Quercus pyrenaica Forests Under Contrasting Management Histories in Northern Portugal: Carbon Storage and Understory Biodiversity

Pousa, Eduardo; Villa, María; Souza, Júlio Henrique Germano de; Castro, Marina

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/35031

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Authors

Pousa, Eduardo

Villa, María

Souza, Júlio Henrique Germano de

Castro, Marina

Abstract(s)

Old-growth forests are crucial for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation due to their high carbon storage, structural complexity, and resilience to environmental stressors. Yet, such ecosystems are rare in Europe, and their ecological functioning remains poorly understood. This study assesses the capacity of Quercus pyrenaica forests in the Montesinho-Nogueira Natura 2000 site (Bragança, Portugal) to develop maturity attributes under different forest management histories. We compare an area with low human intervention for over 80 years (10.2 ha) to two areas harvested for traditional small-scale firewood and timber extraction around 30 years ago (11.4 ha and 2.73 ha). Dendrometric measurements, carbon storage, floristic inventories of understory vegetation, and regeneration surveys were conducted across 42 sub-plots during June–July 2024. Results show that older forests store significantly more carbon and support greater biodiversity, evenness and regeneration, while younger forests present higher values of species richness, including several rare taxa. Our findings suggest that under favorable conditions, secondary forests can recover substantial biomass and carbon stocks within a few decades, while mature stands continue to accumulate carbon and maintain complex structures. Differences in floristic composition between sites may also reflect distinct silvopastoral practices between patches, such as itinerant grazing through forest patches, which historically characterized the Montesinho landscape. These results highlight the value of preserving a mosaic of successional stages, as both mature and intermediate-phase forests, together with compatible human activities, provide complementary biodiversity benefits and contribute to the multifunctionality of Mediterranean agroforestry systems.

Keywords

Old-growth forests Carbon storage Biodiversity conservation Forest management Natura 2000 Species richness Climate change mitigation

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/35031

Citation

Pousa, Eduardo, Villa, María; Souza, Júlio Henrique Germano de; Castro, Marina (2025). Quercus pyrenaica Forests Under Contrasting Management Histories in Northern Portugal: Carbon Storage and Understory Biodiversity. Land. ISSN 2073-445X. 14:10, p. 1-20