Trees outside forest in the agrarian landscape of mediterranean mountain regions: the case of Sierra de la Contraviesa, Spain

Abstract

The tree has been a constant feature in the structure and sustainability of agrarian landscapes in Mediterranean mountain regions. Our research focuses on trees that grow outside forests, important resources which due to their heterogeneity and multi-functionality have been studied from a variety of methodological perspectives without a clear integrated vision. In this context we have used the concept of ‘Trees Outside Forest’ (TOF) and the standardized methodological and assessment criteria proposed by the FAO in the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) as a benchmark for our research, which deals above all with the current situation of the TOF in Mediterranean mountain regions. To this end, and always from a landscape perspective, we have carried out a diachronic analysis and an integrated assessment of the multi-functionality of these resources within the agricultural system of the Mediterranean mountainside, exemplified in the coastal massif of the Contraviesa in southern Spain.