Nica Claudia CALÓ, Martin Luther Universität, Germany
Marcin SPYRA, Martin Luther Universität, Germany
Ibone AMETZAGA ARREGI, Univeristy of the Basque Country UPV/EHU), Spain
Leire AGIRREAZKUENAGA , Univeristy of the Basque Country UPV/EHU), Spain
Landscapes are significantly affected by several social-ecological processes. Peri-urbanisation (PU) primarily defined by scholars as the transformation of natural, semi-natural, or agricultural areas into artificial areas is one of these processes and the reduction of peri-urban open spaces (PUOS) is one of the most evident impacts of it. According to CORINE Land Cover (CLC) data, PUOS are decreasing in most of the European regions. Natural areas are fundamental for human wellbeing and PUOS provide multiple important ecosystem services (ES), to both tourists and residents of the region, and they can play an important role in ensuring landscape sustainability. For this reason, peri-urban development should be planned in a way that minimizes the pressures on natural landscapes while also creating new urban ecological niches. This requires tools and governance approaches that maintain, conserve, restore and promote natural areas. In this paper we will introduce the case study of the peri-urban forest located in the municipality of Berriatua (Bizkaia) in the Basque Country. Main challenges of this area are related to forestry management, intense harvesting of radiata pine and increasing of eucalyptus plantations. Several problems related to soil erosion, water control, biodiversity loss, reduction of soil fertility and use of fertilization and pests are emerging. Therefore, a landscape management that fosters a sustainable management of peri-urban forests is needed in the Basque Country. This manuscript aims to present some results about: i) methods and approaches to involve the citizens of the area to generate a positive sense of belonging and awareness through sustainable management, and ii) compensation strategies to value positively the ES provided by native forest. The methodology is based on the Interreg-Europe RENATUR project that involves experts from six different European regions and offer them a platform for exchanging of knowledge and good practices.
Mots clés : Peri-Urban Open Spaces|Sustainable Forestry Management|Sustainable Landscape|Ecosystem services|Compensation strategies
A103975NC