“We cannot control climate change, but we can control microclimates”: the strategy to save Mediterranean forests

Climate change cannot be halted overnight, but its consequences can be mitigated. The preservation of the microclimates within Mediterranean forests is a good example of this.

Rising temperatures and increasingly extreme droughts are testing the resilience of vegetation, pushing many forests, especially those in the Mediterranean region, to the limit.

In response to this challenge, science is exploring new strategies to help ecosystems better withstand extreme heat. The primary goal is to modify local conditions, thereby giving a fighting chance to species that may still be able to survive.

A microclimate, a refuge from extreme heat

A forest does not have the same conditions throughout, in the shade of trees or shrubs, or in a damp area of the ground, the temperature and water availability can differ significantly from those in an area exposed to direct sunlight.

Carrascar de la Font Roja, between Alcoy and Ibi (Alicante), one of the best examples of a mixed Mediterranean forest

These small differences make up a microclimate, a set of very localised environmental conditions that can be decisive for the survival of plants, fungi and other organisms.

We remember that …….