1960 and 2015, reaching 537 million people, and is estimated to reach 670 million by 2050. While there have been few demographic changes in the north, the rapid population increase in the southeast of the region has led to excessive exploitation of natural resources.
Forest fires continue to pose a significant threat. Although the number of fires has decreased in the North and Northeast in recent decades, the number of larger fires (affecting more than 500 hectares) has increased. The report expects this trend to continue: there will be fewer fires overall, but larger ones.
Water scarcity and soil erosion are especially harmful to Mediterranean forests, since the soils are thinner and poorer than in other regions.
Animals and plants in danger of extinction
The Mediterranean region has the second highest concentration of biodiversity in the world, but in a critical situation, since as the forests face increasing pressures, so do their animals and plants.
Forests are home to three quarters of the terrestrial mammal species in the Mediterranean, almost half of the region’s vertebrate species and close to three quarters of terrestrial insects. The forests also provide shelter for more than a quarter of the region’s tallest plant species.
The forests of the following countries have the highest number of threatened species: 26% in Spain, 24 in Italy, 21 in Greece, 17 in Turkey and 15% in Morocco.
Mediterranean forests are also rich in fungi. However, these are gradually declining due to logging and timber extraction.
Solutions to forest degradation
The report urges countries to scale up forest and landscape restoration. In particular, it recommends:
-Thinning and planting mixed tree species to reduce the impact of droughts
-New fire-fighting policies that go beyond putting out fires and include preventive management, preparation and vegetation restoration activities
-A regional forestry strategy and common policies
-Strengthen forest value chains
-Mediterranean forests are already part of the green economy, but their contributions could be maximized if the strategies of this green economy focused more on forests
-Increase in forests, parks and orchards in urban areas
-Create stronger alliances between the public and private sectors for forest management
-Apply the FAO guidelines for the restoration of forests and degraded landscapes
The report covers 27 countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco , Palestine, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia and Turkey.
Benefits of Mediterranean forests
Mediterranean forests are a source of wood, food, energy, medicine and water, and provide a wide range of goods, services and opportunities, from boards, paper, cork, mushrooms, truffles, honey and pine nuts to recreation, tourism and employment services. . They purify our air, protect our soil and water, and regulate our climate.
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