Servicios de los ecosistemas del paisaje cultural de Bizkaia. Perspectiva histórica de la actividad forestal y minera

Abstract

Throughout history, the energy supplied by forests and iron production have been closely, essentially related. The 19th century marked a turning point, motivated by the arrival of coal, the privatisation of land, industrial metallurgy, intensive mining and a population boom. The demands on ecosystems services changed: less biomass and more iron. In the 20th century, forest management was reinvented, the iron industry peaked and then declined and, meanwhile, the human population continued to grow before stabilising at the end of the millennium. The final result is an extremely mediated anthropic panorama in which reforestation and old iron deposits mark the region’s physical features and inform its character. In socio-ecological terms, the services provided by Bizkaia’s ecosystems have ensured the well-being of the local and regional populations. Today, the forest industry finds itself in an uncertain situation and must be reflected upon; and for the region, iron mining is a thing of the past and part of its cultural heritage.