Best practices in sustainable land management

Firebreaks act as a barrier to stop or slow the progress of fires and allow firefighters to better position themselves to operate. Gaps of vegetation of about 5 to 7 meters are created at a distance of every 50 to 75 meters along the contour line of the forested areas. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change, refers to: Xanthopoulos, G., et al. 2006. Forest fuels management in Europe. In ‘Fuels Management – How to Measure Success’, 28–30 March 2006, Portland, OR. (Eds PL Andrews, BW Butler) USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Proceedings RMRS-P-41, 29–46.

Assisted cork oak regeneration by acorn seeding and seedling plantation from a plant nursery, involving careful husbandry and protection from grazing. Good quality acorns and seedlings are required and seedlings should come from the same region where they are planted and be certified by the authorities. Small, woody plants are cleared and the soil is prepared by deep ploughing to loosen the topsoil and allow easier root growth. Cork oak regeneration ensures the continued existence and development of the forest. It conserves soil and water and fights against desertification. Other benefits include cork production, wood production, fodder production and better soil cover. The technology also positively impacts the socio-economic development of local populations by providing landscape, welfare and recreation.

A community-led reforestation effort that led to the legal protection of a forest area and improved water quality and quantity from the microbasin located within the forest area. The community-led ensures the quantity and quality of the water supply and the legal protection of the forest area. Communities using the micro-basin agreed to make the area a protected forest area and stop using it for other purposes (such as grazing or agriculture). Community greenhouses were established to produce native tree species seedlings, which are then transplanted in the field over time. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change refers to: Wendland, K.J., et al. 2015. Protected Area Effectiveness in European Russia: A Postmatching Panel Data Analysis. Land Economics, 91 (1), 149–168. ISSN 0023-7639; E-ISSN 1.

Tree plantations using fast-growing and native species are established in combination with hillside terracing to protect upper catchment areas. The afforested areas are closed for any use until the trees reach maturity, after which user rights were given to communities allowing cut-and-carry of grass and cutting of trees with government permission. The technology requires appreciable expense, labour and expertise, but if maintained well, it results in multiple ecological and economic benefits: soil cover has improved, water is conserved, the severe problems of soil erosion have been reduced, and dams further downstream are protected from siltation. Trees have become an important source of income for the rural communities, wood is a valuable resource mainly needed for construction, and also as fuel.

Hydro-mulch is a complex mixture of water and wood or paper fibres. Additionally it can contain seeds, surfactants, seed-growing bio-stimulants, nutrients and a green colorant. Hydro-mulch is a mixture of water and wood or paper fibres and other materials such as seeds and nutrients. It is spread immediately after a wildfire, providing an initial ground cover of 80%, to reduce overland flow and prevent soil erosion. The hydro-mulch is applied once, immediately after the wildfire, using machinery or manually providing an initial ground cover of 80%,. The seed composition should include native plant species, in order to avoid alien species into the burnt area and increase the germination success. The hydro-mulch was found to reduce soil erosion and post-fire runoff.

The technology comprises the construction of linear gravel bed ditches lined with local tree species, at angles across a hill slope to channel the surface water. The ditches prevent waterlogging that previously led to landslides, and enable cultivation on land that was previously unusable. A series of ditches are constructed at angles across a hill slope at the base of the watershed and a gravel bed is created to prevent erosion and drain the excess surface water to the main tributary of the watershed. The edges of the ditches are lined with fast-growing tree species for stabilisation and afforestation purposes. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change refers to: Root, A.W. (1958). Prevention of landslides. Landslides and engineering practice./Ed. EB Eckel, 113-149.

Forest residue mulch is spread immediately after a wildfire in order to prevent soil erosion and reduce overland flow. The mulch is made using chopped tree bark fibre, which decays very slowly and is very useful in cases of low re-growth of natural vegetation. The increase in ground cover decreases post-fire soil erosion by reducing raindrop impact over the ashes and bare soil, and decreases the runoff amount by increasing water surface storage, decreasing runoff velocity, and increasing infiltration. The mulch provided an initial ground cover of 70 to 80%, and was found to reduce post-fire runoff by 40-50% and soil erosion by 85-90%. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change refers to: Prats, S.A., et al. 2012. Effectiveness of forest residue mulching in reducing post-fire runoff and erosion in a pine and a eucalypt plantation in north-central Portugal.

The aim of this technology is to restore degraded forests by planting seedlings in moisture-accumulating trenches that increase the survival rate of plants in non-irrigated lands. Rainwater is collected in artificial trenches on hill and mountain slopes to accumulate water in the soil around the roots of trees planted at the bottom of the trenches. Native tree species are used, but non-native species can also be planted.

Selective clearing involves clearing fire-prone species and planting more fire-resistant resprouter species. This directs the vegetation to later successional stages, which increases the resilience to fires. The goals are to reduce the fuel load and its continuity and to increase the resilience of the vegetation to fires. The cleared vegetation is applied as mulch, which protects the soil from erosion, reduces soil temperature and moisture loss, and enhances carbon conservation. Selective clearing enabled the preservation of desired species, and by planting resprouter species the natural processes can be accelerated. Once established, resprouter species persist for a long time, which increases vegetation resilience to fires.

The planting of trees in a portion of land for various uses, such as for the provision of firewood and building materials. Woodlots are mainly used to provide firewood, timber and building materials, and they also prevent soil erosion through their thick mulch and roots that hold the soil together. Other benefits of woodlots include improving/cooling the micro-climate, air purification, and acting as windbreakers. Tree plants are planted after shallow ploughing (for seeds) or placed in planting pits (for 6-10-week-old seedlings). Weeding is carried out in the first two years and the area is enclosed to reduce the effects of grazing by livestock. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change refers to: Pandey, J. C. et al. 2014. Pine Briquetting- An Endeavour for Green Fuel. Indian Forester, S.l., 478-482. ISSN2321-094X.