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

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

Land Use Based Mitigation for Resilient Climate Pathways (LANDMARC)

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

AMBIENTA Ingeniería y Servicios Agrarios y Forestales S.L. (AMBIENTA) - Spain

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

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

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Degraded or abandoned agricultural land is under restoration in an area with a mediterranean climate, and a high risk of desertification. Plantations are based on indigenous forest species, mainly holm oak and cork oak, to ensure a sustainable mature forest in the future.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

In Spanish, the "Program for Reforestation of Degraded Agricultural Lands" refers to the concept of "reforestación," which is typically translated into English as "afforestation." This can sometimes lead to translation issues. To ensure the term remains as close as possible to the original program's intent, the English term "reforestation" has been chosen.
Degraded or abandoned agricultural land is under restoration in rural areas in the West and South of the Iberian Peninsula. Here, there is a high risk and incidence of desertification. Reforestation – meaning restoring the original trees of the area - is a nature-based solution that contributes to the rehabilitation of degraded areas. The main objective is to reclaim land, mainly in rural environments, and to give it a second life capable of providing ecosystem and forest services.
Reforestation contributes to soil recovery, the increase of biodiversity associated with forest ecosystems, carbon sequestration and storage, the improvement of the landscape and the regulation of the hydrological cycle. Furthermore, in the arid areas of the West and South of the Iberian Peninsula, it provides a brake on the advance of desertification.
In order to carry out the reforestation, a technical reforestation project must be planned that includes species adapted to the environment which can accelerate the process of transforming the reforested area from a degraded area to a climax forest. Thus, plantations are based on indigenous forest species, mainly holm oak (Quercus ilex) and cork oak (Quercus suber), to ensure a sustainable mature forest in the future. The forest species, the planting framework, the soil preparation work, the design of the plantation, the planting season, the forest nursery from which the plants will be brought, and whether or not irrigation is required for planting are selected. It is necessary to design the maintenance work during the years after planting to ensure the long-term success of the reforestation.
It is important to have an adequate long-term reforestation plan that includes proper planting and maintenance in the subsequent years. This requires a sufficient budget to cope with the work, which includes forestry personnel and specialised machinery. In addition, the forest reproductive material used must come from nurseries where the origin of the plants is known and certified.
The advantages for land managers are many, mainly related to landscape and ecosystem restoration and erosion control. It can also provide landowners with added value in terms of an income based on livestock or forestry management, or in terms of carbon credits. As for the more negative aspects, it is a technology that requires economic investment and perseverance over the years, as it cannot be implemented quickly. Thus, most of the objectives are only fully achieved after several decades of effort and dedication.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos of the Technology

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

2.6 Date of implementation

Indicate year of implementation:

1996

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• 10-50 years ago

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through projects/ external interventions

• European subsidies

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Reforestation programme for degraded agricultural land. EAFRD funds.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• conserve ecosystem
• preserve/ improve biodiversity
• adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts
• mitigate climate change and its impacts

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

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

Yes

Specify mixed land use (crops/ grazing/ trees):

• Agro-silvopastoralism

Comments:

Reforestation programme for degraded agricultural land. EAFRD funds. Planting with climactic species following criteria of forest restoration with native climactic species.

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

• Yes (Please fill out the questions below with regard to the land use before implementation of the Technology)

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

Yes

Specify mixed land use (crops/ grazing/ trees):

• Agro-silvopastoralism

Comments:

The agricultural land had been abandoned

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• rainfed

Comments:

They used to be rainfed agricultural lands and now reforestation only uses natural rainfall.

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• natural and semi-natural forest management
• forest plantation management
• agroforestry

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

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

• reduce land degradation
• restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

Comments:

Reforestation programme for degraded agricultural land. Planting with climactic species following criteria of forest restoration with native climactic species.

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

other/ national currency (specify):

EUR

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Soil preparation for planting	Autumn-Winter
2.	Plants and seeds travel from nursery to farm	Winter
3.	Planting trees	Winter
4.	Protection for plants	Winter
5.	First irrigation for support plants	Spring- Summer
6.	Maintenance planting	Winter year 2-4-6-8-10

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

If you are unable to break down the costs in the table above, give an estimation of the total costs of establishing the Technology:

2999.0

If land user bore less than 100% of costs, indicate who covered the remaining costs:

Subsidies from the Extremadura Regional Government, Spanish Government and EU (FEADER)

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

If you are unable to break down the costs in the table above, give an estimation of the total costs of maintaining the Technology:

3000.0

If land user bore less than 100% of costs, indicate who covered the remaining costs:

Subsidies from the Extremadura Regional Government, Spanish Government and EU (FEADER)

Comments:

3000 €/ha (reforestation) + 1000 €/ha (maintenance every 2 years)

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Working personnel and plant protection

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

Comments and further specifications on topography:

Reforestation of degraded agricultural land can be carried out on flat, undulating land or on slopes with a gradient of up to 30%, with appropriate soil management and preparation measures. For slopes steeper than 30%, terracing is used, but this is not the case for this SLM.

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.

pH (Extracto suelo/agua 1/2,5) 5,93 5,5 - 8,6 - PNT-Suelos-01
Conductividad (Extracto 1/5) (μS/cm) 22,5 200 - PNT-Suelos-02
Fósforo (ppm P) 21,11 11 20 - 30 - PNT-Suelos-03
Calcio (meq Ca / 100 g. suelo) 4,99 3,5 10 - 14 - PNT-Suelos-04
Magnesio (meq Mg / 100 g. suelo) 0,84 0,60 1,60 - 2,50 - PNT-Suelos-04
Potasio (meq K / 100 g. suelo) 0,57 0,61 - 0,90 - PNT-Suelos-04
Materia Orgánica Total (%) 0,94 0,9 2,0 - 2,5 - PNT-Suelos-05
Cobre (ppm Cu) 0,2 0,20 0,20 - PNT-Suelos-06
Hierro ( ppm Fe) 6,24 3,00 5,00 - PNT-Suelos-06
Manganeso ( ppm Mn) 2,16 1,00 1,50 - PNT-Suelos-06
Zinc (ppm Zn) 0,58 0,50 1,00 - PNT-Suelos-06
Boro ( ppm B) 0,58 0,50 1,00 - 5,00 5,00 -PNT-Suelos-07
Nitrógeno total (%) 0,14 0,11-0,20 - PNT-Suelos-12
Relación C/N 3,79 < 6,0 6,0-10,0 - PNT-Suelos-30
Sodio (meq Na / 100 g. suelos) 0,14 0,30 0,60 - 1,00 1,50 - PNT-Suelos-04
Textura Francoarenoso - PNT-Suelos-11
Arena (%) 53,52 - PNT-Suelos-11
Arcilla (%) 13,76 - PNT-Suelos-11
Limo (%) 32,72 - PNT-Suelos-11
Carbono Orgánico Oxidable (%) 0,42 - PNT-Suelos-05

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

No

Comments and further specifications on water quality and quantity:

The area studied is an agricultural area in a forest environment with problems of drought and advancing desertification.

5.5 Biodiversity

Comments and further specifications on biodiversity:

The surrounding climax forests represent high levels of biodiversity of both fauna and flora. The reforested area after thirty years of management has increased plant biodiversity and has changed from a degraded agricultural area to a Mediterranean forest in the process of consolidation.

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Generational replacement is a problem in the rural areas of Extremadura, which live from agricultural, livestock and forestry systems.

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• individual

Water use rights:

• individual

Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

Specify:

Land owned and inherited from parents to children.

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Climate and disaster risk reduction

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

Specify assessment of off-site impacts (measurements):

Estimated

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

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	increase or decrease	How does the Technology cope with it?
other gradual climate change	Microclimate high temperature	decrease	moderately

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Other climate-related extremes (disasters)

other (specify)	How does the Technology cope with it?
Fight against desertification	very well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

Comments:

If the subsidy programme for the afforestation of agricultural land is taken into account, the costs borne by the landowner are greatly reduced and the long-term benefits are increased.

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• 1-10%

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 0-10%

Comments:

Without the reforestation programme for agricultural land and subsidies, the technology is very costly for landowners.

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

Yes

If yes, indicate to which changing conditions it was adapted:

• climatic change/ extremes

Specify adaptation of the Technology (design, material/ species, etc.):

Drought forces the design of plantations with greater technical restrictions for species adaptation and greater water retention capacity.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Initial soil carbon losses may offset decades of biomass carbon accumulation in Mediterranean afforestation. 2023. Valeria Renna, Pilar Martín-Gallego, Federico Julián, Johan Six , R´emi Cardinael, Moritz Laub

Available from where? Costs?

Geoderma Regional 36 (2024) e00768 Online - free

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Programa de forestación de tierras agrarias en Andalucía. Jiménez, Navarro, 2014.

Available from where? Costs?

Online - free

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Repoblación forestal. Forestación de tierras agrícolas. Castilla la Mancha. Francisco Dorado, Álvaro garcía, Eugenio Caja del Castillo, Francisco Izquierdo, José Ignacio Rodríguez

Available from where? Costs?

Online - free

Title, author, year, ISBN:

La forestación de tierras agrarias a través de los Programas de Desarrollo Rural en España: Una medida con impacto medioambiental positivo en el medio rural. Miguel Angel Fernández Carrillo. Belmonte Serrato F. Romero Díaz A. Francisco Robledano

Available from where? Costs?

Online - free

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

Initial soil carbon losses may offset decades of biomass carbon accumulation in Mediterranean afforestation.

URL:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352009424000154

Title/ description:

La forestación de tierras agrarias a través de los Programas de Desarrollo Rural en España: Una medida con impacto medioambiental positivo en el medio rural.

URL:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305474914_La_forestacion_de_tierras_agrarias_a_traves_de_los_Programas_de_Desarrollo_Rural_en_Espana_Una_medida_con_impacto_medioambiental_positivo_en_el_medio_rural/link/57fb7fb108ae8da3ce60fa81/download