A group of around thirty students from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) recently visited the province of Soria to learn firsthand about the operation of local juniper forests, guided by the Asociación Forestal de Soria (ASFOSO). These woodlands are abundant in the Sorian territory and are currently under study as part of the SocialForest project, which seeks solutions to combat the effects of climate change in the forests of southern Europe. Both the Sorian organization and the Valencian academic institution are partners in this European initiative, which is funded by FEDER.
The field day covered all aspects of the functioning of a juniper forest in different parts of the province of Soria, from reforestation to visiting the mature juniper forests (Juniperus spp.). The activity began in the village of Alcozar (Langa de Duero), where the forestry association has promoted a reforestation project. In this area, the UPV students observed the tasks carried out on very degraded lands prone to erosion. The group later moved to the juniper forest at Campoespacio de Abejar to learn about silvicultural treatments for improving the forest mass and preparing it for greater pastoral use. Finally, they visited the Sabinar de Calatañazor, a natural reserve that hosts some of the oldest and tallest specimens of this species on the Iberian Peninsula. The field trip was guided by ASFOSO technicians and also featured Professor Antonio del Campo from UPV, a SocialForest project researcher.
Management for greater resilience
The juniper is an exceptional tree due to its remarkable resistance to environmental adversity. However, research carried out through SocialForest indicates that even this species is not immune to climate change, although its impact is lessened when proper management exists. In the case of Soria, 1,433 juniper forest points in different areas of the province have been sampled. These studies have shown how the adaptability of these forests to climate-induced changes improves significantly when silvicultural work is carried out and when they are grazed — something the Valencian students witnessed during their visit.
A Common Strategy Against Climate Change
Funded by the Interreg SUDOE 2021-2027 program, SocialForest brings together nine partners from Spain, France, and Portugal seeking a common strategy to combat climate change in the forests of southern Europe.
The project is led by the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia (Department of Environment, Universities, Research, and Mar Menor), and includes Associação para o Estudo e Defesa do Património Natural e Cultural do Concelho de Mértola; Universitat Politècnica de València, Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering; INRAE Centre Nouvelle-Aquitaine-Bordeaux, UMR 1391 ISPA; Asociación Forestal de Soria (ASFOSO); Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, UMR 5563; Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Department of Sustainable Development, Directorate General of Natural Environment and Biodiversity; EDIA–Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infra-estruturas do Alqueva; and Xylofutur.
