Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/720024
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 AUGUST 2016 17 also needed a long-term strategy. "Projects like Foresta 2000 and Tree 4 U were very good initia- tives," she said. "But we also need to provide for efficient and ongo- ing monitoring of these sites." Conrad explained that green and forested areas also provided services that are of benefit to mankind and which are widely acknowledged to underpin many fundamental economic activities, such as agriculture and fishing, and human development. "Trees provide a variety of ser- vices, including air pollution re- duction, heat mitigation, aesthet- ic benefits, human engagement with nature, and carbon seques- tration." The latter is of particular rel- evance to the project in question, particularly given current con- cern over mitigation of – and ad- aptation to – climate change. Influence of humans Cassar said there were some sites in Malta that were not pro- tected or maintained. "Everything has been influ- enced by humans," he said. "And we have a duty to maintain these habitats because, as climate changes happen, the high pres- sure belt will widen and these habitats will become scarcer." Ecological restoration is not only about planting trees, but also about providing a protected environment for other species like birds and insects, Cassar ex- plained. He said that history had shown that piecemeal solutions would not work, and while there had been an increase in tree cover in the Maltese islands through vari- ous afforestation efforts, returns had not equalled investment in many cases, with reasons includ- ing vandalism and theft of trees. Cassar said that afforestation efforts should also include non- indigenous species for more widespread use in appropriate environments, such as urban ar- eas and public gardens. "Planting non-indigenous trees allows for more diversity from an aesthetic point of view, but these also provide useful ecosystem services notwithstanding the fact that they may not be native." Ecological restoration is par- ticularly relevant in Malta, espe- cially since pressures on natural areas in the country have contin- ued to increase, with consequent pressures on species and habitats. The rate of urban development over 7,000 years of more or less permanent human habitation on the Maltese islands has increased more than threefold in the last three decades or so. In their report, Cassar and Con- rad concluded that the core aims of the afforestation and restora- tion initiative should include ex- tending the coverage of wooded areas across the Maltese islands, and buffering existing natural and semi-natural habitat areas to increase their resilience and de- crease their vulnerability. A system of inter-linked habi- tats (greenways, wildlife corridors and/or biotope networks), should be created, while increasing the availability of wooded areas for countryside recreation and lei- sure. Cassar and Conrad insisted it was imperative to seek and en- sure the collaboration of all rel- evant stakeholders to ensure their active participation in the project. "Any future afforestation ini- tiatives must seek to create a sense of ownership of the pro- ject among the public, with this category including those already interested in conservation, those interested in outdoor activities that may not always be seen to be compatible with conservation – such as hunting – as well as those who hold no strong positions re- lating to conservation." It will also be important to in- troduce concepts of 'greening' in- to areas beyond the countryside, notably in urban environments; the role of local councils and citi- zens' groups may be particularly important for this purpose. The two experts put forward an outline plan for implementation over six phases: initial strategy, team establishment, site selection and evaluation, identification of goals/objectives and formulation of detailed site plans, project im- plementation, and monitoring. They also concluded the project could take up to a year to get go- ing, although project implemen- tation, monitoring and mainte- nance would be on-going. News PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAPHAEL VASSALLO Elisabeth Conrad Ph.D. is a lecturer with the Division of Environmental Management and Planning of the Institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta and an adjunct faculty member of the Faculty of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University, Virginia. She is an environmental management specialist by training, with her main research and teaching areas including social-ecological systems, protected area management, and landscape conservation. She has also been actively involved in various international research and outreach initiatives, particularly in areas of landscape conservation and management, conservation and ecosystem management, and sustainability. Louis F. Cassar Ph.D. is Director of the Institute of Earth Systems at the University of Malta, and also holds adjunct status within the Faculty of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University, in Virginia, USA, where he was based as Fulbright Scholar on a curriculum development assignment. His research interests include several aspects of environmental management and conservation (including landscape ecology, integrated coastal management, participatory methods for stakeholder involvement, and the valuation of ecological resources at landscape scale), as well as specific areas of entomology. The core aims of the afforestation and restoration initiative should include extending the coverage of wooded areas across the Maltese islands, and buffering existing natural and semi-natural habitat areas to increase their resilience and decrease their vulnerability 'We have a duty to maintain these habitats because, as climate changes happen, the high pressure belt will widen and these habitats will become scarcer'