Livestock management in Natura 2000: A case study in a Quercus pyrenaica neglected coppice forest

Due to the European Habitats Directive, Quercus pyrenaica habitat has been protected within the Natura 2000 network for biodiversity conservation. Many of these habitats have been widely managed as coppice forest with silvopastoral use throughout Spain. Currently, in many of these oak coppices fuelwood extraction is neglected and grazing is the main use. Management plans required in the Directive should consider all these circumstances and offer an integrated approach to ensure a favourable conservation status of these habitats. We propose a three phase methodology to assess the ability of the habitat to support a given livestock density annually and seasonally, and to evaluate some of the physical impacts of grazing animals on the physical structure and development of the habitat. We applied the methodology to a neglected coppice forest that supports livestock at different periods. Results show that there is a possible compatibility between annual livestock food requirements and pasture production. Current grazing periods seem to fit the seasonal pasture productivity. Negative impacts were assessed on oak shrubland stands due to intense browsing and on low polewood owing to the high density of broken trees. On more developed stands, positive livestock impact was due to the control of the regrowth of coppice shoots. Acorn absence is a result of the previous coppice management. This negative impact may endanger long-term viability of Q. pyrenaica in the study area. We propose a process of conversion into high forest through a sequence of thinning to start sexual regeneration. In this proposal, livestock have an important role to ensure biodiversity, control the regrowth of coppice shoots and thinning low polewood stands.