How soil science is helping restore lost Spanish fir forests in the Sierra de las Nieves

Environment

University of Granada researchers use charcoal dating to reintroduce endangered pinsapo trees to their historical habitats with a 93% survival rate

Javier Almellones

Málaga

He still vividly remembers those drives from San Pedro Alcántara towards Ronda when he was a child. On that road, it was common to see ... people taking small Spanish firs (pinsapos) to use as Christmas trees.

Back then, no one could have imagined that the landscape would end up disappearing almost entirely. Decades later, José Gómez Zotano, a geographer and researcher at the University of Granada, is working to restore that forest to the very place from which it should never have vanished.

This work has been documented in a scientific study authored by University of Granada researchers Francisca Fernández Castaño, Rubén Pardo Martínez, and Gómez Zotano himself. The paper analyses both the recovery of this ancient Spanish fir forest and the effectiveness of a restoration methodology that achieved a high survival rate among the planted trees.

Related story

• News

  • Gómez Zotano is one of the three authors of the University of Granada project. Below, the planting of specimens took place between November 2022 and February 2023.

    “Of the 301 trees, 251 had between seven and 15 shoots,” explains Gómez Zotano. In non-technical terms, these were established specimens around half a metre tall, transplanted with large root balls to maximize survival. Only 50 were younger plants.

    Furthermore, all specimens came from the nearby La Nava Spanish fir forest, selected from overcrowded stands where trees were competing for resources. Before being moved, they were held in a nursery area to encourage root development and help them adapt to their new location. The study concludes that this preparatory procedure was key to the project's success.

    Gómez Zotano frequently emphasizes that planting is only the first step; the trees require years of ongoing care. The team dug hundreds of holes (many by hand), cleared brush to reduce fire risk, installed protective fencing against goats, sheep, mountain goats, and wild boar, organised regular watering during the first two summers, and tracked each tree individually.

    “Many reforestation projects fail because they choose the wrong location or lack essential watering and maintenance during their early years,” he explains. “Until a tree establishes its root system and becomes self-sufficient, supplementary watering is required, though it should be gradually reduced so the tree learns to find water on its own.”

    Each tree was logged in a database detailing its coordinates, age, aspect, soil type, watering schedule, and growth, allowing for precise scientific evaluation.

    Hundreds of volunteers

    While rooted in university research, the project could not have succeeded without community involvement - particularly the Association for Public Footpaths in the Serranía de Ronda, which championed the initiative from the start.

    Around 300 volunteers participated across various stages alongside local authorities, landowners, community groups, and schools from across the Serranía de Ronda and the Costa del Sol.

    “The public response exceeded our expectations,” recalls Gómez Zotano. “People came from across the region - from Marbella, San Pedro, Estepona, Fuengirola, and Malaga.”

    Access environmental monitoring and nature news