1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Universidad de Valencia (Universidad de Valencia) - Spain

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

24/10/2014

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Reforestation refers to establishment of forest on land that had recent tree cover.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

A wildfire is expected for summer 2015 in the Caroig mountain range. The area was afforested with Aleppo pines during the 20th century and nowadays the landscape is composed by mature Aleppo pines at different stages of development with shrub vegetation in the understorey.

Purpose of the Technology: The post-fire area is expected to be reforested with local shrubs species and Aleppo pines.
Perturbation by machinery when reforesting is expected to increase soil erosion.
The research team of the University of Valencia will implement an experiment based on the sediment fences technique to capture and measure post-fire soil losses in a reforested burned landscape.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: Maintenance activity deals with the plantation scheme which includes man-power, machinery, access to remote areas and cost of plants, as main expenses.

Natural / human environment: The Aleppo pine trees in the region are typically planted as monoculture for wood production. The landscape reflects a long history of intense land management, with a mosaic of (semi-) natural and man-made agricultural (terraces) and afforested lands. Since the 1970´s, however, wildfires have increased dramatically in frequency and extent, driven primarily by socio-economic changes.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): It is expected that after a wildfire runoff and soil erosion will increase, resulting in a decrease of on-site fertility and derived off-site effects such as loss of water quality, soil water storage, higher risk of flooding and damage to human life.

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Loss of wood resources.

Plantation forestry: Aleppo pine plantations

Forest products and services: timber, fuelwood, fruits and nuts, grazing / browsing, other forest products / uses (honey, medical, etc.), nature conservation / protection, recreation / tourism, protection against natural hazards

3.3 Further information about land use

Specify:

Longest growing period in days: 180 Longest growing period from month to month: February to july

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• natural and semi-natural forest management
• ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction

3.5 Spread of the Technology

Comments:

A wildfire is expected in the study area for summer 2015.

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Main measures: vegetative measures, structural measures

Type of vegetative measures: aligned: -graded strips *³

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wt: loss of topsoil / surface erosion

Secondary types of degradation addressed: Bc: reduction of vegetation cover

Main causes of degradation: deforestation / removal of natural vegetation (incl. forest fires) (forest fires), Heavy / extreme rainfall (intensity/amounts), droughts, population pressure (depopulation)

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

Comments:

Main goals: rehabilitation / reclamation of denuded land

Secondary goals: prevention of land degradation, mitigation / reduction of land degradation

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

Bench terraces construction promotes water and sediment deposition and reduces slope lenght.

Location: Valencia. Spain

Date: 02-02-2014

Secondary technical functions: reduction of slope angle, reduction of slope length

Aligned: -graded strips
Vegetative material: T : trees / shrubs

Trees/ shrubs species: Aleppo pine, quercus ilex, quercus coccifera, pistacia lentiscus, rosmarinus officinalis

Grass species: brachypodium retusum

Bund/ bank: graded
Vertical interval between structures (m): 10
Spacing between structures (m): 3
Depth of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.5
Width of ditches/pits/dams (m): 1
Length of ditches/pits/dams (m): 50

Construction material (earth): ripped soil surface by specialized machinery

4.8 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Costs will be affected by slope angle, soil depth which reverts in manpower and specialized machinery.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Comments and further specifications on topography:

Landforms: Also footslopes
Altitudinal zone: 501-1000 m a.s.l. (650-700 metres above sea level)

5.3 Soils

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

Soil depth on average: Very shallow(Leptool) and shallow (Cambiosol)
Soil fertility is medium
Soil drainage/infiltration is medium
Soil water storage capacity is high

5.4 Water availability and quality

Comments and further specifications on water quality and quantity:

Availability of surface water: Poor/none (only when rainfalls)

5.5 Biodiversity

5.7 Average area of land owned or leased by land users applying the Technology

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local rainstorm	not well

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Local species and new tree plantations are seen as future local production. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Selecting local species.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Reforestation with local species must to be done based on a previous assessment of the fire effects on environment. Removing burned logs and planting trees and shrubs with heavy machinery could lead the system to a degradation stage instead of decrease soil losses. How can they be sustained / enhanced? It could be enhanced by the evaluation and preselection of areas suitable to be reforested.

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Impacts of heavy machinery in a fragil post-fire environment.