LIFE24-NAT-IT-LIFE-RECLOAK
• Grant Agreement 101214542Restoring resilient holm oak forests
across the Mediterranean
LIFE RECLOAK focuses on restoring and improving the conservation status of Annex I habitat 9340 (Quercus ilex and Q. rotundifolia forests) impacted by dieback, using carefully selected native plant material and a strong, multi‑year monitoring framework.
9340
About LIFE RECLOAK
Holm oak (Quercus ilex) forests are a cornerstone of Mediterranean biodiversity and ecosystem services. In recent years, dieback events linked to interacting drought stress and soil-borne pathogens have threatened forest vitality and restoration success. LIFE RECLOAK addresses this challenge by applying reforestation approaches based on native plant material with higher tolerance to drought and/or pathogen pressure—together with a rigorous monitoring framework and a strong emphasis on transferability.
Why this matters
Successful restoration is not just planting trees—it's restoring ecosystem function, biodiversity, and long‑term resilience. LIFE RECLOAK aims to support forest managers and protected-area practitioners with operational, evidence-based protocols and training, so that improved practices can be replicated beyond the pilot sites.
Target habitat: Annex I habitat 9340
— “Quercus ilex and Quercus rotundifolia
forests”.
Main pressures addressed: drought stress and related
dieback dynamics, including the soil pathogen Phytophthora
cinnamomi.
Project facts
Key administrative information and scope (official LIFE database).
Objectives
- Restore and improve the conservation status and resilience of Annex I habitat 9340 (Quercus ilex and Q. rotundifolia forests) affected by holm oak dieback.
- Demonstrate restoration in Natura 2000 sites using selected/validated native plant material with higher tolerance to drought and/or Phytophthora cinnamomi.
- Demonstrate effectiveness through multi‑year monitoring combining field eco‑physiology and proximal sensing.
- Assess ecosystem-service co‑benefits (climate mitigation, soil conservation) and effects on soil biodiversity and soil quality.
- Enable transferability and replication through operational protocols and stakeholder engagement.
Activities
- Selection, propagation and validation of drought‑tolerant and pathogen‑resistant holm oak genotypes.
- Pilot reforestations in four Natura 2000 sites (5 reforested plots + 5 control plots per site).
- Monitoring framework: eco‑physiology, proximal sensing, soil quality and microbial biodiversity (metabarcoding).
- Capacity building: Stakeholder Advisory Board and training courses for forestry practitioners.
- Dissemination and replication: protocol package/handbook and replication/transfer plan.
Expected results
- Restoration demonstrated in four Natura 2000 pilot sites in Italy, Spain and Malta using a consistent plot design.
- Planting of 105 selected native holm oak seedlings per pilot site and comparative evaluation against non‑reforested controls.
- Operational outputs for uptake: monitoring reports and a handbook/protocol package for selection, planting and monitoring.
- Evidence of improved restoration performance and ecosystem-service co‑benefits (carbon sequestration and soil conservation).
- Replication activities and confirmed replication sites in Portugal, Italy and Spain to support scaling across the Mediterranean.
Pilot sites
Restoration is demonstrated in four Natura 2000 pilot sites across Italy, Spain, and Malta, using comparable plot designs with reforested and control plots.
Each pilot site: 5 reforested plots + 5 control plots (320 m² each) and planting of 105 native holm oak seedlings (selected/validated for tolerance/resistance).
Italy
- Monti dell’Uccellina / Parco della Maremma (Natura 2000)
- Arcipelago La Maddalena (Natura 2000)
Spain & Malta
- Muela de Cortes y el Caroche (Valencia) (Natura 2000)
- Wied il‑Mielaħ u l‑Inħawi tal‑Madwar (Gozo, Malta) (Natura 2000)
DUTH contribution
The Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) participates as a project partner, contributing scientific expertise to support evidence‑based restoration, monitoring approaches, and knowledge transfer to forest practitioners.
Project Coordinator - Scientific Manager: Prof. Kalliopi Radoglou
Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and
Natural Resources
Pantazidou 193, 682 00 Orestiada, Greece
Email: kradoglo@fmenr.duth.gr
Consortium
LIFE RECLOAK is coordinated by CNR (Italy) and implemented by a Mediterranean consortium of universities, research organizations, protected-area authorities, nurseries, and civil society partners.
Coordinator
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) — Coordinating beneficiary
Partners
- Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH)
- Università degli Studi di Firenze
- Università degli Studi di Sassari
- Universitat Politècnica de València
- Universidad de Córdoba
- Genista Research Foundation (Malta)
- Ente Parco Regionale della Maremma
- Agenzia Forestale Regionale (Forestas) — Sardinia
- Viveros la Conchuela S.L.
- CO&SO (Consorzio per la Cooperazione e la Solidarietà)
Replication (beyond pilots)
The project also plans replication activities and confirmed replication sites in multiple Mediterranean contexts, supporting uptake beyond the demonstration areas.
- Portugal: 2 sites (Mértola area)
- Italy: 2 sites (Sardinia & Sicily)
- Spain: 3 sites (Castilla, Andalucía & Bilbao areas)
Updates
Short news items (field campaigns, meetings, workshops, deliverables, publications).
Post #1
Date: YYYY‑MM‑DD
Short description of the activity.
Post #2
Date: YYYY‑MM‑DD
Short description of the activity.
Contact
For information related to the DUTH partner activities, communication, or dissemination requests, contact:
Project Coordinator - Scientific
Manager: Prof. Kalliopi Radoglou, Department of Forestry and
Management of the Environment and Natural Resources (DUTH)
Ath. Pantazidou 193, 682 00 Orestiada, Greece
Email: kradoglo@fmenr.duth.gr
Phone: +30 25520 41171
Contacting the Special Account for Research Grants (SARG): Kosmas Papadopoulos kopapado@affil.duth.gr
Quick links
Official references and partner pages:
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