The brown bear remains in danger of extinction today, but has managed to leave the critical subcategory thanks to the work of many entities
Rising temperatures and fires are the main risks for the oso brown that, even so, has managed to get out of the critical danger of extinction that it suffered at the end of the 20th century in the cordillera cantbrica: from the 50 to 60 copies that existed then, it has risen to around 370 today.
This was explained by the coordinator of the area of conservation and restoration of ecosystems of the Biodiversity Foundation, Victor Gutierrezduring the presentation of the progress of the LIFE project Osos con futuro in the Leonese district of Caballes de ArribaOf the municipality of Villablinowhere he has underlined “the imminent need to recover degraded spaces, generate healthy ecosystems and have rich food” to facilitate the conservation of this species.
The brown bear continues to this day in danger of extinctionalthough he has managed to leave the subcategory of critic thanks to the social work of multiple entities during the last thirty years.
However, it continues to be “very vulnerable to global warming”, which leads it to hibernate for less time or not at all, in addition to having seen a reduction in the amount of wild fruits, such as blueberries, on which it feeds.
This LIFE project seeks to “strengthen the recovery” of the plantgrade “incorporating management and adaptation to climate change”, supported by eight areas of the Red Natura 2000 and with the idea of ”making human uses compatible with the preservation of Nature”.
To improve its ecosystem, the president of the Brown Bear Foundation (FOP) and project coordinator, William Palomerohas indicated that “we will plant a total of 150,000 fruit trees, plus another 25,000 chestnut trees at higher levels” on private or public farms thanks to custody agreements that prevent “touching the trees in certain years.”
The operation began in October 2020, “we have already planted 36,700 trees” and is scheduled to end in March 2025, with the intention of cultivating fruit trees at more than 900 meters of altitude on some 155 hectares while the chestnut trees, provided by the autonomous government of Asturiaswill be deployed in another 55.
“A few years ago we believed that the bear was leaving, that it was disappearing, because there were only two population centers…, it was highly threatened, but a lot of social work has been done to recover it,” Palomero certified.
In addition to planting new trees, this initiative seeks to improve the trophic resources of existing forests through forestry, added the technician from the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León (FPNCL), edward alvarez.
“We will do some work to help the trees receive more light and bear fruit better, eliminating competitors” in three forests in the mountains of Palencia and another three in León, he indicated, in addition to planting in clearings “to be able to monitor how they respond before certain scenarios.
In the town of Palacios del Sil in Leon, the FOP forestry engineer, Mara Gmezhas explained how “mixed masses were planted, that is to say, of different fruit varieties that have a better adaptation to climate change, so that the whole is much more resilient”.
The trees planted in this municipality are the cherry, the apple, the mustard, the birch, the rowan and the arraclon, the latter “very important because it grows fast and bears berries that bears like a lot.”
Also “chestnut” is important, planted in the vicinity of Sil Ferrysince its fruit has a high calorific value and helps the brown bear to spend the winter.
Bears with a Future is co-financed by the LIFE program of the European Union, coordinated by the FOP, with the presence of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the FPNCL and the Tierra Pura Foundation, and their agricultural work is carried out by forest crews made up of the area’s population, thus also generating local employment.
According to the criteria of
Know more