Marginal Mountain Areas Research Articles

Spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of flood resilience in Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration

In the context of global climate change and rapid urbanization, enhancing flood resilience is essential for mitigating urban flood risk. However, few studies have conducted long-term, cross-scale dynamic evaluations of flood resilience and analyzed its influencing factors and mechanisms. Taking the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration as the study area, a long-term, cross-scale dynamic evaluation index system based on the “Robustness-Resistance-Recovery” (3Rs) framework was developed to assess the spatiotemporal evolution of flood resilience from 2000 to 2020. Furthermore, the optimal parameters-based geographical detector model is employed to identify the key influencing factors and mechanisms. The results reveal that pre-flood robustness is lower in coastal areas and higher in inland areas. In the during-flood stage, cities with greater comprehensive power exhibit stronger resistance. Post-flood recovery is higher in city centers and marginal mountainous areas, while coastal and inland low-lying areas show lower recovery. The flood resilience of urban agglomerations has improved in recent years, largely due to the enhancement of urban flood control infrastructure and healthcare capacity. However, disparities between cities persist. From 2000 to 2020, economic factors have been the primary drivers of improved flood resilience, while ecological factors have gained increasing importance over the past decade. These findings provide valuable insights for flood prevention, mitigation, and resilience management in urban agglomerations. The developed dynamic evaluation index system offers a reference framework for evaluating flood resilience in other regions.

Genotype and Plant Biostimulant Treatments Influence Tuber Size and Quality of Potato Grown in the Pedoclimatic Conditions in Northern Apennines in Italy

AbstractIn marginal mountain areas, farm management presents challenges, particularly the sustainable improvement of yield and quality. To ensure this agronomic result, it is crucial to select appropriate varieties and apply sustainable agricultural practices, such as the use of plant biostimulants. To address these challenges a two-year field study was conducted using three potato varieties (Désirée, Kennebec and Spunta) in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. These varieties were treated with two plant biostimulants: one based on hydrolyzed proteins from animal epithelial tissue (Fitostim®) and another based on seaweed extracts (FitostimAlga®). Agronomic and biochemical traits were used to evaluate the development of plants, yield and tubers quality. Significant interactions among factors were found, resulting in higher or lower efficiency of the plant biostimulant treatment depending on weather conditions and potato genotype. Furthermore, results demonstrated that plant biostimulant treatments increased the leaf chlorophyll content (+ 11.5%), the number of leaves per plant (+ 13.3%) and the height of potato plants (+ 6.5%), while no effects were observed on yield. The Désirée variety achieved the highest yield (0.54 kg plant-1), whereas Kennebec was shown as the best variety to use for production of French fries due to a lower tuber quantity of reducing sugars, which were reduced also by plant biostimulants treatment (-18%). Moreover, Spunta tubers had the highest content of polyphenols, and the best value was achieved by Spunta variety treated with Fitostim® alga in the second year. Our finding have proven that plant biostimulant treatments can increase the quality of potato tuber without compromising yield.

Spatio-temporal Evolution and Driving Factors of Ecological Environment Quality in the Huaihe River Basin Based on RSEI

Clarifying the spatio-temporal evolution of the ecological environment quality of a watershed and its response to the natural environment and human factors are crucial for policy implementation in the ecological environment of the watershed. Using the Google earth engine（GEE） to establish a remote sensing ecological index （RSEI）, the spatio-temporal changes in the ecological environment quality of the Huaihe River Basin from 2002 to 2022 were evaluated combined with trend analysis, variation coefficient, and Hurst index. The main driving factors of spatial differentiation of RSEI were explored using the geographic detector. The results showed that： ① In the past 21 years, RSEI of the Huaihe River Basin had generally improved, but it showed a gradual upward-downward trend. Overall, the area of poor and less poor grades decreased, the area of medium grades increased, and the area of good and excellent grades increased. The improved area accounted for 55.93%, and the degraded area accounted for 22.01%. ② In terms of spatial distribution, RSEI gradually deteriorated from east to west （except in the northwest and southwest marginal mountainous areas）. The stability was better in the east and worse in the western and central areas. In the future, the ecological quality change in the basin was prone to be anti-sustainable and mainly improved. ③ Factor detection results showed that the spatial differentiation of RSEI in the basin was mainly driven by vegetation factors, followed by altitude. The interaction between two factors enhanced the driving force for RSEI spatial differentiation, in which the interaction between vegetation factor and elevation had the strongest driving force for RSEI spatial differentiation, reaching 86.3%.

Conditions for Operating in Marginal Mountain Areas: The Local Farmer’s Perspective

Agriculture and local food products can have a significant impact on the economic development of rural areas. However, in environments as harsh as marginal mountain areas it may be difficult to find the right conditions to start a new production. This study aims to present the positive and negative circumstances for starting and operating agricultural activities in minor mountain contexts while assuming the mountain farmer’s viewpoint. With reference to the Soana Valley, in the Northwestern Italian Alps, four semi-structured interviews with mountain farmers have been carried out to assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Preliminary results include land availability, lack of marketing skills, high level of bureaucracy and financial overexposure as the main limitations in starting new economic activity. The adoption of quality/origin labels and multifunctionality in agriculture and tourism as the end market can be considered to be potential flywheels by operators. Therefore, local policy makers can support farmers by firstly reducing land fragmentation and secondly by providing technical assistance for achieving financial funding.

Detection of past landscape elements in marginal mountain areas—the example of the Western Carpathians

There has been a growing interest in applying airborne laser scanning (ALS) in studies on past landscapes. This includes in marginal mountain areas; however, the usefulness of using ready-made ALS data has not been assessed quantitatively this type of area. This paper aims to compare the usefulness of different visualisation techniques of ready-made digital elevation model (DEM) to detect landscape elements connected with past human activity in marginal mountain areas in the Western Carpathians. Six different DEM visualisation techniques were compared, and some problems were identified in the detection of landscape elements using ALS data and field mapping. This study illustrates that it is impossible to point out the most useful DEM visualisation technique that could be applied in marginal mountain areas characterised by varied natural conditions. However, the results confirmed the usefulness of negative openness in road detection and positive openness during the detection of embankments of agricultural terraces and balks. Furthermore, it was indicated that DEM visualisation techniques provide the possibility to measure the length of detected embankments of agricultural terraces and balks on abandoned land and it is impossible to measure them during field mapping due to dense vegetation. On the contrary, in most cases it is impossible to detect stone mounds using DEM visualisation techniques due to their varied size. This study emphasises the necessity of being aware of limitations during using ready-made ALS data.

Social agriculture is a strategy to prevent the phenomenon of abandonment in mountain areas and areas at risk of desertification

Mountain agriculture is characterized by several greater difficulties than lowland agriculture. In recent times, the globalization of markets has led to the marginalization of many farms. Against this backdrop, this paper has analyzed two models of value creation in mountain social farming. Social farming has social inclusion and socialization objectives. Social agriculture has different characteristics compared to traditional agriculture in that it integrates the production function for the market with the social function understood as a transfer of positive externalities that originate from agriculture and have repercussions on individuals in terms of the transfer of farming culture, production techniques and processing of agricultural products. The research results highlight the strong social connotation of the two social farms even though two substantial differences emerge: the privately managed social farm depends on public funding for these purposes; the social farm managed by charitable organizations is dedicated to self-financing and the practice of gift economy. These aspects are relevant in production scenarios where social farming is intended. • Social agriculture enhances marginal mountain areas. • Social agriculture creates conditions for the reintegration of people with disabilities into society. • Social farming is also based on the gift economy.

External Benefits of Irrigation in Mountain Areas: Stakeholder Perceptions and Water Policy Implications

Irrigation contributes to land and ecosystem degradation, especially in intensive farming areas. However, in marginal areas, long-established irrigation systems also supply agroecosystem services. This study aimed to identify and prioritize the external benefits provided by irrigation in extensive grazing farms in an Italian alpine region (Aosta Valley, NW Italy). Three local stakeholder groups (land irrigation consortia members, non-farmer users of the irrigation water service, and non-user citizens) engaged in focus group discussions. The transcriptions were analyzed with an integrated subjective and computer-assisted approach. The main result of the study showed that a convergence of stakeholder opinions led to prioritization of the same four benefits, i.e., hydro-geological and land maintenance, traditional agricultural landscape conservation, biodiversity conservation, and leisure recreational activities provision. Incorporating this information into decision-making processes is relevant in marginal mountain areas, especially in light of the implementation of the water pricing policy laid down in the EU Water Framework Directive. To this end, the economic value of the external benefits should be considered along with the recovery costs for water services. Such information is essential to balance the environmental costs of irrigation and to compare the resource cost of alternative water uses.

How to Balance Green and Grain in Marginal Mountainous Areas?

AbstractChina has implemented the world's largest‐ever vegetation restoration program in marginal mountainous areas to sustain life on land. However, land competition between the demand for grain and the need for green has threatened sustainable vegetation restoration. Here, focusing on China's marginal mountainous areas with the highest density of slope cropland, we explore the optimal solution in the trade‐offs between green and grain. We find that current vegetation restoration strategies are not sufficiently optimized, which may threaten the survival and development of local farmers and in turn destroy existing vegetation restoration achievements. Through adjusting vegetation restoration objectives carefully tailored to local conditions, the population experiencing grain shortages can be greatly reduced by 51–66% (from 18.26 million to 6.29–8.90 million) compared with the current scheme. The optimal design will alleviate the conflict between grain and green, thereby promoting sustainable ecological restoration in China. Our research provides an important reference for the world's mountainous areas to achieve a win‐win situation between green and grain.

The Contribution of Local Food Products in Fostering Tourism for Marginal Mountain Areas: An Exploratory Study on Northwestern Italian Alps

This paper examines visitors' behaviors toward local food products when visiting a less favored mountain community in the Italian Alps. The aim of the study was to assess the role of local foodstuffs in fostering tourism in inner mountain areas. Primary data are based on 507 responses to an online questionnaire created with the Google Module platform. Participants' behaviors are analyzed with descriptive statistical tools, whereas their opinions on food services are analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis χ2 and Mann–Whitney tests. Our evidence shows that although tourists are willing to taste and purchase local food products, the revenue for the local community appears to be limited, with an average expenditure of € 22.80/person (US$ 27.29/person), under a liberal spending scenario. Our research findings give original insights that can help local policymakers better understand how they can develop tourism through local food production.

Good Practices and Sustainable Tourism of Marginal Mountain Areas. The Case of Wine Cannonau in Mamoiada, Sardinia – Italy

Abstract: Mountain regions have been modified by human activity for centuries, which lead to more or less of significant changes in their ecosystems and consequently in landscapes. Some of these changes have been generated by traditional farming practices, such as the viticulture, giving distinctive shapes and identities of the space. Even if in many areas, the farming traditions have been abandoned as the consequences of technological progress applied in agriculture, Sardinia is a good example of vineyards cultural heritage preservation. Thus, linking this cultural heritage to the wine tourism, and promoting good practices at local initiatives, Sardinia limited the depopulation of the mountain areas. A very successful example of the increasing of positive tourism impact on territory planning, over the past few years, is the municipality of Mamoiada, in central Sardinia. The paper highlights the role of the using of environmental, cultural and identity tourist resources of Sardinian territory as far as they are part of good practices and furthermore, they could be the basis of sustainable development strategy. Moreover, the aim of our work is to investigate how the cultural, identity, landscape and socio-economic impact on the wine sector plays an important role for the rural community of Mamoiada.

Spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the late frost damage risk to shrubby tea trees in tea region, southwest China from 1971 to 2020.

Understanding the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the risk of late frost damage has scientific guiding significance for optimizing the regional agricultural production layout and varie-ty tuning. Based on the daily meteorological data of 65 weather stations in the southwest China tea region from 1971 to 2020, we analyzed variation characteristics of the last frost date (LFD), tea bud open date (BOD), and their relationships, constructed frost damage probability index and frost damage severity index of spring shoots of shrubby tea trees, and analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution chara-cteristics of the late frost damage risk of shrub tea trees in the southwest tea region. The results showed that both the BOD and LFD had a significant ahead of trend from 1971 to 2020 and the early rate of the LFD was relatively faster than that of the BOD in the southwest tea region. The number of days that the tea buds were exposed to late frost damage after germination showed an non-significant declining trend. The risk of late frost damage of shrubby tea trees in most parts of the southwest tea region showed a declining trend, but Guizhou tea planting region showed an insignificant increasing trend. The risk of late frost damage to shrubby tea trees was high in the western marginal mountai-nous areas of Sichuan tea region, and the junction of Guizhou and Yunnan tea region. The risk of late frost damage was at low level in Sichuan Basin, southern Yunnan tea region, and southern Guizhou tea region. The risk of late frost damage to shrubby tea trees in the northern and central-eastern parts of Yunnan tea region showed an obvious decreasing trend, but increased significantly in the central and eastern parts of Guizhou tea region.

Agriculture Land Use Change and Demographic Change in Response to Decline Suspended Sediment in Južna Morava River Basin (Serbia)

This study expounds the dynamic relationships among agricultural land-use change, rural population migration, and sediment transport. The variability of suspended sediment load was detected by Mann–Kendall and Pettitt tests. From 1961 to 2007, the annual trend in suspended sediment concentration and sediment load demonstrated significant reduction (α = 0.001), with decreasing rates of 0.0144 g/L/y and 84.7 t/y, respectively. An abrupt change-point was detected in 1984 for the sediment load (p = 0.0001). The double-mass curve method and regression analysis of sediment load versus precipitation were used to quantify the effects of climate change and human activities on sediment load variations. The changes in sediment load were predominantly impacted by human activities (89%), while precipitation explained 11% of the reduction in suspended sediment. An important land-use change recorded in the Južna Morava river basin comprised the abandonment of agricultural lands due to depopulation processes, as well as economic and social changes, which was followed by significant impacts on soil erosion and sediment transport. Land abandonment was most pronounced in marginal mountain or semi-mountainous areas, where agriculture was until recent decades traditional or semi-traditional. The results of the correlation matrix were significant at the p < 0.05 level, demonstrating that the decrease of rural population, agricultural land, and arable land were directly related to the decline of suspended sediment. High correlation coefficients were found between anthropogenic indicators and sediment parameters, ranging from 0.94 to 0.97.

Evaluating accessibility of small communities via public transit

Accessibility to and from urban centres allows small communities’ dwellers to participate in primary activities and use essential services that are not available on-site, such as educational, work and medical services. Public transport networks are supposed to enhance accessibility and pursue equity principles, overcoming socio-economical differences among people that can exacerbate during crisis. In this paper a methodology is proposed and implemented to assess small communities’ accessibility via public transit. A metric is defined based on the calculation of total travel time, taken as a proxy of travel impedance, with consideration of in-vehicle time, schedule delay and users’ arrival and departure preference curves (i.e. time-of-day functions). A “rooftops” model is specified and implemented under the assumption that travellers cannot accept (scheduled) late arrival or early departure time penalties before and after the participation in their activities in the main urban centre, as many activities rarely admit time-flexibility. Also, a public transport specific impedance factor (PTSIF) is proposed, in order to account for travel impedance determinants, which are a consequence of service scheduling and routing decisions and not due to inherent geographical and infrastructural disadvantages affecting car users too. An application of the methodology for the city of Cesena, Italy, and 90 surrounding small communities is presented. The city is served by train and bus services. Assessment of small communities' accessibility based on both total travel time and PTSIF is presented and discussed. This practice-ready quantitative method can help transport professionals to evaluate impacts on small communities’ accessibility in light of public transport service changes or reduction. Quantitative approach to support strategic decisions is needed, for example, both to assess public transport strengthening politics against depopulation of rural and marginal mountainous areas and to mitigate the effects of possible increasing concentration of services towards high-demand lines, which may follow as a consequence of budget cuts or contingencies, such as vehicle capacity reductions required by sanitary emergencies.

Exploring synergies and trade-offs among the sustainable development goals: collective action and adaptive capacity in marginal mountainous areas of India

Global environmental change (GEC) threatens to undermine the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Smallholders in marginal mountainous areas (MMA) are particularly vulnerable due to precarious livelihoods in challenging environments. Acting collectively can enable and constrain the ability of smallholders to adapt to GEC. The objectives of this paper are: (i) identify collective actions in four MMA of the central Indian Himalaya Region, each with differing institutional contexts; (ii) assess the adaptive capacity of each village by measuring livelihood capital assets, diversity, and sustainable land management practices. Engaging with adaptive capacity and collective action literatures, we identify three broad approaches to adaptive capacity relating to the SDGs: natural hazard mitigation (SDG 13), social vulnerability (SDG 1, 2 and 5), and social–ecological resilience (SDG 15). We then develop a conceptual framework to understand the institutional context and identify SDG synergies and trade-offs. Adopting a mixed method approach, we analyse the relationships between collective action and the adaptive capacity of each village, the sites where apparent trade-offs and synergies among SDGs occur. Results illustrate each village has unique socio-environmental characteristics, implying distinct development challenges, vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities exist. Subsequently, specific SDG synergies and trade-offs occur even within MMA, and it is therefore crucial that institutions facilitate locally appropriate collective actions in order to achieve the SDGs. We suggest that co-production in the identification, prioritisation and potential solutions to the distinct challenges facing MMA can increase understandings of the specific dynamics and feedbacks necessary to achieve the SDGs in the context of GEC.

Height of Successional Vegetation Indicates Moment of Agricultural Land Abandonment

One of the major land use and land cover changes in Europe is agricultural land abandonment (ALA) that particularly affects marginal mountain areas. Accurate mapping of ALA patterns and timing is important for understanding its determinants and the environmental and socio-economic consequences. In highly fragmented agricultural landscapes with small-scale farming, subtle land use changes following ALA can be detected with high resolution remotely sensed data, and successional vegetation height is a possible indicator of ALA timing. The main aim of this study was to determine the relationship between successional vegetation height and the timing of agricultural land abandonment in the Budzów community in the Polish Carpathians. Areas of vegetation succession were vectorized on 1977, 1997, and 2009 orthophotomaps, enabling the distinguishing of vegetation encroaching on abandoned fields before and after 1997. Vegetation height in 2012–2014 was determined from digital surface and terrain models that were derived from airborne laser scanning data. The median heights of successional vegetation that started development before and after 1997 were different (6.9 m and 3.2 m, respectively). No significant correlations between successional vegetation height and elevation, slope, aspect, and proximity to forest were found. Thus, the timing of agricultural land abandonment is the most important factor influencing vegetation height, whereas environmental characteristics on this scale of investigation may be neglected.

Understanding farmland abandonment in the Polish Carpathians

For more than 100 years, forest cover in Europe has increased substantially due to afforestation and natural forest expansion. The latter, resulting typically from farmland abandonment and subsequent secondary forest succession, has played a major role in marginal mountain areas and possesses various highly important environmental and economic consequences. In the Polish Carpathians, farmland abandonment is a spatially dispersed, locally specific process because of small farm and land parcel sizes, and its extent in the entire region is not well known. This study aims therefore to map current farmland abandonment in the Polish Carpathians and to identify its spatial determinants. To map farmland abandonment we detected secondary forest succession on abandoned fields using Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) point clouds and topographic data in 230 sample areas (tiles) distributed throughout the Carpathian communes. To reveal the spatial determinants of current farmland abandonment, we investigated variables describing the accessibility and environmental, land cover, and socioeconomic conditions of communes, using best subset regression modelling. The results showed that 13.9% of agricultural land was abandoned and underwent secondary forest succession in recent decades. Topography (mainly slope gradients) and employment outside of agriculture were the two most important spatial determinants of farmland abandonment. Consequently, a substantial forest expansion may be observed in the coming decades throughout the Polish Carpathians if no counteractions are taken.

Impacts of farmers' management styles on income and labour under alternative extensive land use scenarios

High Nature Value farming systems cover a large proportion of the agricultural land in marginal and mountain areas of Europe. These large areas face environmental, economic and social challenges and formulating policies that support all these aspects is difficult. Although farmers play an important role in maintaining the ecological diversity of these areas, their differing management styles are often not recognised when land use policies are formulated. This paper examines these issues using an optimisation model based on an extensive livestock farm in Western Scotland, where four farmers' management styles are combined with a series of six alternative future land use scenarios, to provide a more realistic and robust insight of policy impacts on land use and habitat, labour and farm income. The management styles derived from a typology that was based on a composite of both available resources and attitudinal components. The six alternative scenarios encompassed competitive land use diversification options (woodland and wild deer shooting), abandonment of native pasture for agriculture, no support, high market prices for livestock products, and increased animal efficiency. Although diversification via forestry was found to be potentially central to increasing farming incomes, farmers' reticence to adopt forestry or any diversification was a major constraint. This case study also reinforced that managing livestock on these HNV farming systems was not economical unless support subsidies were in place. The only scenario which could enhance the HNV biodiversity value on farms was one with high market prices, resulting in the most varied land use (sheep, cattle and forestry). All others scenarios meant an increase in afforestation (which displaced livestock), an increase in livestock grazing or abandonment of the land, none of which would maintain biodiversity in these areas. Very few scenarios were able to increase on-farm labour demand and although greater flexibility in farm labour was found to be essential, labour scarcity in these marginal mountain areas remained a problem. In conclusion, this case study reinforced that farmers' management style and motivation do play a major role on how they respond to policies, and unless this role is acknowledged by policy-makers, these European HNV areas may not be targeted properly for the most desired outcomes and sustainability.

Forest Management and Biomass Production for Energy: A Case Study in Calabria Region (Italy)

Among all renewable energy sources, forest biomass represents both an important alternative source to fossil fuels and an opportunity for the socio-economic development of various marginal mountain areas in Calabria. The aimof this study is to estimate the potential revenue from timber harvest in a mountainous area belonging to the Reggio Calabria District, which is showing a great interest in forest biomass production. Following a cost-benefit analysis and by considering all marketable wood assortments, the here applied assessment method allowed us to estimate the timber production of the study area,estimating the potential biomass amount production for energetic purposes. The investigated forest stands coveran area of about 12000 hectares, an appropriate spatial scale for biomass production. Results showed a significant productive capacity, estimated at about 174000 Euro year-1 for each type of timber product, even if the more consistent amounts derive from round wood assortments. The estimation of woody biomass available for energetic purposes, mainly deriving from residual wood and timber assortments was estimated on about 24200 tons year-1. The results obtained suggested how it could be possible, in the context of the Metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria, the creation of a small biomass energetic power station,with a generating capacity of about 1 MW.

The Effect of Landscape Conservation Measures in Changing Landscape Patterns: A Case Study in Mediterranean Mountains

AbstractMediterranean mountain landscapes have high ecological and cultural values. However, since 1950, a large number of these landscapes have been subject to degradation as a consequence of land abandonment. Some regional administrations have enacted measures that favour the regeneration of pasturelands through scrubland clearing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the consequences of clearing and the regeneration of pasturelands on landscape structure and the recovery of extensive livestock in La Rioja. The results indicate that between 1986 and 2011 an area of 29,659 ha was cleared in the mountains of La Rioja, although 62·6% of this was cleared in the period 2000–2011. In 1956, the landscape was dominated by cultivated fields, but by 2001, much of the agricultural area had been abandoned and replaced by scrubland, natural woods and reforested areas. Furthermore, the landscape was more fragmented in 1956 than in 2001. The landscape structure varied following clearing, with a doubling in the number of patches and an increase in heterogeneity. The consequences of clearing have included an increase in the area of pastureland and the number of large animals. In addition, the number of farms has decreased, but their mean size has increased. Clearing is an appropriate way for spatial reorganization in marginal mountain areas. It does not require excessive investment but favours the reintegration of abandoned fields and an increase in pasturelands. The results of this study contribute to the debate about reclaiming mountain landscapes affected by human activities and subject to intense degradation processes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rural abandoned landscapes and bird assemblages: winners and losers in the rewilding of a marginal mountain area (NW Spain)

In many regions of Europe, large-scale socio-economic changes have led to the abandonment of rural activities and a gradual takeover of natural vegetation. It is important to assess the relative positive and negative effects of land abandonment on particular areas where the low-intensity farming is no longer socially or economically viable in order to quantify the potential conservation costs and benefits of a rewilding as a land-use management policy. During the period 2000–2010, we studied the land-use/land-cover changes in an abandoned mountain landscape (Galicia, NW Spain) and evaluated the effects on breeding bird occurrence and distribution. For this purpose, we analysed remotely sensed data-derived maps in combination with data obtained from bird censuses carried out in 2000 and 2010 at both landscape and census plot scale. The results revealed a gradient of change from bare ground and open shrubland to closed shrubland and woodland. Thirteen shrubland and forest bird species showed a significant increase (including species of conservation concern such as Turtle Dove, Dartford Warbler and Western Bonelli’s Warbler), while four ecotone and open-habitat species (e.g. Red-backed Shrike) showed a significant negative trend. In conclusion, rewilding appears to have overall positive effects on biodiversity and should be considered by policy makers as alternative land-use strategy in marginal mountain areas, particularly if they have been historically affected by wildfires. Fire management aimed at favouring the creation of small burned areas in progressively closed landscapes derived from rewilding may be a complementary alternative to maintain open habitats in these areas.