The implementation of the aforementioned actions is expected to produce two main outputs:
- An integrated system of early detection of forest decline that optimizes resources and increases the effectiveness of risk detection and a sustainable management of forest ecosystem. This system encompasses from field monitoring, sampling, morphological, molecular and physiological to remote sensing techniques. The implementation of this system will have a positive effect in the biodiversity by intervening against invasive and pathogenic agents directly related with the forest decline and mortality. The system will be comprehensively materialised in a Guide and accompanied by the socioeconomic and environmental monitoring.
- A GIS infrastructure focused on the combined use of diagnostic methods, remote sensing, sylvicultural treatments and biological control to reduce damages caused by invasive and pathogenic organisms and to minimize the potential economic and environmental threat. This infrastructure will consider two environments: the first one, a web allowing access to information to technicians of the Forestry Administration and technical staff of Forest Owners Associations; and a second environment, based on desktop environment tools for forest health researchers.
As a result of the application of the early detection system and the use of the GIS infrastructure, the following achievements are expected:
– An improvement of 10 % of the detection capacity and diagnostic. The combination of optimized techniques and protocols will enable a substantial progress by increasing the capacity of evaluating the impact, identifying the pathogens and define the sustainable management cost per hectare.
– A very significant increase in the production and quality of wood is expected (around 15 %) as well as the botanical and fauna diversity (10-20%) derived of the combination of the detection and management system implementation.
– An improvement in the forest health conditions and management of ≥25% by means of early detection system taking into account the reduction of the environmental and economic impact resulting from both the attack of invasive and pathogenic agents and the inappropriate application of management strategies.
– A reduction of global costs of around 30% and an increase of 25% of the environmental, economic and social benefits due to the implementation of the innovative systems of detection and management of invasive and pathogenic agents.