Open spaces

Open spaces

Leaving pastures, mown fields and crops fallow because it is not profitable to farm them is an invaluable loss to our cultural and environmental heritage.

Open spaces

We work to preserve a landscape that is diverse and rich in environments

Failing to manage pastures or crops can lead to obvious changes in the landscape, such as forests colonising the land. This means an increase in forest mass and therefore a higher risk of uncontrolled fires. Another consequence is the notable impoverishment of biodiversity, given that a wide variety of ages-old flora and fauna are adapted to live in these open areas.

Foundation's actions to preserve open spaces

controlled burning

Controlled burning

The goal of this kind of action is to recover open spaces in an effort to foster biodiversity, lower the fuel load to prevent fires and improve pastures to help extensive livestock farming.
The Foundation has used this method in different spaces within the Nature Spaces Network. It has specifically applied it in Montserrat-Coll de Can Maçana, where it has conducted Life Montserrat, a European project that uses this method.
 

Crop recovery

Crop recovery

This practice allows habitats to be diversified while defining plant-free zones which are needed to prevent and put out forest fires. Likewise, crop restoration also provides food for the fauna living there, especially birds and wild herbivores, as well as the birds of prey and carnivores that eat them.

Crop recovery is promoted in many of the natural spaces within the Nature Spaces Network.

Silvopasture

Turning forests into meadows and silvopasture

Meadows are places with low-density arboreal vegetation mainly used for grazing. Additionally, turning forests into meadows helps diversify the habitats and fosters the biodiversity of both the prey species population and the birds of prey.
Oftentimes, the way the results of habitat cleaning and recovery actions are kept is by having livestock graze on these lands, while this also enables these livestock herds to feed self-sufficiently.  

 

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