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Our environment
BIOLOGICAL DATA
Classification of types of environment
Natural environments are the result
of the interaction between the climate,
geology, soils, flora and vegetation of a
region or area and therefore vary de-
pending on these characteristics
To classify the types of environment,
UPM Forestal Oriental uses a methodol-
ogy based on the use of satellite images,
information about soil groups and a digi-
tal terrain model, generating basic analy-
sis units that are grouped together and
classified according to their similarity.
On the one hand, this methodol-
ogy allows us to classify types of envi-
ronment according to their degree of
threat at a national level, facilitating the
management and conservation of those
considered most vulnerable and, on the
other hand, it allows us to analyse the in-
ternal and external connectivity between
environments with a greater degree of
naturalness, as well as reconsidering the
location and size of the company’s re-
serve areas.
On average, 65% of the land
is cultivated, less than 10%
is affected by infrastructure
(roads, fire areas, etc.) and the
remaining 25% is maintained in
similar conditions to the previous
usage. The productive blocks are
not necessarily all together, but
are distributed depending on
soil types.
Biodiversity
UPM Forestal Oriental promotes much
more than the planting of eucalyptus.
Through our work we seek to create
spaces so that pre-existing natural or
semi-natural environments can maintain
their characteristics and become appro-
priate areas for supporting various envi-
ronmental uses, including biodiversity.
A forest plot is in reality an area
where productive areas with a high in-
tensity of use coexist alongside intercon-
nected natural areas. The latter are often
productive but also maintain their tradi-
tional use of livestock farming.
Biodiversity, understood as the rich-
ness of species and the presence of differ-
ent types of environment, is analysed and
evaluated in accordance with the scale
and distribution of the company’s plots.
The analysis ranges from the general
(large bio-regions in the country) to the
specific (the plot) and identifies those
plots and sites that are most relevant
from the point of view of the presence
of species and, in particular, rare, threat-
ened or endangered species.
These sites are where conservation
and monitoring efforts are focussed.
After nearly 25 years of different
studies and surveys, we can see that for
both plants and native tetrapod fauna,
around 50% of the species are recorded
on the company’s plots.
These species are mainly present in
the company’s unplanted areas (be they
reserves or not) and to a lesser extent
also within the planted areas. This means
that the plots operate as a large network
of natural or semi-natural areas where
native species find the right conditions
for their development, perfectly comple-
menting the official conservation areas.