UPM Forestal Oriental Annual Report 2021

79

RESPONSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

PRODUCTION PROCESS

COMPLEMENTARY FORESTRY PRODUCTS

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

CONTACT

UPM INFORME PÚBLICO

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES

The main environmental values potentially affected by forestry are: soil, water, biodiversity, landscape, ecosystem and service functions, as well as the atmosphere.

SOIL Plantations are mainly established on lands that prioritise forestry. Since 2010 we have implemented a monitoring programme for planted areas which has as its main objectives: •Identifying possible changes in the physicochemical properties of soils when their use changes •Appraising the importance of corrective measures to maintain productivity by assessing and reviewing

Results obtained show that, in soils used for forestry, and after several years, variations in some of their chemical parameters may occur. However, these possible variations do not generate any environmental impact or affect productive sustainability, and are easily reversible through conventional agronomic practices.

The soil monitoring programme covers the most used Productivity index groups, particularly the most representative kinds of soil. New monitoring sites are added annually to cover all classes and kinds of soils. At each site, a planted area and an adjacent unplanted area are sampled. Every five years (approximately twice per forest cycle) the values of each sample site are measured again. At the end of 2021, the soil monitoring programme had more than 90 paired sampling sites, 60 of which have already been monitored twice.

forestry and harvesting procedures to minimise negative impacts