LIFE FAGESOS

19 de June de 2023 0 Comentarios

Phytophthora-induced decline of fagaceae ecosystems in Southern Europe exacerbated by climate change: preserving ecosystem services through improved integrated pest management. (101074466 – LIFE21-CCA-IT5-LIFE FAGESOS)

Plant health and forest decline are nowadays becoming a challenge for conservation of agroforestry systems. To ensure the preservation of these ecosystems it is necessary to improve tools and strategies enhancing their adaptation to the outbreak of Alien Invasive Plant Pathogens caused by climatic change.

Phytophthora diseases are increasing their impact and distribution range in evergreen oak and chestnut ecosystems of the Mediterranean basin, boosted by temperature increase and higher frequency of extreme weather events such as flooding and drought. Scarce public awareness of the problem, severe human impact on forest areas and the new EU regulation on fertilizers, that limits the use of K-phosphonate, the most efficient and ecofriendly molecule to mitigate disease impact, further increase the risk of epidemic spread of these diseases. Challenged Forest Ecosystems need improved tools & strategies to enhance their adaptation to the outlined issue, finally ensuring their preservation as important natural carbon sinks.

Indeed, FAGESOS will introduce tools to contrast diseases and enhance forests’ resilience, by:
• The delivery of regional maps for risk- and impact assessment of Phytophthora diseases in the Mediterranean basin in diverse current and predicted climatic scenarios, as a tool for policy makers and forest managers
• The development, validation, implementation and dissemination of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocols, tailored to the specific target ecosystem, including a strictly scheduled use of new biomolecules and microorganisms with proven efficacy. Treatment protocols will be complemented by hygiene measures to prevent disease-spread
• The delivery of fully accessible monitoring protocols, based on validated, innovative models & technologies
• Intense communication, dissemination and capacity building activities, targeting different stakeholders to raise awareness and induce adaption of behaviour The project will be implemented in Italy, Spain and Portugal through a multi-actor approach.

GENERAL OBJETIVES

LIFE FAGESOS aims to address and remediate the outbreak of Alien Invasive Plant Pathogens, adversely impacting natural and semi-natural Mediterranean Fagaceae forest ecosystems, through the elaboration and implementation of Integrated Pest Management protocols and the use of advanced tools for forecasting and monitoring of these outbreaks.

ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CORDOBA

The University of Cordoba has a budget of 800,000 €, and its main activities focus on the development of risk, impact and habitat prediction models for pathogen distribution and disease symptoms, and the monitoring of IPM effects on treated areas. To this end, it leads two of the 7 project work packages, being responsible for various activities in the rest of the packages, with special relevance in the development of IPM protocols, the implementation of treatments, and the establishment of control and hygiene measures.
In addition, the University of Cordoba coordinates the activity of the rest of the Spanish partners and collaborators, with the participation of three more associated entities, and the presence of numerous stakeholders and collaborating organisations. The University of Cordoba is responsible for the training and education section foreseen among the dissemination activities of the project. The UCO team includes researchers from three departments, Forest Engineering Department, Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology Department, and Engineering Graphics and Geomatics, with the participation of 8 researchers and 6 technical specialists hired for the different activities.

LIST OF PROJECT PARTNERS AND PARTICIPANTS

  • LA ALMORAIMA SA SME (Spain)
  • UNIVERSIDAD DE CORDOBA  (Spain)
  • AGROTECNOLOGIAS NATURALES SOCIEDAD LIMITADA (Spain)
  • CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES APLICADAS AL DESARROLLO AGROFORESTAL SL (Spain)
  • ENTE PARCO NATURALE REGIONALE DEI MONTI AUSONI E LAGO DI FONDI (Italy)
  • REGIONE LAZIO (Italy)
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA TUSCIA (Italy)
  • COMUNE DI CANEPINA (Italy)
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI SASSARI (Italy)
  • COMUNE DI VALLERANO (Italy)
  • SOCIETA AGRICOLA MONTE ARCOSU (Italy)
  • UNIVERSIDADE DE TRAS-OS-MONTES E ALTO DOURO (Portugal)

RESULTS OBTAINED

  • Environmental and ecophysiological characterization of the intensive monitoring plots, where the treatments will be assessed, has been carried out.
  • Through various mesocosm experiments, the most suitable natural products for designing integrated management protocols for the three considered species have been identified.
  • Distribution and risk models for P. cinnamomi in the Mediterranean have been published and are available for consultation on the FAGESOS GIS platform.

EXPECTED RESULTS

  • 3 IPM-protocols developed, implemented and disseminated, one for each target Fagaceae ecosystem that enhance forests’ resilience against Phytophthora-induced decline exacerbated by climate change
  • Efficacy of at least 3 new environmentally harmless biostimulants (molecules and microorganisms) tested and validated in alternative or combination with K-phosphonate, to contrast the impact of cinnamomi
  • Mapping of cinnamomi driven diseases improved by providing novel protocols that integrate multispectral remote sensing approach and stochastic and machine learning models to: i) map active foci and ii) rank still uninvaded neighbouring areas for risk of invasion by P. cinnamomi.
  • At the end of project: 100% of project areas, corresponding to 18,119 ha, monitored; 110,000 ha of surrounding ecosystems ranked for disease dispersal risk; and 100% of the Mediterranean Fagaceae habitat mapped for disease impact, presence and potential habitat suitability for cinnamomi (93,850 km2).
  • Efficacy/efficiency of drone treatments with K-phosphonate of chestnut forests/groves (Italy and Portugal) tested and validated. At the end of the project, we expect to release a routine protocol, and to have treated and protected up to 50 + 50 ha in pilot areas of Portugal and Italy.
  • Progression of cinnamomi driven dieback and mortality of Fagaceae forests/groves in the Mediterranean basin stopped by large scale application of improved and legally allowed IPM protocols. By the end of the project we expect to treat up to 1,070 ha (7 demonstrative sites) and to protect up to 18,119 ha of vulnerable areas in total
  • Inoculum in the surface soil (20cm) of treated areas reduced by 80%
  • On average 40% recovery of symptomatic trees obtained and 100% protection of treated non-symptomatic trees.
  • Awareness raised among 100% of forest workers, farmers and agronomists, regularly present in project areas and at least 60% of them engaged in capacity building workshops (1,220 participants)
  • Awareness raised among 50% of inhabitants of territories object of project actions through offline communication activities (42,239 citizens)
  • Awareness raised among citizens in the broader project regions through online communication activities (1,373,323 citizens)

PROJECT’S SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

UCO CONTACT INFORMATION

Investigador Principal: Rafael Mª Navarro Cerrillo
Correo electrónico de contacto: Francisco José Ruiz Gómez, g72rugof@uco.es
Página web del proyecto: En construcción

COORDINATOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Comune di Monte San Biagio

Via Roma 1, 04020, Monte San Biagio (Italy)

Contact e-mail: Gioia Pernarella (gioiaesu@gmail.com)

Webpage: https://www.comunedimontesanbiagio.it/

 

 

LIFE FAGESOS is co-funded by the LIFE Programme, the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action, under grant agreement no. 101074466. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.

 

Proyecto