This work package is focused on the study of climate change, forest fires, and invasion by exotic pathogens as determining factors of the alarming loss of health and biodiversity suffered in the mediterranean forest and silvopastorals systems. The specific objective will be to improve the understanding of the response of different types of Mediterranean forest (pastures, pine forests and thickets) to these three main threats of their long-term sustainability, determining the impacts of climate change on biodiversity of Andalusian forests and analyzing the incidence of traditional silvopastoral practices in the prevention of forest fires and conservation of plant diversity. A holistic approach will be used considering the set of ecosystems, not just the individuals or species in isolation, and the interactions that are established between them. Thus, the microbial communities that colonize the root of tree species along climatic gradients and tree decay will be analyzed, exploring how they contribute to the health of their hosts and the resilience of the forest system. In addition, from the collection of spatial and alphanumeric information from natural spaces in Andalusia, robust geodatabases will be built aimed at designing support models for sustainable silvopastoral management, specifically those related to the sustainable use of the territory (livestock load capacity) and the prevention of fires with livestock.
- Impacts of climate change on forest biodiversity (LWE2103023)
- Above and below-ground biodiversity in dehesas (LWE2103024)
- Role of the root microbiome in pine forests (LWE2103025)
- Role of Silvopastoral practises in conservation and Geodatabase, spatial model and Integration in virtual research environments (LWE2103026 and LWE2103027)