What we see today as a "natural" Mediterranean landscape is actually a "design" resulting from a millennial interaction between humans and ecological systems.
Research within the Atlas reveals that the region's forests were once far more diverse. Thousands of years ago, species like the (European Black Pine) and Pinus sylvestris were widely distributed across the Northern Meseta. These forests served as crucial refugia during climate shifts, housing species that are now restricted to high mountain enclaves. 2. A Millennial Story of Deforestation Atlas Forestal
This recovery helps with carbon storage and provides environmental services, though it often lacks the full biodiversity of the ancient "deep story" forests due to the dominance of specific species like the beech tree , which casts a deep shadow that can exclude other species. Reconstructing forest history from archaeological data What we see today as a "natural" Mediterranean
The Atlas identifies different "evolution pathways" where forests recover at varying rates depending on local soil and climate. These forests served as crucial refugia during climate