Case study

Promotion of cork oak recruitment in the Mediterranean

Calipers being used to measure a very young plant.

Objective:

Environmental conditions have a great effect on regeneration, especially in arid or semi-arid ecosystems, such as the Mediterranean basin. In these systems the plants suffer a high water stress during the summer, due to the reduced availability in water and the high temperatures, which are limiting for the survival of the natural regeneration. Knowing the factors that influence the success of regeneration and what techniques currently exist to enhance its occurrence, are tools to support the management of the cork oak forests, ensuring the long-term sustainability.

Start/end date:

Context:

Regeneration depends on favorable conditions for flowering, pollination and seed maturation, aspects in which the climate plays a fundamental role. The success of regeneration is conditioned by the abundance of viable seed production, the dispersion and germination of acorns, the establishment of seedlings and their development until maturity (figure 2). At the end of winter, in agro-forestry systems, most of the acorns under the tree crowns were already consumed by the various predators present (wild boar, mices, cows, birds, insects...) with little left to ensure the recruitment.

Contacts:

Conceição Santos Silva, mcssilva@unac.pt, www.unac.pt

Further information:

  1. Aronson, J.; Santos Pereira, J.; Pausas, J.G. (Eds), 2009 - Cork Oak Woodlands on the Edge – Ecology, Adaptative Management, and Restoration. Island Press
  2. Caldeira, M.C.; Ibáñez, I.; Nogueira, C.; Bugalho, M.; Lecomte, X.; Moreira, A.; Santos Pereira, J., 2014 - Direct and indirect effects of tree canopy facilitation in the recruitment of Mediterranean oaks. Journal of Applied Ecology 2014, 51, 349-358.
  3. Correia, A.; Santos Pereira, J.; Silva, F.C.; Almeida, M.H.; Pinheiro, C.2015 - Vitalidade do Sobreiro. Revisão do conhecimento. FILCORK.
  4. Dias, F.; Miller, D.L.; Marques, T.A.; Marcelino, J.; Caldeira, M.C.; Cerdeira, J.O.; Bugalho, M.N., 2016 - Conservation zones promote oak regeneration and shrub diversity in certified. Mediterranean oak woodlands. Biological Conservation 2016, 195, 226 – 234.  · March 2016
  5. http://www.oakregeneration.pt/pt/