development of new agricultural spaces from the disappearance of forest species,
such as the loss of beech from the Mata, València d’Àneu (Pèlachs et al. 2009b).
Similarly, we cannot separate the use and management of fire as a means of creating
clearings in the woods from other aspects of agricultural and livestock management
over almost the past 3000 years (Bal et al. 2011).
It seems clear that management of natural spaces cannot dispense with an
analysis of human influence at a very local scale. Also, the generalized fragmentation of habitats and the widespread creation of open spaces occurred ‘only’ during
the past three millennia. The high temporal resolution seems to be one of the keys to
studies of the dynamics of natural systems, but the high spatial resolution is the only
way to test its effects. Among the examples from mountain areas in Spain, we
would point out studies of the effects of agricultural abandonment around the Cadí
(Soriano 1994; Molina 2000), the intensity of charcoal kilns and forest exploitation
in the Viros forest of Vallferrera (Pèlachs et al. 2009a), or high-altitude vegetation
dynamics in the Pyrenees (Cunill et al. 2013).
Nonetheless, this focus on details does not obscure the importance of each piece
forming part of a larger picture; management also must be global because the key to
good planning will always be found at medium scale and in the overall vision. At
what scale, then, should we consider habitat diversity? As we have seen, geohistory
does not encourage a generic response; on the contrary, accurate data are needed to
be able to integrate different scenarios that combine various levels of intervention
and fragmentation and guarantee biodiversity based on diverse formulas.
Management of the natural surroundings in mountain areas can never be approached at the global level.
5.2.5 Local Environments Appear to Have no Resilience!
In analyzing local-level dynamics, we need to take into account the observation that
“the search for the universal in the infinitesimally small” is a common theme in
most cultures (Haskel 2014: 12). If we apply this concept to forest management and
planning, the key question is the minimum surface area a species must occupy
before it has ‘value.’ The maximum protection of nature in our study area occurs in
the National Park. With the park, the most restrictive areas are the Integral reserves
(Article 24, Natural Spaces Law 12/1985, 13 June), spaces preserved from any
human intervention where only scientific research activities and the sharing of
natural values. The National Parks at Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici are
very localized spaces characterized by their exceptional values. Nevertheless, in a
National Park, it is pertinent to ask if this is the proper management policy. Why are
the integral reserves in a National Park small sites and not large protected areas?
For example, the integral reserves of peat bog, such as Bassa Nera or Trescuro in
Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, contain a large part of the
natural values recognized by the Natura 2000 network (Carreras and Farré 2014).
Within the National Park they are small sites, highly localized, with very specific
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A. Pèlachs et al.
such as the loss of beech from the Mata, València d’Àneu (Pèlachs et al. 2009b).
Similarly, we cannot separate the use and management of fire as a means of creating
clearings in the woods from other aspects of agricultural and livestock management
over almost the past 3000 years (Bal et al. 2011).
It seems clear that management of natural spaces cannot dispense with an
analysis of human influence at a very local scale. Also, the generalized fragmentation of habitats and the widespread creation of open spaces occurred ‘only’ during
the past three millennia. The high temporal resolution seems to be one of the keys to
studies of the dynamics of natural systems, but the high spatial resolution is the only
way to test its effects. Among the examples from mountain areas in Spain, we
would point out studies of the effects of agricultural abandonment around the Cadí
(Soriano 1994; Molina 2000), the intensity of charcoal kilns and forest exploitation
in the Viros forest of Vallferrera (Pèlachs et al. 2009a), or high-altitude vegetation
dynamics in the Pyrenees (Cunill et al. 2013).
Nonetheless, this focus on details does not obscure the importance of each piece
forming part of a larger picture; management also must be global because the key to
good planning will always be found at medium scale and in the overall vision. At
what scale, then, should we consider habitat diversity? As we have seen, geohistory
does not encourage a generic response; on the contrary, accurate data are needed to
be able to integrate different scenarios that combine various levels of intervention
and fragmentation and guarantee biodiversity based on diverse formulas.
Management of the natural surroundings in mountain areas can never be approached at the global level.
5.2.5 Local Environments Appear to Have no Resilience!
In analyzing local-level dynamics, we need to take into account the observation that
“the search for the universal in the infinitesimally small” is a common theme in
most cultures (Haskel 2014: 12). If we apply this concept to forest management and
planning, the key question is the minimum surface area a species must occupy
before it has ‘value.’ The maximum protection of nature in our study area occurs in
the National Park. With the park, the most restrictive areas are the Integral reserves
(Article 24, Natural Spaces Law 12/1985, 13 June), spaces preserved from any
human intervention where only scientific research activities and the sharing of
natural values. The National Parks at Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici are
very localized spaces characterized by their exceptional values. Nevertheless, in a
National Park, it is pertinent to ask if this is the proper management policy. Why are
the integral reserves in a National Park small sites and not large protected areas?
For example, the integral reserves of peat bog, such as Bassa Nera or Trescuro in
Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, contain a large part of the
natural values recognized by the Natura 2000 network (Carreras and Farré 2014).
Within the National Park they are small sites, highly localized, with very specific
124
A. Pèlachs et al.