Urban Klima 2050 and Donostia-San Sebastián City Council recover the native species in Mount Oberan
23/03/2021
Restoring and recovering Basque Country’s woodland, which accounts for 55% of the territory, is one of the goals of the LIFE Urban Klima 2050 programme. One of those actions, and organised by Donostia-San Sebastián City Council, is being implemented on Mount Oberan, located in part of the Aiako Harria Natural Park (Gipuzkoa).
Specifically, the area, which belongs to the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) of the Natura 2000 Network (protection scheme of many natural values, including native forests), has been replanted with native species. Furthermore, the neighbouring land of Errekabeltz (Donostia) and the Añarbe forest (Renteria) are home to one of Gipuzkoa’s finest oak groves, which would have naturally spread over Mount Oberan if plantations of non-native species had not been grown in this area since the 1950s, and which were felled last year to prepare for the reforestation.
That work consisted of replacing stands with Lawson cypress, maritime pine and European black pine (approximately 10 ha), which were due to be felled. The common oak (Quercur robur), considered more suitable than the beech, was the species chosen to replace them. The plan is also to recover the riverside woodland along the banks of the small watercourses in the area, using species such as alder, birch and ash. Other secondary species, such as wild apple or pear trees, will be planted around the riverbank species, in order to increase diversity and create a transition zone to the oak grove. The aim of using these secondary species is for them to spread into the heart of the woodland and naturally mix with the oak, which will give continuity to the neighbouring Añarbe forest.
Restoring and recovering Basque Country’s woodland, which accounts for 55% of the territory, is one of the goals of the LIFE Urban Klima 2050 programme. One of those actions, and organised by Donostia-San Sebastián City Council, is being implemented on Mount Oberan, located in part of the Aiako Harria Natural Park (Gipuzkoa).
Specifically, the area, which belongs to the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) of the Natura 2000 Network (protection scheme of many natural values, including native forests), has been replanted with native species. Furthermore, the neighbouring land of Errekabeltz (Donostia) and the Añarbe forest (Renteria) are home to one of Gipuzkoa’s finest oak groves, which would have naturally spread over Mount Oberan if plantations of non-native species had not been grown in this area since the 1950s, and which were felled last year to prepare for the reforestation.
That work consisted of replacing stands with Lawson cypress, maritime pine and European black pine (approximately 10 ha), which were due to be felled. The common oak (Quercur robur), considered more suitable than the beech, was the species chosen to replace them. The plan is also to recover the riverside woodland along the banks of the small watercourses in the area, using species such as alder, birch and ash. Other secondary species, such as wild apple or pear trees, will be planted around the riverbank species, in order to increase diversity and create a transition zone to the oak grove. The aim of using these secondary species is for them to spread into the heart of the woodland and naturally mix with the oak, which will give continuity to the neighbouring Añarbe forest.
