Plant production by Forest Services is fundamental for reorganisation of Azorean forests, says António Ventura - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação

The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development stated today in Praia da Vitória that plant production in forest nurseries "is fundamental for the redevelopment of Azorean forests." In this regard, he added that there are currently "18 forest nurseries, with a total area of 264 thousand square metres and a production capacity of about five million plants in the Azores."

António Ventura spoke on the sidelines of a visit to the Fontinhas Forest Nursery and Centre for the Dissemination of Native Species on the island of Terceira, where he highlighted the role of regional Forest Services in drawing up projects, building and maintaining the spaces from their creation.

"Investment in improving forest nurseries has been constant. This Forest Nursery and Centre for the Dissemination of Native Species is a prime attraction for environmental education on Terceira Island among young people," he stressed.

The government official added that Azorean cryptomeria is the most widely produced species in forest nurseries. According to him, it is "the wood-producing forest species with the best vegetative growth, as it is well adapted to the Region and has the best chance of beating off competition from invasive species, which occurs soon after planting."

Furthermore, he continued, "it is a forest species whose wood is in good demand on the market, including for export. In 2023, about 330 thousand specimens were distributed in the Region, with around 760 thousand still in nurseries for growth."

In addition to exotic forest species such as cryptomeria, the nurseries produce other coniferous trees, with 18 thousand distributed in 2023 and 87 thousand remaining in the nursery, including chamaecyparis, pines, sequoias and several cedar species. They also produce hardwood species, of which 45 thousand were distributed and 125 thousand are still growing in the nurseries.

As for ornamental plants for public spaces, about 15thousand  were distributed and used, with a considerable amount still left to grow.

"Regarding our endemic and native Azorean species, about 216 thousand have been distributed and used by forest services, with around 470 thousand remaining in nurseries for growth," António Ventura said, adding that "there are currently more than 1.5 million plants in Forest Services' nurseries for planting in permanent locations during the next planting seasons."

The Regional Secretary also stated that "the production of endemic species has been increasing over the years." It has been fostered by "the approval of the hydrological basin management plans for Furnas Lake and Sete Cidades Lake on São Miguel Island and the hydrological basins on Pico Island, the need to afforest the slopes of new roads, and the conversion of areas difficult to exploit and at high risk of erosion (such as water lines and ridges). This was also fuelled by the need to recover degraded natural forest ecosystems and reforest ecological corridors within the Forest Perimeter and the experimental trials of the Forest Improvement Programme, which aims to analyse the production potential of endemic wood species."

"Simultaneously, there has also been an increase in interest from private landowners, educational institutions, local authorities and parish councils in using our endemic species, as well as an increase in the need from various LIFE projects, with Forest Services as partners and responsible for the production of endemic wood species in the Azores," stated António Ventura.