A landscape historically shaped by the Mediterranean climate and human activity, with extreme temperatures, droughts, and erosion, combined with agroforestry practices that differ depending on the region, time period, and socioeconomic context. It is an unstable balance between forest and agriculture, where water and fire act both as cause and effect.

Article by Robert Savé, Emeritus Researcher at IRTA (Viticulture & Climate Change)

This landscape has been historically shaped by the Mediterranean climate and human activity, with extreme temperatures, droughts, and erosion, along with agroforestry practices that differ depending on the region, era, and socioeconomic conditions. It is characterized by mild winters —exceptionally cold and dry at times— and very hot summers, with irregular rainfall in both quantity and intensity, mostly occurring in autumn and spring. This leads to evaporation rates that are higher than precipitation, resulting in an almost permanent state of drought. These factors, together with shallow soils low in organic matter, determine the types of vegetation that grow there.

These challenges are already becoming more severe —and will continue to do so— as the Mediterranean is one of the global climate change hotspots. In this context, the relationship between forest and agriculture is a fragile one, where water and fire act simultaneously as cause and consequence. Their management must therefore be approached from a holistic landscape perspective, which is no easy task due to the edaphoclimatic characteristics and socioeconomic realities of the Mediterranean, along with the need to preserve active biodiversity, use clean energy, maintain productive soils, and drastically reduce the carbon and water footprint of our social metabolism.

It is clear that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the current and future challenges. Solutions must be promoted based on rigorous scientific knowledge, resource-conscious management, efficient use, and common sense.