LIFE MIDMACC: Mid-mountain adaptation to climate change

Summary

LIFE MIDMACC (Mid-mountain adaptation to climate change) promotes adaptation through the implementation and testing of different landscape management measures to address climate change related challenges in marginal mid-mountain areas of Spain (La Rioja, Aragon and Catalonia), while improving their socio-economic development.

Introduction

Mountain areas in southern Europe are highly sensitive to climate change. In Mediterranean mid-mountain areas, available water resources have progressively decreased in recent decades due to climate change. In particular, longer and more severe droughts, coupled with more frequent and more intense heat waves, are increasing the vulnerability of these areas to forest fires and the phenomenon of deforestation. In addition, the progressive abandonment of traditional land uses due to the lack of generational replacement is causing a generalised loss of mosaic landscapes, which are more resilient to climatic extremes. In this context, the LIFE MIDMACC project, Mid-mountain adaptation to climate change, has implemented concrete adaptation strategies in three strategic areas in the south of the Pyrenees (north of the Iberian Peninsula), through innovative landscape management techniques.

This article summarises the activities of the LIFE MIDMACC project. A compilation of the main results and conclusions can be downloaded from the right-hand column, and individual reports can be found in the text below. Please access the original texts for more comprehensive detail, full references, or to quote text.

Methodology

The project is being developed in La Rioja, Aragon and Catalonia, covering diverse bioclimatic conditions ranging from the sub-humid Mediterranean of the Pyrenees to the sub-Mediterranean mid-mountains of the Iberian Cordillera.

Adaptation measures are carried out in pilot areas in the three regions with a diversity of environmental and socio-economic characteristics that facilitate the transferability of the results to other mountain regions in southern Europe.

Adaptation strategies

Introduction and/or optimisation of vineyards in mountain areas

The pilots in the vineyards of Catalonia have been established in three different sites in two different mountain regions: two sites in the DO Empordà (Roses and Espolla), in the Coastal Pyrenees, and one site in Llívia, Cerdanya, in the Central Pyrenees. In total, the experience has been carried out on 9 plots covering a total area of 7.5ha. The pilots in vineyards cover a range of agricultural conditions and practices that have been compared between different plots and sites and with other commercial mid-mountain vineyards not participating in the project, in order to select the best practices for mountain vineyards to better adapt to climate change.

In La Rioja, the pilot has been carried out in the Vivanco (Tudelilla) and San Prudencio (Clavijo) wineries, both located in La Rioja. The pilots in vineyards cover a series of agricultural conditions and practices that will be compared between different plots, such as terraces vs. slopes, and both sites (Clavijo and Tudelilla). In total the experience has been implemented in 8 plots covering a total area of 13.24 ha. The different agronomic management practices tested in vineyards (different ground covers, terraced or sloping, trellised or goblet-trained) at different times of establishment (in active vineyards, newly established and recovering vineyards) have made it possible to clarify key elements of this strategy for adapting to climate change in mid-mountain areas.

Introduction of forest management techniques for the prevention of forest fires through the use of extensive livestock farming

Pilots in forest management have been implemented in wooded areas representative of the Mediterranean mid-mountains, such as a black pine (Pinus nigra) and a poplar (Populus nigra) forest in the experimental farm La Garcipollera (Aragón) and a holm oak (Quercus ilex) forest in the Requesens farm (Catalonia). The forest management actions applied have been based mainly on selective thinning and scrub clearance to reduce the density of trees and promote mature structures with larger trees. In this way, the aim is to reduce the continuity of fuel and the risk of fire, favour the development of pastures from a greater irradiation of the soil, while at the same time promoting an improvement in livestock management, in this case, cattle.

Restoration of pastures through the elimination of scrubland and the introduction of extensive livestock farming.

For pasture recovery, pilot demonstration trials have been carried out in two representative areas of the Mediterranean mid-mountains in La Rioja (San Román de Cameros and Ajamil de Cameros) and in Aragón (La Garcipollera).

The actions implemented consisted of the mechanical clearing of scrubland in representative areas and the installation of monitoring and control plots, with the aim of assessing the recovery of pastures as an adaptation measure in the face of climate change.

Specifically, the effect of different sheep stocking rates on pasture production and quality has been assessed through analysis of plant species richness and composition, nutritional quality, biomass productivity and pastoral value.

The objective is to find the livestock management strategy that maximises positive effects on the ecosystem while minimising negative impacts.

Multi-sectoral evaluation to estimate the effect of the implementation of the pilot experiences at the spatial level of a river basin

The objective of this action has been to scale up the results of the pilot tests to river basin level in order to estimate the positive impact of applying these actions on a wider territorial scale.

Specifically, land use changes in three sub-basins were analysed. Taking into account their evolution, future scenarios were created based on the pilot experiences of forest management and pasture generation/maintenance. In a third step, a previously calibrated eco-hydrological model (RHESSyS) was applied to assess the effect of the combined scenarios (climate and land use) on water availability and vegetation in each of the three simulated catchments at the catchment level.

Barriers

Adaptation strategies in forests

Price of adaptive silvicultural practices, high dependence on European subsidies, and lack of incentives for the management of Mediterranean medium mountain forests.

Adaptation strategies in vineyards

Geographical location can increase the costs of treatments (mainly distance and slope).

Adaptation strategies in pastures

The costs of land clearing, and dependence on European subsidies.  

Outcomes

Introduction and/or optimisation of vineyards in mountain areas

On a landscape scale, the recovery of terraces and the establishment of new vineyards has improved the mosaic landscape, increasing the diversity of habitats and consequently reducing the risk of forest fires. In addition to this improvement in the ecological resilience of the intervened areas, to which the vineyards confer a high natural value, it is worth mentioning the potential of obtaining a high added value product such as vines in these mid-mountain areas.

At the plot scale, the introduction of conservative soil management techniques with vegetation covers is associated with a considerable increase in soil organic matter content and micronutrients directly assimilated by plants. In turn, this technique also confers greater microbial diversity to the plant-soil system, resulting in improved nutrient exchange, increased water retention, lower levels of soil erosion and ultimately increased productivity. 

On the other hand, adult vines on terraces show higher levels of organic carbon and nitrogen than in plantations on slopes, as well as less soil loss due to water erosion.

Finally, it should be noted that in pilot trials of newly established vineyards using conservative management techniques in areas that were previously scrub or grassland, microbial diversity appears to improve substantially.

With regard to the socio-economic analysis, the first element to highlight is the lower costs of using soil conservation management techniques with cover compared to conventional soil management (without vegetation cover). See MIDMACC deliverable no. 21 for more information. 

There are no substantial economic differences between the two systems studied (trellis and goblet). The altitude of the vines, on the other hand, does entail a higher cost of planting and maintenance.

However, cooperative systems between farmers (pooling certain costs and coordinating certain activities) contribute considerably to reducing the costs of managing and establishing vineyards. In this sense, the creation of a shared brand for mountain wines or the creation of mountain cooperatives are effective measures to reduce costs and increase income. See MIDMAC deliverable no. 10 for more information.

Introduction of forest management techniques for the prevention of forest fires through the use of extensive livestock farming

At the landscape level, the application of these adaptive silvicultural practices has been shown to significantly reduce the vulnerability of forests to both forest fire risk and drought. The substantial improvement in the physiological condition of treated forest stands would also have a positive effect on resistance to forest pests, reducing their incidence and persistence.

In this sense, the set of silvicultural practices applied (clearing and thinning of undergrowth and introduction of cattle under regenerative criteria) have improved the ecological value of the forest, increasing its resilience to disturbances.

At plot scale, the monitoring of eco-environmental parameters (soil moisture, infiltration, erosion, pasture production and quality, general environmental conditions, growth and physiological state of the forest) in the various forestry pilots of the project have shown an increase in soil water availability in the treated plots, particularly noticeable in the pasture plots.

This increase in water content has also been observed in vegetation, especially during the summer season. The improvement in the water content of the vegetation means a reduction in its flammability and, in general, a substantial improvement in the state of health of the managed forest stands, with a consequent increase in their resilience.

The socio-economic analysis of the adaptive silvicultural practices applied underlies an a prior determining element, which is the need to integrate pastoral management in the treated forests in order to maintain the effectiveness of the actions in the medium term.

In general, the costs of silvicultural practices (mainly thinning and thinning) depend directly on the characteristics of the terrain and of the treated scrub. Again, also in the Mediterranean medium mountain forest sector, there is a high dependence on European subsidies to ensure its management, in addition to the almost non-existence of incentives for the management of Mediterranean medium mountain forests.  It is important to underline the importance of woodland in Mediterranean mid-mountain pastures to shelter livestock from the rigours of summer and to avoid physiological stress caused by high temperatures. However, the Common Agricultural Policy does not include wooded pastures as areas eligible for subsidies from the sector.  

See MIDMACC deliverable no. 9 for more information.

Recovery of pastures through the elimination of scrub and the introduction of extensive livestock farming

At the landscape level, this adaptation strategy has been shown to bring substantial improvements in maintaining the mosaic landscape of the treated areas, with a considerable increase in habitat diversity. Moisture content analysis and hydrological modelling results demonstrate substantial improvements in resilience to climate change through increased provision of water resources, which at the catchment level could reach up to +12% if applied to the whole catchment studied, as well as reducing fire risk.

At plot scale, the treatments used have been shown to considerably improve soil quality through significant increases in soil organic carbon and nitrogen content. Increases in surface runoff on grassland have also been observed without increasing erosion rates (blue water).

On the other hand, the treated pastures have also experienced an increase in the cover of herbaceous species compared to the adjacent areas with no stocking density.

With regard to the socio-economic analyses linked to MIDMACC grassland management strategies, the analyses show variable costs for land clearing activities that can vary considerably depending on the characteristics of the land and the brush treated.

See MIDMACC deliverable no. 21 for more information. 

The results of this analysis underline the difficulties that livestock farmers have in making their farms economically viable due to the additional cost of implementing weeding, the implementation of which is closely dependent on European subsidies. See MIDMACC deliverable #8 for more information.

Multi-sectoral evaluation to estimate the effect of the implementation of the pilot experiences at the spatial level of a river basin.

The results of the simulations show significant improvements of between +10 and +30% in the current availability of water resources in the three studied catchments after forestry and pasture management. The application of the MIDMACC management models to these three catchments would also imply an improvement in water availability of a similar order of magnitude in the future, even considering the most pessimistic climate scenarios. See MIDMACC deliverable no. 17 for more information.

Lessons learned

From the results of the MIDMACC experiences, important conclusions can be drawn regarding the role of livestock and forest management in mountain areas. The maintenance of these activities and their adaptation to climate change adaptation criteria is key to the provision of ecosystem services to society, such as quality water resources.   

On the other hand, climate change implies adapting management practices to increase the resilience of agroforestry ecosystems and maintain adequate levels of animal welfare. In this respect, the presence of wooded pastures in Mediterranean climates is key to animal welfare during the warmer months, as they find shady areas to shelter in.

It is therefore essential that the community instruments for the management of the rural world also adapt the rules of the game to these adaptive practices needed to cope with climate change. For this reason, the LIFE MIDMACC project recommends that the CAP Pasture Subsidy Coefficients be modified to include pasture in wooded areas and also to study the application of PES (Payment for Environmental Services).