Abstract Farmland abandonment and the decline of livestock activity in the Mediterranean mountains have resulted in dramatic landscape changes, including the generalized expansion of shrublands and forests, and the homogenization of the old cultural landscapes. This process has a variety of consequences from ecological, geomorphological and hydrological points of view, as well as from the perspectives of land management and public awareness. An intense debate currently surrounds the discussion and evaluation of rewilding (the process of passively allowing woody encroachment, as well as the reintroduction of large mammals) as an opportunity for enhancing biodiversity and restoring original landscapes after centuries of human activity versus ecological restoration (activities leading to the recovery of degraded ecosystems, including clearing and light human activity). There is no clear consensus regarding the best way to improve the ecological relationships and functioning within an ecosystem. Biodiversity and sustainability can be seen under different levels of human pressure and landscape transformation; total farmland abandonment is not always the best alternative, particularly when local inhabitants aim to sustain themselves using local resources. Many geographers and ecologists consider that extensive stockbreeding in a partially open landscape is a rational way to (i) improve landscape organization, (ii) increase flows and turnover within the ecosystems, (iii) increase the diversity of plants and animals that benefit from a relatively light human presence, and (iv) reduce wildfire risk. However, it has proven challenging for land managers and stockbreeders to clear the best old abandoned fields and “construct” a sustainable, balanced landscape that combines forests, shrublands and open lands. Private landowner involvement and support from the general public is crucial for both funding and the long-term maintenance of benefits. The best old fields should be cleared in the context of high-resolution knowledge of the topography, grassland characteristics, grassland cycles and livestock management. Such efforts are likely to be an excellent opportunity to introduce compatibility between light human activity and increases in biodiversity and sustainability for many marginal mountains, where land abandonment and general forest/shrub recovery are the inevitable tendencies. This paper examines some of the contrasting positions of the scientific community regarding the rewilding or ecological restoration of mountain landscapes, and briefly highlights some experiences in which intentional clearing of old abandoned fields has benefited stockbreeding, biodiversity, runoff generation and wildfire risks. Notably, we describe a sub-Mediterranean valley of the Iberian Range, Northern Spain, as an example. In the long term, we find that the intentional clearing of the best old fields allows the slow organization of a final landscape that will be more useful for local inhabitants, thereby helping to reverse human depopulation in these regions.

中文翻译：

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地中海山区文化景观的野化与恢复：机遇与挑战

摘要 地中海山区农田荒废和牲畜活动减少导致了景观的剧烈变化，包括灌丛和森林的普遍扩张，以及旧文化景观的同质化。从生态、地貌和水文的角度，以及从土地管理和公众意识的角度来看，这一过程会产生各种后果。目前围绕重新野化（被动地允许木本侵占以及重新引入大型哺乳动物的过程）作为加强生物多样性和恢复原始景观的机会的讨论和评估，经过几个世纪的人类活动与生态恢复（领先的活动）展开了激烈的辩论。恢复退化的生态系统，包括清理和轻度人类活动）。关于改善生态系统内生态关系和功能的最佳方式，目前还没有明确的共识。在不同程度的人类压力和景观变化下可以看到生物多样性和可持续性；完全放弃农田并不总是最好的选择，特别是当当地居民打算利用当地资源维持生计时。许多地理学家和生态学家认为，在部分开放的景观中进行广泛的畜牧业是 (i) 改善景观组织，(ii) 增加生态系统内的流量和周转，(iii) 增加受益于生态系统的植物和动物的多样性的合理方式。相对较少的人类存在，以及 (iv) 降低野火风险。然而，事实证明，对于土地管理者和畜牧业者来说，清理最好的废弃旧田并“建造”一个结合了森林、灌木丛和开阔土地的可持续、平衡的景观是一项挑战。私人土地所有者的参与和公众的支持对于资金和长期维持利益都至关重要。最好的旧田应该在地形、草地特征、草地循环和牲畜管理的高分辨率知识的背景下清理。这些努力很可能是一个极好的机会，可以在许多边缘山区引入轻度人类活动与生物多样性和可持续性的增加之间的兼容性，在这些山区，土地遗弃和一般森林/灌木恢复是不可避免的趋势。本文考察了科学界在山地景观的野化或生态恢复方面的一些对比立场，并简要强调了一些经验，其中有意清理废弃的旧田有利于畜牧业、生物多样性、径流产生和野火风险。值得注意的是，我们以西班牙北部伊比利亚山脉的亚地中海山谷为例。从长远来看，我们发现有意清除最好的旧田地可以缓慢组织最终景观，这对当地居民更有用，从而有助于扭转这些地区的人口减少。并简要强调了一些经验，在这些经验中，有意清理废弃的旧田有利于畜牧业、生物多样性、径流产生和野火风险。值得注意的是，我们以西班牙北部伊比利亚山脉的亚地中海山谷为例。从长远来看，我们发现有意清理最好的旧田可以缓慢组织最终景观，这对当地居民更有用，从而有助于扭转这些地区的人口减少。并简要强调了一些经验，在这些经验中，有意清理废弃的旧田有利于畜牧业、生物多样性、径流产生和野火风险。值得注意的是，我们以西班牙北部伊比利亚山脉的亚地中海山谷为例。从长远来看，我们发现有意清理最好的旧田可以缓慢组织最终景观，这对当地居民更有用，从而有助于扭转这些地区的人口减少。