• The NEIKER technology centre has set up the Marteloscopio in Arronategi, an innovative plot integrated into the natural environment that allows controlled evaluation of forestry practices.

• It is the first forest area in the Basque Country to form part of the Integrate+ Network, which promotes the combination of timber production and biodiversity conservation.

 

Sustainable forest management represents a constant challenge for the sector, as it requires ensuring ecological balance and biodiversity conservation without compromising the responsible use of natural resources. However, the complexity of ecosystems and the diversity of the factors involved make it difficult to foresee the consequences of each action.

To face this challenge and provide the sector with knowledge-based tools, the NEIKER technology centre, an entity dependent on the Basque Government’s Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries, has set up the Marteloscopio in Arronategi, a space designed as a forestry classroom that allows different management scenarios to be simulated in a controlled environment and their impact to be analysed before transferring them to the natural environment.

Located on Public Utility Mount 47, ceded by Bermeo Town Council, this space consists of a plot of land on which very detailed work has been carried out: each tree has been numbered, geolocated and measured to find out its height, diameter, the microhabitats it shelters and the quality of its wood. Using simulation software, users can evaluate the ecological impact and economic profitability of different management strategies, allowing for practical learning based on direct experimentation.

Specifically, the Arronategi Marteloscopio is part of the LIFE URBASO project, which seeks to demonstrate nature-based solutions to guarantee the quantity and quality of water for human consumption. To this end, it seeks to promote forest management models close to nature with the aim of optimising the interactions between forests and water.

“The LIFE URBASO project has published the manual SILVICULTURA PRO SILVA in Basque which is nowadays one of the most important manuals on forest management close to nature. The book offers step-by-step explanations on how to put into practice a forestry model based on the recommendations of the Pro Silva organisation. The Arronategi Marteloscopio allows us to practice this type of forestry in a controlled environment”, explains Nahia Gartzia-Bengoetxea, researcher at NEIKER.

Part of the Integrate+ Network

In addition to representing an advance in research applied to forest management, the Marteloscopio in Arronategi is especially relevant as it has become the first forest area in the Basque Country to form part of the Integrate+ Network, an initiative of the European Forest Institute (EFI) that promotes the combination of timber production and biodiversity conservation in managed forests.

Thanks to its incorporation into this network, this classroom is consolidated as a point of reference in the exchange of knowledge and methodologies. ‘Access to Integrate+ allows us to improve the training of those who manage forest ecosystems, providing them with a space where they can test different strategies before applying them in the real environment, thus reducing risks and favouring a more informed and sustainable management’, says the researcher.

Educational and environmental value

In addition to its value as a research tool, this forestry classroom plays a fundamental role in the training of new generations of forest managers, providing a space in which they can experience the decision-making process in a practical way.Esta vertiente educativa se ha reforzado a través de la colaboración con el alumnado del Grado Superior en Gestión Forestal y del Medio Natural de las Escuelas Agrarias de Derio y Fraisoro, quienes han participado en los primeros ejercicios de simulación.

In this way, the Arronategi Marteloscopio is also aligned with the objectives of EUSKOBASOA 2050, the Basque Forest Improvement R&D&I Plan. Developed by NEIKER and backed by the Basque Government, its aim is to strengthen the forestry and wood sector through research and knowledge transfer. Since its launch in 2019, EuskoBasoa 2050 has been working to improve the future of Basque forests.