Connecting Natural and Planted Forests: New Ecological Functions in an Agricultural Landscape in Northern Spain

Javier Brazuelo Núñez, Carlos A. Rivas, Guillermo Palacios-Rodríguez and Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo ()
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Javier Brazuelo Núñez: Laboratory of Dendrochronology, Silviculture and Global Change—Den-drodatLab—ERSAF, Department of Forest Engineering, University of Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Crta. IV, km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Carlos A. Rivas: Mediterranean Forest Global Change Observatory, Digitalization and Development in Forestry Ecosystems Laboratory, DigiFoR+-ERSAF, Department of Forestry Engineering, University of Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Crta. IV km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Guillermo Palacios-Rodríguez: Mediterranean Forest Global Change Observatory, Digitalization and Development in Forestry Ecosystems Laboratory, DigiFoR+-ERSAF, Department of Forestry Engineering, University of Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Crta. IV km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo: Laboratory of Dendrochronology, Silviculture and Global Change—Den-drodatLab—ERSAF, Department of Forest Engineering, University of Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Crta. IV, km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-20

Abstract: The connectivity of forest ecosystems is increasingly recognized as a key factor in evaluating the sustainability of forest management, with significant implications for biodiversity conservation. This study examines the impact of afforestation programs on forest evolution, fragmentation, and connectivity in León province, Spain, over the past 25 years (1996–2020). Three scenarios were modeled across two periods (1996–2006 and 2006–2020), integrating data from the national forest inventories (IFN2, IFN3, and IFN4) and afforestation program records provided by the Junta de Castilla y León. The evolution of connectivity “with” and “without” afforestation was analyzed using Graphab 2.6 and graph theory, and several connectivity metrics were calculated. The first period analyzed, influenced by the two initial afforestation programs, corresponded to the end of a forest expansion phase, followed by a decrease in tree cover. Despite this reduction, a net positive balance of up to 24% of all connectivity metrics (NC, PC, Flux, and ECA) was observed throughout the study period. Afforestation in mountain areas enhanced tree cover continuity, resulting in a more homogeneous but less diverse landscape. Conversely, afforestation in agricultural lands increased landscape heterogeneity, diversifying and extending the ecological network of connections. These programs have played a crucial role in shaping the landscape, influencing its diversity and the evolution of forest connectivity. Legislation grounded in technical and ecological principles should be prioritized as a strategic tool to address pressing land management challenges and preserve natural values.

Keywords: afforestation; connectivity; fragmentation; land use change; landscape ecology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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