The feeling of such large areas being abandoned and forgotten is very strange to me. You talked in one of your videos about the terrible depopulation of the Portugese countryside, which of course somewhat explains the situation. An interesting contrast with my own region of France, covered with forests and woods but certainly not abandoned - everywhere signs of visits, activity, management. Because this area has never lost its dairy farmers, who also traditionally lived from the forests, harvesting trees but equally things like lichen (for the perfume industry) and wild plants. I wonder how your forest ecosystem was managed before local people started leaving. Looking forward to your piece on water next week, and going to watch the video right now!
I was talking to a forester yesterday when he came to look at the cork trees on our land. He was pointing out the trees and branches that would be cut in the traditional Portuguese management system. I've also walked through the woods with an older man from the area and discussed my plans to bring the area back into management. The forgotten areas up here are mostly eukalyptus and pine plantations that nobody bothered to take care of. I expect that people will come looking for their land at some point in order to sell the wood, but the more neglected and forgotten a plantation becomes, the harder and less profitable it is for the owners to operate. Perhaps this is another reason why they get left in this condition.
The feeling of such large areas being abandoned and forgotten is very strange to me. You talked in one of your videos about the terrible depopulation of the Portugese countryside, which of course somewhat explains the situation. An interesting contrast with my own region of France, covered with forests and woods but certainly not abandoned - everywhere signs of visits, activity, management. Because this area has never lost its dairy farmers, who also traditionally lived from the forests, harvesting trees but equally things like lichen (for the perfume industry) and wild plants. I wonder how your forest ecosystem was managed before local people started leaving. Looking forward to your piece on water next week, and going to watch the video right now!
I was talking to a forester yesterday when he came to look at the cork trees on our land. He was pointing out the trees and branches that would be cut in the traditional Portuguese management system. I've also walked through the woods with an older man from the area and discussed my plans to bring the area back into management. The forgotten areas up here are mostly eukalyptus and pine plantations that nobody bothered to take care of. I expect that people will come looking for their land at some point in order to sell the wood, but the more neglected and forgotten a plantation becomes, the harder and less profitable it is for the owners to operate. Perhaps this is another reason why they get left in this condition.