Prescribed fire in Serra de Can Rubió
2 March 2017
Located in the southeastern part of the project area, between the villages of Esparreguera and Collbató, Serra de Can Rubió i dels Gatells is a mountainous area considered of strategic interest for forest fire prevention.
Prescribed burning will be carried out in 20 hectares of this area during the next weeks. Several bird species of high conservation concern that depend on open areas for hunting and feeding can directly benefit from those actions as they will turn the present landscape of bushes and Aleppo pine forests into open areas. The Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata), with only one pair nesting in the Montserrat area, and the European eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), with severe reductions in its local populations, are among them. At the same time, prescribed fire can also help in recovering priority habitats such as dry Mediterranean grasslands that were lost with the advance of bushes and forests.
Beyond the benefits concerning biodiversity, prescribes fires will reduce fuel load accumulation and the whole area will become therefore less vulnerable to major forest fires.
Grazing activity in this strategic area is currently conducted by a herd of goats. Prescribed burning of dense bush areas will improve grazing conditions and goats will be able to realize an effective control of the vegetation and a good maintenance of the open areas just created.
- Categories:
- Conservation
- Periods:
- March
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