News from Portugal 2024
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Pro Silva Portugal had serveral workshops, trainings and seminars also in Galicia and Spain
1.Workshop Oak Forests and Management
Braganca/North Region, 29 Jun 2024.- Oak Forest Demonstration Units. - Workshop and Field Training - Close to Nature Forestry.
In a partnership between the Campo Aberto Association, UTAD and Pro Silva Portugal, a workshop and training was held involving Oak Forests and close-to-nature forestry.
The meeting involved participants from various regions of the country and sought to show not only the relevance of this type of forests, its benefits and uses, but also multifunctional forestry and following natural processes. Different topics were addressed, from ecology, management and use of oak, as well as the benefits of this type of forestry. It was possible to find out the management options, selection operations, and valorization of oak forests. This type of forest has not been properly managed and used, and the meeting and action also served to raise awareness and train participants.
2. Workshop Oak and Closed to Nature Forestry
Castelo Branco/Guarda Center Region. 1 Mai 2024. Oak Forest Demonstration Unit. - Workshop and Field Training Session - Close to Nature Forestry and Pro Silva.
3. Field Training Session - Close to Nature Forestry
Guarda/Trancoso, Center Region. - Oak Forest Demonstration Unit. Training - Close to Nature Forestry.
4. Seminars
Oaks and Landscape Transforming - (In Portuguese, Carvalhos e Transformação da Paisagem) - Seminar Terra Segura, Pedrogao Grande. 20 Apr 2024.
Forest for people and environment – Which alternatives for sustainability ? - (In Galician: Unha floresta para as persoas e o ambiente: Que alternativas para unha efectiva sustentabilidade?). Seminar Proxecto Altri. Galician, Lugo (Galicia, Spain). 29 Apr 2024.
The Forest of Cova da Beira Region, the Social and Environmental Development - (In Portuguese: Floresta da Cova da Beira e o desenvolvimento sócio ambiental). Seminar Inovação - A Importância do Solo e da Floresta na Mitigação das Alterações Climáticas”, Fundão. 11 Oct 2024.
Landscape for the Future – Forest Planning in the Cova da Beira Region - (In Portuguese: Paisagem do Futuro: Planeamento da Floresta na Cova da Beira). Seminar XXII Encontro CBC, Belmonte. 14 Dec 2024.
Project and Workshop Journey
Research & Development Project Scapefire - A sustainable landscape planning model for rural fires prevention. Founded by FCT – National Foundation for Science and Technology. Close to nature silviculture as part of a sustainable forest management and the role of native forests of oak and cork-oak.
Functions, Forestry and Applications in native oak forest are in the focus of the project. Specific topics are the oak ecosystem, goods and services, Close-to-nature forestry, Integration of functions and applications of oak wood in added-value products.
In 2021 a new book was published entitled ‘Tropical Silviculture - Brasil’. - Joao Carvalho contributed one chapter: Carvalho, J. (2021). Close to nature silviculture and the valuation of the Brazilian forest (in Portuguese), pp.16-31. - He keeps also Pro Silva contacts to Portuguese language countries.
Close-to-nature forestry intends to improve oak management in order to promote its multiple functions and profitability in a sustainable way. The project seeks a greater valuation of the natural forest landscape of the territories and promoting forestry practices that ensures the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems. Project involves the development and research activities around the valuation of oak forests and close to nature forestry (CNF).
Joan Carvalho, our representative from Pro Silva Portugal published a book, that may be also of great interest for our partners in Brazil and interested people in Mosamique:
Published the book “Silvicultura Próxima da Natureza – Conciliar Economia e Ecologia para uma Silvicultura Mulifuncional, Rentável e Sustentável (in Portuguese)” [Close-to-Nature Silviculture – Conciliate Economy and Ecology to a Multifunctional, Profitable and Sustainable Silviculture], Ed Quantica. Joao P Fidalgo Carvalho (Pro Silva Portugal)
Close-to-nature silviculture promotes the conciliation of economy and ecology, contributing to a sustainable, multifunctional, profitable and integrate forest.
Improves the economical rentability of the forest, increasing its value and productivity, and allowing periodic revenues. At the same time, it promotes and integrates ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, soil and water conservation, and landscape preservation.
Performs techniques in accordance to the natural processes for the regeneration and growth of the forest. Supports a holistic approach that considers the forest ecosystem as a whole, favoring its integrity, functioning and adaptive capability.
The practice of silviculture leads to an improvement of the total economic value of the forest stand, allowing sustainable revenues, while maintaining the natural forest conditions. Provides interesting contributions to the sustainability goals in their different dimensions, with benefits to the forest owner, the society, and the environment.
Close-to-mature silviculture is applied in USA and Europe and have shown great interest because of its approach to the natural processes and their economic, social, and ecological benefits.
Joao Paulo Fidalgo Carvalho is a professor of Silviculture and Dendrology at the University Tras os Montes Alto Douro, Vila Real. He has a PhD in Silviculture and made a Post-Doc on the same subject in USA as a Fulbright Scholar (USDA Forest Service SRS and North Carolina State University). He has been working on close-to-nature in several countries, after its first contact in Germany (1996). Delegate member of the silviculture association Pro Silva Europe.
On Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st. a workshop was held in Galicia hosted by CFEA Lourizan, Pontevedra, which for the first time brought togehter Pro Silva participants from Portugal and Spain like Joao Carvalho, and Jesus Gartitacelaya.
João Paulo Fidalgo Carvalho, our representative from Portugal was in Brasil, invited to the X Symposium on Forest Science (X Simpósio Brasileiro de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Florestais), organised by the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), 13-15 June .
He presented 'Close to Nature Silviculture as an Adaptive Silviculture' (in Portuguese 'A silvicultura próxima da natureza como uma silvicultura adaptativa'). He has been working with the Brazilian collegues these days.
Abstract / Short Note
João Paulo Fidalgo Carvalho, Dep. Forestry, University Tras-os-Montes Alto Douro, Vila Real.
Silviculture has been facing ecologic, economic and social challenges, including the scenarios of climate change. It has been required a sustainable silviculture that considers these different aspects, including the functioning and the resilience of the forest ecosystem. The main characteristics of the close to nature silviculture were presented, including multifunctionality, economic profitability and adaptive capability. The maintenance of the forest cover insures the ecosystem functioning and a continuous provision of goods and services. Allows better conditions for natural regeneration and adaptation in a continuous way, which is particularly important in more difficult and changing environmental conditions.