Installation of orchards producing endemic woody species by the Regional Directorate for Forestry Resources, within the scope of the LIFE IP CLIMAZ project

Aug. 10, 2023

Within the scope of sub-action 8.1 – Increasing the capacity of nurseries of the Regional Directorate of Forestry Resources (DRRF) to supply native plants, in order to carry out adaptations based on Ecosystems, DRRF, partner and beneficiary of the LIFE IP CLIMAZ project, increased the capacity of its nurseries for the production of endemic plants, necessary to safeguard the pressing needs of several ongoing LIFE projects in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, such as LIFE IP CLIMAZ, LIFE IP AZORES NATURA and LIFE BEETLES, coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change.

One of the biggest constraints on the production of endemic woody species in the Azores stems from the collection of seeds of some species, since there are several factors that could condition the annual availability of seeds. Of these, we highlight the biology of the species (existence of harvest and off-harvest years), climatic conditions, which biologically and physically affect seed production, and the fact that the diet of many species of avifauna includes this type of seed.

In this way, it becomes a priority to establish measures that allow an increase in the volume of seeds collected annually, which is why the DRRF has undertaken to implement around 4 hectares of seed orchards in tree islands of the Azores archipelago, two areas in the island of Pico, totalling 0.59 hectares, an area on Terceira, with 1.51 hectares, and two more areas on the island of São Miguel, totalling 2 hectares.

To date, orchards have already been installed on the island of Pico, in December 2022, and one on São Miguel, in the municipality of Nordeste, in May 2023. Azorean Cherry (Prunus azorica), on Pico, and 991 specimens of Short Leafed Juniper (Juniperus brevifolia), 460 specimens of Azorean Laurel (Laurus azorica) and 723 specimens of Azorean Holly (Ilex azorica) in the orchard installed on São Miguel.

Find more about this project at www.lifeipclimaz.eu.