António Ventura defends recovery of native forest species for timber production - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação

The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, emphasised that, from the outset, "it is possible to boost native species and also reap economic benefits from them."

"We are working on the domestication of the most emblematic species with the greatest timber potential in the Azorean natural forest. We have installed more than 30 hectares of experimental fields and are monitoring the development of these species on the islands of Terceira, São Miguel and Pico," stated the government official. He spoke in Angra do Heroísmo on the sidelines of a visit to an endemic plant production project.

"These experimental fields are designed to study the cultivation techniques used to install and manage the species, with a view to maximising their forestry use and, thus, defining the most suitable silvicultural models so that they can regain the wood production capacity they once had and made them famous for their quality. They are expected to become valid options for diversifying the production base of Azorean production forests," he said. 

These include native species such as Picconia azorica and Azores Juniper (Juniperus brevifolia), perhaps the most emblematic species of the Azorean natural forest.

"The goal is much more ambitious: we want to expand the experimental fields to other islands and the area of the current ones," stressed the Regional Secretary.

The challenge for the future is to improve the quality and profitability of cryptomeria production, which is the mainstay and support of the regional forestry sector, while progressively diversifying the forestry landscape, either through the careful use of some exotic species or through the use of native forest species that are better suited to certain situations. Several research and experimental projects are currently underway in this regard, as part of the Azorean Forestry Improvement Programme.

Therefore, the aim is to increase and diversify the forest area in a sustainable manner, i.e. one that is environmentally balanced, economically viable and socially fair.

In this process, using native species is strategically planned and always aligned with management plans that aim to balance the conservation of this heritage with the profits for owners, thereby enhancing the various uses of forests.