Efectos ambientales de las plantaciones de eucaliptos en Euskadi y la península ibérica.

Abstract

Eucalyptus plantations are widely distributed throughout the world, thus creating concern due to their potential environmental effects. In this work we analyse the evolution of the coverage of eucalypts in the Basque Country and assess their environmental effects based on the scientific literature from this region and from the Iberian Peninsula. From 1986 to 2019 the area covered by eucalypt plantations increased fourfold, from 4,866 to 19,643 ha, a process that is accelerating as a consequence of the pine needle blight. The research so far published shows systematically that eucalypt plantations in the Basque Country and in the rest of the peninsula have detrimental environmental effects, compared to pine plantations and, especially, to native forests. Eucalypt plantations alter soil characteristics and reduce biodiversity. Fungi, lichens, herbaceous plants, amphibians, birds and aquatic invertebrates are among the most seriously affected groups of organisms. Ecosystem processes, such as leaf-litter breakdown, are also affected. Some of these effects seem to be a consequence of the intensity of exploitation in these plantations and, thus, could be reduced by means of improved management; other effects seem to relate to the intrinsic characteristics of the eucalypts, which cannot be modified. The magnitude of the impacts will likely increase with the area covered by eucalypt plantations, as well as with the number of crop rotations.