Endangered stands of thuriferous juniper in the western Mediterranean basin: ecological status, conservation and management

Thuriferous juniper is only found in isolated parts of the western Mediterranean: France (Alps, Pyrenees and Corsican highlands), Spain, Algeria and Morocco. These semi-arid mountain stands, where thuriferous juniper trees grow in low-density open woodland, are seriously endangered: (i) In the Atlas mountains, the thuriferous juniper stands are heavily degraded as a result of the intensive wood removal and livestock activity in these densely populated areas. This situation, which will soon become irreversible unless remedial measures are urgently taken, has produced impoverished soils and hillside instability while contributing to desertification. (ii) In Spain, although livestock activity and cultivation have strongly reduced areas occupied by Juniperus thurifera, stands are still numerous and, in some regions, show a good regeneration due to conservation measures. (iii) In France, the decline in human and livestock activities over recent decades has led to a recolonization of some of the Juniper stands by pines or oak. A forest management system that enables these original stands to survive and regenerate must be undertaken without delay. The dynamics of evolution of these stands is quite different north and south of the Mediterranean. In both cases, conservation measures are urgently required to protect or rehabilitate these original stands with floristic, ecological and socio-economic interest.