Biodiversity of Mediterranean forests

The third plenary session, co-organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Association for Mediterranean Forests (AIFM) explored the theme “From policy to implementation – Adapting the Global Biodiversity Framework to preserve and restore Mediterranean forests biodiversity.”   

In the first keynote address, given by Bruno Fady, Senior Scientist at the Ecology of Mediterranean Forests research laboratory of the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE-URFM) in Avignon, France, and visiting scientist at the European Forest Institute (EFI) in Barcelona, Spain, argued that despite its importance, genetic diversity is neglected in biodiversity conservation. He presented a study on the genetic structure of Salzmann’s pine (Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii) in France, highlighting the added value of understanding species’ evolutionary history and adaptive and demographic processes for designing more effective protected areas. Having genetic diversity as a conservation goal can improve biodiversity protection and the sustainable management of Mediterranean species.   

The second keynote address, given by Nizar Hani, Director-General of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, the largest nature reserve in Lebanon, focused on the importance of protecting biodiversity outside protected areas, creating ecological corridors and maintaining ecosystem dynamics. Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are currently being applied in Lebanon, with priority areas identified via a GIS-based multicriteria assessment. A socioeconomic assessment will be conducted in the potential sites to check feasibility and to ensure effective and equitable site management.  

The panel discussion was moderated by Abdelhamid Khaldi, President of AIFM and Forestry Researcher at Tunisia’s National Research Institute for Rural Engineering, Water and Forests (INGREF). Kaoutar Aouane, Director of the Talassemtane National Park, Morocco, argued that the involvement of local communities is crucial for biodiversity conservation, a vital topic in Morocco, where the project RESTOR'MED recently provided proof of the benefits of participatory approaches. Best practices should be developed to inform and involve local communities from the start, fostering a sense of shared responsibility. Yildiray Lise, Deputy Director-General at the Nature Conservation Centre (DKM), Türkiye, agreed on the importance of capacity building, adding that to face the current climatic and biodiversity crises, protected areas are not enough. Focusing on production forests is fundamental to improve connectivity, and specific management plans are being developed in Türkiye, together with guidelines for practitioners, planners and forest engineers on evaluating ecosystem services.   

Marion Douchin, Project Manager of the RESCOM project on strengthening the resilience of Mediterranean ecosystems, at the Tour du Valat research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, France, presented the recently established Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium. By bringing together several organizations with specific knowledge on different habitats vulnerable to climate change, the consortium looks at forests as part of a broader multibiome, understanding the needs of local communities and what is needed to protect biodiversity more effectively. Actions will be prioritized based on ecosystem functions and services but also focusing on income-generating activities – to compensate for restrictions on resource use – and strengthening co-management and governance.   

Juan Antonio Hernández Agüero, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Environmental Studies of the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who is working on the INTEGRADIV project, examined the perception of stakeholders involved in forest management and conservation. The results gathered so far show that ecosystems that provide regulation services are more highly valued than those providing provisioning and recreational services, and that there is a general consensus on valuing taxonomic diversity over functional or phylogenetic diversity and protecting nature for its intrinsic value. Agüero concluded that this consensus could be capitalized upon to support the expansion of protected areas.   

Lucio Brotto, co-founder and Director of the Private Business Unit at Etifor, Italy, freshly returned from the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, explained that biodiversity credits should not be considered a stand-alone solution but should be used instead in combination with other local approaches to ensure long-term benefits and avoid the funded dependence associated to carbon. As environmental crises are worsening, expanding interventions will become fundamental to tackle the ongoing biodiversity loss.   

Leila Rossa Mouawad, Researcher at the Nature Conservation Center of the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, and member of the Mediterranean Youth Taskforce and the Mediterranean Forest Communicators Network for the Mediterranean region and Near East, discussed the contribution of youth to biodiversity conservation. Many youth-led initiatives in research, advocacy and negotiation, are already making an impact. Moreover, as “digital natives”, young people are key communicators. Mouawad highlighted that positive narratives balancing scientific objectivity and emotional storytelling are essential for inspiring action to conserve Mediterranean forests.   

Finally, Livia Zapponi, Researcher at the Institute of Bioeconomy of the National Research Council (CNR), Italy, and Consultant for IUCN, the rapporteur of the session, concluded emphasizing that preserving Mediterranean forest biodiversity is an urgent and long-term process that involves a complex interplay of the multiple factors raised by the panellists. Both IUCN and AIFM are looking into ways of channelling the session discussions into project partnerships, for the improvement of biodiversity conservation in Mediterranean forests.  

The session was chaired by Rosario Galán (IUCN Med, Spain) with Abdelhamid Khaldi and Alain Chaudron (AIFM) as co-chairs and Livia Zapponi (CNR) as rapporteur.   

Livia Zapponi (CNR, Italy)