The actions have consisted of pruning and removing some young pines to reduce competition with the junipers and the excess of dead wood has also been removed to reduce the risk of forest fire.

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Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Natural

The Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Natural, through the Dirección General de Medio Natural y Gestión Forestal, has carried out during the last weeks restoration and improvement works in the Sivinar de Mongofra, in the Parc Natural de s’Albufera des Grau. The juniper grows on sandy soil and, due to its scarcity and fragility, it is one of the priority conservation habitats in Europe. In Menorca it is not very extensive and is only found in the most mature dune areas.

In the case of Mongofra, the juniper forest was in a poor state of conservation due to the fall of many old trees and the high presence of pines. For this reason, an action has been carried out that has consisted mainly of pruning and eliminating some young pines to reduce competition with the junipers. Excess dead wood has also been removed to reduce the risk of forest fires. Finally, some juniper trees have been planted to accelerate the recovery process.

These tasks are part of the management program for the conservation of the habitats of the Parc Natural de s’Albufera des Grau. The Balearic Institute of Nature (Ibanat) has been in charge of carrying out this action, using manual tools such as chainsaws and brush cutters. The trunks and plant remains have been shredded in situ using a forest bio-chipper, generating wood chips that will enrich the soil. The work was carried out outside the nesting and fire seasons to minimize possible impacts on the natural environment.

It should be remembered that the juniper is a species that is very well adapted to sandy coastal environments and is key to the conservation of the dunes, despite its very slow growth. Thus, active management of the habitats will continue to ensure a good state of conservation in the long term.