Forest Restoration in the Riaza Region. Ayllón and Somosierra Mountains. Segovia.

The Riaza forest region encompasses a tremendously rich historical and cultural heritage, integrated into a vast territory with very diverse ecosystems. It is made up of municipalities, and other local entities, enormously depopulated, but with enormous natural and sociocultural wealth.

A multitude of events throughout history have shaped the territory to this day, with the society of the region adapting to the different needs of each era. This has led to very contrasting situations that, in many cases, left their mark on this cultural landscape.

Different deforestation processes have been happening throughout history depending on the needs of its inhabitants. Already with the pre-Roman natives, the Roman era and, above all, from the Christian period, the activity of livestock entails the progressive disappearance of the high mountain pine forest. The oak groves or Pyrenean oak groves, the holm oak groves, savin groves, pine forests, beech forests and ash groves give way to agriculture and livestock. These forest masses, together with thickets of rockrose, heather or broom, were also used as a source of heat energy, for cooking or to make numerous utensils. In the mid-19th century, as a result of the civil disentailment, the peak of deforestation in the contemporary era is reached.

 

 

Panoramic view of the foothills in the vicinity of the hermitage of San Benito. 2024

In this stage of history, an important movement arises to reverse this declining forest trend. The catalog of lands excepted from sale to private hands in the disentailment is created, and which belonged to the towns, precursor of the Catalog of Public Utility Lands (CUP). This catalog was the first and most important instrument for the protection of forest areas in our country.

With this, a process of forest restoration begins, a paradigm shift based on the concept of "conservar aprovechando -conserving by taking advantage-", that is, taking care of our forests through the sustainable use of their natural resources. In the first half of the 20th century, a process of forest repopulation also began.

 

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In the previous photo, the substantial change in the landscape over the last decades can be observed. The image is taken from the municipal district of Santo Tomé del Puerto, in the direction towards Cerezo de Arriba and Riaza. In the background, large masses of Pyrenean oak groves can be seen, which are included in different mountains of the Catalog belonging to Riaza, the Community of City and Land of Sepúlveda or Santo Tomé del Puerto. To the right are the repopulations with the native Scots pine of mountains listed as La Juncadera and El Raso.

The restoration process was maintained until today under the principle of taking advantage of our mountains from conservation.

Today, when the concept of sustainability has already been assumed, it is more important than ever to continue with this management, making the mountains multifunctional.

During the second half of the 19th century, the consolidation of property began, flying forest nurseries, pastures, infrastructures in the mountains and a myriad of activities that shape our current landscape are created. These traditional activities, which have maintained this cultural landscape, persist today to a greater or lesser extent. Through them, renewable natural resources such as wood, firewood or biomass are obtained; high quality meat from extensive livestock and hunting; honey from beekeeping, mushrooms, etc. This multifunctionality is reinforced when ecosystem services demanded by society are added to the equation, such as regulation of the hydrological cycle, control of erosive processes, CO2 capture, conservation of biological and geological diversity or support for numerous sports, leisure and cultural activities related to nature. These mountains have sustainable forest management certification by the PEFC and FSC systems, and are externally audited to the Administration.

 

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In this composition, the evolution of the landscape in recent decades can be observed with views towards the nuclei of Sigueruelo, Casla and Prádena, from the Puerto de Somosierra. Apart from the reforestation on the slopes of the Sierra mountain, the result of the abandonment of the traditional agrarian system in the evolution of the foothills can be observed. In the old photo, dehesas of oak or Pyrenean oak are observed, along with other species; and juniper or savin groves (Juniperus thurifera) in the mountains of the Sigueruelo, Siguero, Casla and Prádena Catalog, mixed with numerous crops. In the current image, it is observed how rural abandonment causes the old mountain agriculture farmlands (cereals such as rye and wheat, orchards, potatoes, flax fields, etc.) to be completely covered with natural vegetation.

It is colonized by juniper or savin groves, which are currently young and hyperdense, but also holm oaks, oaks or Pyrenean oaks, pines, ash trees, scrubland and grasslands.

Forest repopulations are focused on the steep slopes of the Sierras de Somosierra and Ayllón. An excellent example of restoration is the mountain "EL RASO" nº 265 of the Catalog, located in the municipal term of Cerezo de Arriba. Mountain of excellent quality from all points of view and that houses a great natural heritage. A "Valle Salvaje -Wild Valley-"...

 

During the last decades, in addition to continuing traditional activities promoting innovation, a multitude of works have been carried out in all forest systems, carrying out regeneration work, adjusting tree densities, establishing a better balance of ages or improving pastures and habitats of interest for various species. With all these works, very important tasks are achieved, among them contributing to the prevention of forest fires by generating mosaic cultural landscapes.

This long process of restoring nature is not without dangers and uncertainties. The problem of large forest fires or adaptation to climate change will require an effort from all parties. The primary sector and its associated value chain, although minor, will be the main management tool, as it has been until now, so that these ecosystems continue to play their multifunctional role. Only in this way will society be able to continue benefiting from its sustainable goods and ecosystem services.

 

 

 Forest repopulations and nursery in the vicinity of the hermitage of San Benito towards the Sierra. 1964-2024

Old images from the State Forest Heritage deposited in the Segovia Provincial Historical Archive and in the Segovia territorial archive of the Junta de Castilla y León.

The following collaborated in the realization of this article: 

• Francisco Javier Plaza Martín. Forest Engineer of the Territorial Environment Service. Segovia. Junta de Castilla y León. 
• Mario Lozano Enguita. Forest Engineer of the Territorial Environment Service. Segovia. Junta de Castilla y León.
• Celso J. Coco Megía. Forest Engineer at Cesefor. REMP.

(versión en español)