The Project
What is LIFE UNCINATA*?
The LIFE UNCINATA* project aims to protect and restore the mountain pine (Pinus unicinata) forests of the Pyrenees, particularly the Habitat of Communitary Interest 9430* (montane and subalpine forests of Pinus uncinata on gypsum or calcareous substrates), through the restoration of natural dynamics, the functional balance of the communities represented, and the increased resistance to climate change, considering the current and future scenarios of increasing threats to the habitat (fires, droughts, over-frequentation…).
The studies will help assess the conservation status of the habitat in the Pyrenees, as mandated by Article 17 of the Habitats Directive.
The project will work towards developing and managing the Natura2000 Network, helping to achieve the goals of the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
The project will implement direct conservation actions in six Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), which contain over 50% of the habitat in the Pyrenees – even though the habitat diagnosis will cover the entire habitat of the region.
LIFE UNCINATA is a five-year project of the European Union’s LIFE Nature & Biodiversity program, which will run until December 2027.
Project objectives
The project’s main objective is to develop conservation and restoration actions that serve as a model, transferable to other Pinus unicinata forests in Europe, which are affected or might be affected in the near future by the same conservation problems as the ZECs in which the project is working