Last 31th of October 2024, the Portuguese partner of the LIFE Scrubsnet project, University of Evora, organized a technical round table entitled “O papel dos matos no Montado” in Evora (Portugal). At least 33 people attended the meeting, among them, public entities, farmers and researchers.
The workshop was held in conjunction with the 40th edition of the Montado Tertúlias, with the main goal of discussing about the importance of shrubs in the sustainability of the Montado, the challenges associated with their management, and the need for adjustments in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to better integrate these areas into the structure of incentives and support. The session was attended by several experts, including André Oliveira Isabel Ferraz de Oliveira, from the University of Evora, who presented the LIFE Scrubsnet project and the Montado Results-Based Program, respectively. Nuno Guiomar, an expert in forest fires and landscape dynamics, discussed the relationship between shrubs and fire risk, highlighting the importance of selective vegetation management to mitigate fire spread without compromising biodiversity. Hugo Costa, a representative from the Planning, Policy, and General Administration Office (Gabinete de Planeamento, Políticas e Administração Geral – GPP) discussed the challenges and opportunities for integrating shrubs into public policies and improving their recognition within the framework of the CAP. During the participatory session, a set of solutions and policy instruments were proposed to mitigate pressures on the habitat 6310 in Portugal. The conclusions reached highlights the crucial role of shrublands in protecting the soil from erosion, supporting natural tree regeneration, and preserving biodiversity, all of which are essential for the ecological sustainability of the Montado. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), in its current form, does not recognize shrublands as productive areas, making it difficult to access funding and indirectly encouraging their removal. It is therefore proposed that shrublands become eligible for payments, acknowledging their ecological value and promoting biodiversity conservation.
