- Today. the work to plant apple and cherry seedlings in the Tavascán and Lladorre valleys was completed as part of the project to enrich biodiversity in areas populated by bears in the Pyrenees organised by Fundación Oso Pardo (FOP) and Endesa
- These trees, together with those due to be planted next autumn in the area, are expected to absorb a total of 1,665 tonnes of CO2 over the next 30 years, which will see it become part of the Bosque Endesa environmental project under the name Bosque Endesa Pirineos
- As part of the most recent census of the species carried out in the Pyrenees, a total of 70 bears were counted, indicating a clear increase in the population
This morning, the work to plant a total of 1,200 fruit tree seedlings of native varieties in the Tavascan and Lladorre valleys, in Pallars Sobirà, was completed, with a view to improving the habitat of brown bears. This action forms part of the project carried out by Endesa in collaboration with Fundación Oso Pardo (FOP) entitled "Enrichment of biodiversity in bear areas in the Pyrenees", launched in 2016 with a view to designing a network of spaces that will facilitate the movement and spread of the species throughout the Catalan Pyrenees, by increasing the supply of food, and thus contributing to its conservation. The trees, distributed across a total of 9 small forests scattered throughout the area extending over a total of 2 hectares, have another, equally as important, environmental contribution to make. When combined with the second plantation to be carried out in autumn, it is expected that the trees will absorb 1,665 tonnes of CO2 in its first thirty years alone. Known as Bosque Endesa Pirineos, it will become part of Bosque Endesa, a pioneering project in the energy sector with major environmental, economic and social benefits.
What came to an end this morning is, in reality, a process that began during the summer of 2020, when operators from Forestal Catalana (a Catalan government institution with which the FOP has a collaboration agreement in place for plant production) collected seeds from native mulberry bushes and cherry trees, which were subsequently planted at the company's nursery in Tremp. Over the past year and a half, experts have nurtured them to ensure the seedlings developed correctly. Furthermore, a specialist in traditional apple varieties was on hand to collect 500 cuttings from a total of 19 local varieties which were then grafted at the Cal Corona de Barbens nursery in Bellpuig d’Urgell. From these seedlings, 1,200 apple and cherry trees were planted today, as part of this first campaign. This operation will be complemented by a much larger operation to take place in the region this autumn, with a total of 7,000 trees being planted.
The terrain chosen for the plantation work borders the Alt Pirineu Natural Park, which also forms part of the Natura 2000 Network; it was chosen for being an area in which bears are usually present, in addition to boasting perfect ecological conditions for planting these fruit varieties. These are private farms, with a Land Stewardship Agreement entered into with their owners to ensure they remain this way and, therefore, guarantee the continuity of the project. The plantation work was performed by local firm Torb S.C.P., based in Llavorsí, which was selected with the aim of contributing to the promotion of employability in the region.
The main aim of the project was to restore the brown bear's habitat in areas that have lost vegetation cover contributing, in turn, to the improvement of the region's biodiversity. To achieve this, a network of fortification and feeding forests is being created, strategically distributed across areas with a bear presence using seedlings taken mainly from cuttings in the regions of Vall d'Aran and Pallars Sobirà. Wild fruit trees are a critical source of food for bears, meaning that having a habitat rich in this resource contributes to both improving the outlook for the species and to reconciling its presence with human activities by providing this source of food in its natural environment.
In fact, the restoration of the Alt Pirineu Natural Park and the "Alt Pallars" in the Natura 2000 Network with brown bears in mind first began in 2016 with the creation of the "Enrichment of biodiversity in bear areas in the Pyrenees" programme. It was originally conceived as part of the European project, PirosLIFE. Once complete, Endesa and FOP decided to continue with the programme and work towards the restoration of the brown bear habitat in areas like the Pyrenees.
During the plantation work performed in 2018 and 2019 in an area spanning more than 7 hectares, 9,150 fruit trees grazed by brown bears (raspberries, apple trees, cherry trees, mulberry bushes and alpine buckthorn) were introduced. Today, they are growing in height and diameter with periodic reviews carried out to follow up on their progress. However, this is a long-term project, as it is estimated that they will not produce any significant harvests for about 10 years. In addition to serving as food for bears, other species of mammals, birds and insects, will also benefit, thus improving the biodiversity of the area.
Similar experiences in other locations have demonstrated that the abundance of fruit in summer and autumn improves the movement of bears, in addition to avoiding them encroaching into areas where human presence is more common.
A protected species
The brown bear is a protected species in Spain, currently listed as Endangered, and a priority species in the European Union pursuant to the Habitats Directive. This situation requires urgent and continuous measures and for a plan to be in place to ensure its conservation is compatible with the rural development of environments that it inhabits. To this end, wild fruit trees are a critical source of food for bears, meaning that having a habitat rich in this resource contributes to both improving the outlook for the species and to reconciling its presence with human activities by guaranteeing sources of food in its natural environment.
The most recent census taken by the Cross-Border Monitoring Group of the brown bear in the Pyrenees (GSTOP) suggest that the situation of the bear population in the Pyrenees is improving. According to the most recent count taken, in 2021, 8 calved females were identified with 15 cubs and a minimum total number of 70 bears: 32 males, 34 females and 4 bears whose sex could not be determined. In Catalonia, they became extinct between the late 80s and early 90s; those present today are of Slovenian origin and are distributed mostly in the regions of Vall d'Aran and Pallars Sobirà, although they are also present in Pallars Jussà, Alta Ribagorça, Alt Urgell and Cerdanya.
The collaboration of Endesa and Fundación Oso Pardo, a private entity dedicated to the conservation and tracking of the species, forms part of Endesa's Biodiversity Conservation Plan and seeks both an environmental and social impact, focussing on the promotion of sustainable rural development, environmental education and brown bear protection.
Bosque Endesa Pirineos
These nine small forests at which plantation work has come to an end today, represent the beginning of the Bosque Endesa Pirineos, where it is expected, over the next 30 years, that up to 1,665 tons of CO2 (equivalent) will be absorbed.
As part of its Sustainability Plan, and its commitment to fight against climate change, Endesa would like to make a practical contribution to the global mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is doing so through the Bosque Endesa initiative. The project is an essential feature of the aim of reforesting and restoring land damaged by fire by planting native species which will contribute to the recovery natural assets, reducing CO₂ and boosting the local economy, and this consists of several projects: Bosque Endesa Atalaya (Madrid); Bosque Endesa Doñana (Huelva); Bosque Endesa Teruel, Bosque Endesa Baleares and Bosque Endesa Pirineos.
Bosque Endesa Forest generates a triple environmental, economic and social benefit in the environment where it is undertaken, so it can be considered a benchmark in sustainability. The environmental impact of this restoration work is very positive, as it improves the brown bear habitat in the Pyrenees. These new forests are better adapted to climate change and enable the recovery of the natural assets, biodiversity and ecosystem services that they provide for society.
Within the economic field, it contributes to boosting the local economy, since the recovery of a forest helps to generate additional activity associated with the use of the resources and services it provides, which favours the generation of companies and cooperatives whose activities include tourism and hunting/fishing, as well as sustainable forest use and management.
In the social field, the initiative's projects contribute to promoting local employment, since priority is given to unemployed people, young people, women, people over 45 years of age and those at risk of social exclusion when recruiting personnel for plantation and maintenance work for the project.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in Spain. Endesa operates an end-to-end generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribution and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, Europe’s largest electricity group.