Forest, agriculture and settlements, traditionally shaped a mosaic in Mediterranean landscapes. However, the rural abandonment during the last 50 years has caused mosaic loss and an increase of the forest area.

An example of the Mediterranean landscape, is the Montserrat region, only 60 km north-west from Barcelona. In this mountainy area, the increase of the forest area during decades and the high human pressure due to tourism activities have led to several wildfires that consumed large areas of forest. With the aim to prevent devastating wildfires in this area, there has been many initiatives to manage the landscape and increase its resilience (the video shows more information about the current LIFE project in Montserrat).

During the fieldtrip we will visit the Montserrat region to learn and discuss about landscape ecology, conservation management, wildfire management, the current ongoing projects in the area and the modelling solutions.

We look forward to have you there!

Fieldtrip logistics

Bus departure: 8.30h from Barcelona(*)

Meeting point: in front of Palau Reial (Royal Palace) [MAP]

Address: Avinguda Diagonal, 686, 08024 Barcelona

Return time: 18:30h aprox.

Fieldtrip Agenda

Morning visits:

• Life Montserrat project
• Modeling solutions for wildfire emergencies and resource management

Lunch: 13.00h

Afternoon visits:

• Montserrat natural park, monastery and art museum [MAP]

Return time: 18.30-19.00h

Links:

Life Montserrat project: http://lifemontserrat.eu/en/

Montserrat natural park: http://www.montserratvisita.com/en/nature

(*) Participants will be contacted before the conference with information about: meeting point, detailed timetable and practical recommendations.