PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests (habitats 9120, 9130 and 9150) appear in Spain across 387,776 ha in northern mountain areas. Currently these forests are not adequately managed and, despite growth of c. 1.33 million m3/year, only 13.4% is cut each year. As a result, large areas have an excess of timber, leading to significant density and structural problems which makes them highly susceptible to damage from increasingly frequent extreme climate events in the short and medium term. Future climate scenarios are less favourable for the main species and current timber quality is low, resulting in low added value use as paper pulp and firewood, which in turn quickly generates CO2 return to the atmosphere.
Close-to-nature forestry techniques (CNF) applied to beech forests in north and central Spain can help address all these issues. By increasing long-term carbon sequestration, CNF can enhance the climate change mitigation capacity of these forests; by reducing tree density, it can also diminish water demand and wildfire risk, thereby improving their adaptation to changing climate conditions; by fostering a diversity of species and natural regeneration, it will also improve their biodiversity; and finally by reducing density, it can also contribute to providing higher quality timber.
Considering both the good structural properties of beech timber and the increasing worldwide demand for more sustainable construction materials, there is a new niche in Spain for structural timber products made of this species, such as glued laminated timber (GLT) and cross-laminated timber (CLT), which can make use of middle-quality timber currently used for firewood. Consequently, it is possible to develop technological solutions for beech timber which should be run in parallel with the forest management models delivering the required raw materials.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of LIFE HFH is to present a new forest management framework based on the application of CNF to beech forests in northern Spain in order to optimise their ability to mitigate climate change, whilst also guaranteeing their adaptation and improving biodiversity. The proposed framework is also deployed across the whole timber value chain, thereby enhancing its mitigation ability. This objective is achieved by:
- Improving the knowledge base about beech forests in Spain – for example their dynamics, conservation status, existing biodiversity, vulnerabilities and ability to act as natural carbon sinks. This information will be used to set up the specific CNF model.
- Testing and validating the application of the CNF model in demonstration stands of trees. These stands will then be used to develop Fagus Living-Labs as a tool for supporting the replication of the management model.
- Setting up a new value chain for the cascade use of beech timber in buildings by creating new technological products such as pine and beech GLT and CLT to achieve higher carbon storage periods.
- Improving knowledge and technology for enhancing the competitiveness of the forest-to-industry beech value chain.
- Erecting a demonstration building to promote the new products developed during the project and to disseminate them to architects and engineers.
RESULTS
- The proposed CNF model will be applied across a set of 10 demonstration stands of 20 ha each (200 ha in total), located in 10 public forest areas, spread over four regions of Spain (Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla-León and the Basque Country). These areas are representative of the edaphoclimatic conditions, development and conservation status of beech forests in Spain.
- Total increase in carbon sequestration of 2,400 t/CO2/eq (12 t CO2/eq/ha).
- The implementation of the CNF will generate 250 tonnes of wood for cascade use. The beech wood obtained in the demonstration stands will be used to: 1) develop two new close-to-market, innovative beech wood products with a long carbon retention life: GLT and CLT; and 2) develop a new ‘Hayabitat‘ construction system.
- As a result, a pilot demonstration building will be constructed for training and transferring results. The pilot building will become the first to be certified in sustainable forest management under the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) standard, and will also be certified as a passive building under the Passivhaus standard.
- The results obtained in the demonstration stands will allow scaling up of the application of CNF through the development of four regional strategic plans (one per participating region).
- Larger scale transfer of results in the beech forest biodiversity mitigation, adaptation and enhancement laboratories (FagusLiving-Labs), in collaboration with local and regional actors in the supply chain and the sector (e.g. forest owners or timber industry companies). The FagusLiving-Labs will carry out 11 participatory actions and co-creation activities attended by 275 stakeholders.
