New actions in the Solana de La Muela de Montalviche
The AlVelAl association undertakes the third phase of this reforestation project of an iconic enclave of the territory
The revegetation project of La Solana de La Muela de Montalviche, began in 2018 the actions contemplated in the Natural Areas Restoration Plan that the AlVelAl association intends to carry out in the next 20 years. A plan whose objective is the creation of a large ecological corridor through the restoration of public natural areas and private farms of farmers associated with AlVelAl.
During the course 2018-19, AlVelAl already executed two phases of this La Solana de La Muela reforestation project. The action consisting in the water correction of some incipient ravines through small dams with local materials, improving water capture and reducing the connectivity and kinetic energy of water flows . As well as reforestation with 50,000 specimens of native species with high resistance to drought, erosion and climate change; such as Pino Carrasco, Sabina Mora, Juniper of Miera, Encina, Coscoja and Espino Negro. 5,000 of them, planted in the belt of pine trees in the area after clearing; to favor plant diversity. An action whose objective is to increase the resilience of the forest mass and attract pollinators, birds and other species; favoring the biodiversity and the wealth of the territory.
A action that involved the hiring of 386 wages from which a total of 7 people benefited, as well as the hiring of local business services and citizen participation through volunteering and student practices of the professional training cycles of the IES José Marín de Vélez Rubio. 30,000 new trees
One year after the end of the second phase of this project, the survival rate at the top, the most extreme and complicated due to its slope and climatic conditions, is 20 percent.
This third phase, which will be executed with the collaboration of Montevivo and Pedro Robles Excavations; It will consist of the planting of 30,000 trees, some of replacement of plants with Sabinas, more resistant to the extreme conditions that La Muela presents and those that best survive. And the diversification of species in the existing pine forest, with the same species used in the previous phases of the project.
With this new action the intention is to reinforce the diversity of this ecosystem and resilience against the expected effects of climate change and against possible forest fires. In addition, it is intended to improve balance and favour the proper functioning of nearby agroecosystems, while improving productivity.
Together against climate change
The first two phases of this landscape restoration project in La Solana de La Muela were made possible thanks to the collaboration of public and private entities such as the Commonland Foundation, Ministry of Environment and Land Management of the Junta de Andalucía, the Sierra María Natural Park - Los Vélez, the Wates Foundation, La Gergaleña and Ecosia.
In this third phase, AlVelAl once again counts with the collaboration of Commonland and Ecosia Foundation to finance it. They collaborate again hand in hand against climate change.
And, one of the objectives of AlVelAl is to improve the resilience of the territory against the inclemencies caused by climate change and preserve and increase biodiversity. For its part, Ecosia is a social entrepreneurship project based on an Internet search engine that allocates 80 percent of its benefits to tree planting in order to help reverse climate change.
