Recreating old-growth forest characteristics in oak woodlands for biodiversity conservation and habitat restoration.
- Project start: 01/09/2026
- Project end: 31/08/2030
- Funders: European Union – LIFE+ Programme
- Consortium budget: €621,843.77
- Partners: Provincial Council of Araba, Aranzadi, EHU, and DEX
Overall objective:
The LIFE BASOZAR project addresses the …addressing the ecological and regulatory gap by demonstrating that science-based restoration can accelerate the development of characteristics typical of old-growth forests in managed forest stands, thereby reducing the time required to generate biodiversity and climate benefits.
Specific objectives:
- Create a geospatial database of forests with high potential for developing old-growth characteristics in the Basque Country
- Design and implement innovative restoration protocols that foster old-growth traits in mature oak forests
- Establish 6 demonstration sites—two in each historical territory—where old-growth forest characteristics will be fostered
- Monitor the impact of the implemented methodology on biodiversity (birds, saproxylic beetles, bryophytes and lichens, and forest structure)
Results:
Development and implementation of restoration protocols to accelerate the creation of attributes typical of old-growth forests (old trees, deadwood, microhabitats, and structural diversity) in oak forests within the Basque Country’s Natura 2000 network. Furthermore, the project integrates socioeconomic, cultural, and health dimensions, ensuring replicability and contributing to biodiversity, climate mitigation, and human well-being.
