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- ItemOpen AccessIntegrating multiple landscape management strategies to optimise conservation under climate and planning scenarios: a case study in the Iberian Peninsula(Elsevier, 2025) Cánibe Iglesias, Miguel; Hermoso, Virgilio; Azevedo, João C.; Campos, João C.; Salgado-Rojas, José; Sil, Ângelo; Regos Sanz, AdriánGlobal change demands dynamic landscape management that integrates different strategies (e.g. promoting rewilding or traditional farming practices) to address the impact of climate and land use change. Planning for management strategies individually can lead to severe trade-offs between objectives, high opportunity costs and challenging implementation. Integrated management plans are needed to optimise the combination of multiple management strategies. We used the multi-action planning tool ‘Prioriactions’ to prioritise the spatial allocation of four management strategies (Afforestation, Rewilding, Farmland Return and Agroforestry Return) in the Meseta Ibérica transboundary Biosphere Reserve. We aimed to achieve targets for conservation of species suitable area and ecosystem services supply while minimising fire hazard under different climate scenarios. We tested this approach under contrasting planning scenarios depicting different management priorities (Equally Weighted, Forest Maximising and Open Maximising). By integrating multiple management strategies, we could achieve management goals for biodiversity and ecosystem services under different planning scenarios, minimising trade-offs and deriving recommendations easier to uptake. The spatial allocation and extent of management strategies varied according to climate change and planning scenarios. Afforestation was needed when putting more priority on forest species and carbon sequestration, while more Farmland Return was allocated when preserving open habitat species and agriculture. Fire hazard was higher in Rewilding areas and lower in Farmland Return and Agroforestry Return areas. The novelty of our approach lies in its capacity to combine different management strategies and provide an optimised spatial arrangement based on management features, making it suitable for planning in dynamic and complex environments where multiple pressures and objectives must be considered.
- ItemOpen AccessSheep dung input enhances arthropod biomass and a threatened insectivorous bird: Experimental management for conservation(British Ecological Society, 2025) Reverter, Margarita; Traba, Juan; Barrero, Adrián; Bustillo-de la Rosa, Daniel; Gómez-Catasús, Julia; Zurdo, Julia; Pérez-Granados, Cristian1. In recent decades, Europe has seen a notable decrease in extensive grazing bydomestic livestock; endangering semi-natural open habitats; and impacting soil,vegetation, arthropods and insectivores.2. Despite the known ecological consequences of grazing decline, little research hasexplored the role of sheep dung in influencing plant cover, arthropod biomass andhigher trophic levels, such as insectivorous birds.3. To address this gap, a 3-year study (2017–2019) was conducted in a Mediterraneanshrub-steppe in central Spain. Two 10-hectare non-grazed experimental plotsreceived different doses of sheep dung, while a grazed area served as a reference.Vegetation structure was assessed annually, arthropods were sampled six timesper year and the breeding space use of a threatened insectivorous bird wasestimated annually.4. While dung input did not affect vegetation structure, it had short-term positiveeffects on some arthropods, particularly epigeous and coprophagous species.Additionally, the insectivorous bird increased its use of space in response to dungapplication, likely due to the rise in arthropod biomass, a critical food resource.5. In areas where sheep grazing is declining, sheep dung inputs may serve as aneffective short-term strategy to increase the biomass of specific arthropodgroups, indirectly benefiting their predators. Further research is needed to assesslong-term effects on arthropod communities and a wider range of insectivorousspecies, aiding conservation efforts in areas facing low grazing pressures.
- ItemOpen AccessEnhancing outdoor recreational experience: A methodology for assessing peri-urban greenway suitability based on hiker physical activity levels and motivations(Elsevier, 2025) Àvila Callau, Aitor; Pérez-Albert, Yolanda; Farías-Torbidoni, Estela Inés; Mas Alòs, Sebastià; Alberich González, Joan; González Peris, ManelThis study presents an innovative methodology for assessing greenway suitability by integrating hiker profiles. The main objectives of the study are to design a method for calculating greenway suitability for different hiking profiles, based on physical activity levels and motivations, and to carry out a proof of concept on an official greenway. Applied to the 34 km Green Ring greenway in Tarragona, Spain, the approach categorises hikers into nine hypothetical profiles combining three activity levels (inactive, active, very active) and three motivations (nature appreciation, cultural heritage, physical activity). Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and fieldwork, the greenway was analysed through four key indicators (comfort, difficulty, naturalness, and culturalness) which were normalised into a unified scale. The Potential Suitability Value (PSV) metric was developed to measure greenway compatibility with different hiker profiles through custom algorithms prioritising profile-relevant indicators. Results highlighted marked variability in suitability, with the greenway being most favourable for inactive hikers motivated by nature, while those seeking physical challenges found lower compatibility due to limited greenway difficulty. The methodology demonstrates scalability, offering a framework for sustainable greenway management, personalised recommendations, and enhanced user satisfaction. Overall, the study bridges recreation and sustainable land management, promoting enhanced trail and greenway experiences, fostering better health outcomes, and encouraging deeper engagement with greenways.
- ItemOpen AccessEvaluating habitat structural variables as reliable indicators of biodiversity in Mediterranean forests(Elsevier, 2025) Rota, Marc; Piqué i Nicolau, Míriam; Sazatornil, Víctor; Feldman, Mariano J.; Baiges Zapater, Teresa; Guixé, David; Larrieu, Laurent; Mundet, Roser; Pallarés, Mar; Vayreda, Jordi; Camprodon, Jordi; Jordi CamprodonSustainable forest management aims to integrate biodiversity conservation while maintaining economic and social functions. However, direct biodiversity monitoring is usually costly and time-consuming, making structural indicators a valuable tool for integrating conservation criteria into forest management. We used the ten habitat structural variables derived from the Index of Biodiversity Potential (IBP), a widely used tool for assessing potential forest biodiversity at the stand scale. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of these habitat structural variables as proxy indicators of biodiversity by analysing the relationships between IBP factors and various taxonomic groups, subgroups and ecological guilds in Mediterranean forests. We conducted IBP inventories in 85 plots across 22 stands of different Mediterranean forest types, where we also collected data of six taxonomic groups, four of which were subdivided into forest specialist subgroups. Generalized linear models were employed to test the relationships between habitat structural variables and the richness and abundance of taxonomic groups and subgroups. We found that each habitat structural variable was related with at least one taxonomic group or subgroup. Specifically, the density of logs, the abundance of Tree-related Microhabitats (TreMs), ancientness and the presence of rocky macrohabitats were the habitat structural attributes with most associations. Taxonomic groups showed different responses, ranging from one structural variable (for birds, saproxylic fungi, and bryophytes) and up to four (for forest birds). Forest subgroups of birds, vascular plants and epiphytic bryophytes were more related to structural variables than their corresponding full groups, while forest bats displayed similar associations. However, these relationships differed when focusing on species richness or abundance approaches. Saproxylic ecological guilds, particularly Phloeophagous/ cambiumophagous guild, demonstrated more significant relationships with habitat structural variables than the broader saproxylic beetle assemblage. Our findings highlight that all habitat structural variables contained in the IBP are relevant for biodiversity, but none can be used alone as proxy indicator of forest biodiversity. Therefore, to encompass a wider spectrum of taxa, it is widely recommended to use multiple variables for integrating biodiversity conservation criteria into management planning of the Mediterranean forests.
- ItemOpen AccessToward climate-smart rewilding: An integrated framework for biodiversity, climate change, and society(Elsevier, 2026) Weissgerber, Magali; Fernández, Néstor; Quintero-Uribe, Laura C.; Giergiczny, Marek; Rauff Poulsen, Nikolaj; Villar, Nacho; Mols, Bjorn; Bakker, Elisabeth S.; Monro Smith, Angus; Winkel, Georg; Alagador, Diogo; Rey-Benayas, José M.; Espelta, Josep Maria; Selwyn, Miriam; Brotons, Lluís; Kluvankova, Tatiana; Brnkalakova, Stanislava; Kloibhofer, Judith; Prestele, Reinhard; Smith, Henrik G.; Lázaro-González, Alba; Buitenwerf, Robert; Pearce, Elena A.; Svenning, Jens-Christian; Santana, Joana; Beja, Pedro; Moreira, Francisco; Wunder, Sven; Svoboda, Miroslav; Vancura, Vlado; Arneth, Almut; Hampe, Arndt; Pereira, Henrique M.The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for restoring at least 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, while the IPCC and IPBES emphasize restoration as central to addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. Rewilding, defined as the promotion of self-sustaining, complex ecosystems through minimal human intervention, has emerged as a prominent restoration strategy, yet its climate change mitigation potential is often underexplored. Here, we propose a climate-smart rewilding framework that explicitly integrates biodiversity recovery with climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and socio-economic considerations. Using Europe as a case study, we map potential synergies and trade-offs among carbon sequestration, ecosystem resilience to climate change, wildlife-based tourism opportunities, and the risk of livestock predator conflict. We argue that this integrative framework provides a practical basis for identifying and assessing restoration strategies that deliver multiple benefits across regional and continental scales.