Beyond one-size-fits-all: Refining forest restoration indicators for the Mediterranean context based on expert...

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Global and European forest restoration initiatives, including the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR), face challenges in translating targets into effective socioecological outcomes.
• The NRR's proposed indicators lack socioeconomic considerations and may not suit diverse forest contexts like the Mediterranean.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate expert perceptions of forest restoration indicators in Spain.
• To identify key indicators for effective monitoring and assess the need for socioeconomic and resilience metrics.

Main Methods:

• A Delphi consultation was conducted with over sixty forest restoration experts in Spain.
• Experts assessed thirty-four indicators from the NRR, scientific literature, and socioeconomic domains using a Likert scale.

Main Results:

• Deadwood accumulation was rated least relevant (3.3 ± 1.2) due to wildfire concerns; native tree species dominance (4.3 ± 0.8) and diversity (4.3 ± 0.9) were highly rated.
• 93% of experts agreed on incorporating socioeconomic indicators, valuing public perception (4.5 ± 0.8) most.
• Experts emphasized the need for resilience indicators (natural regeneration, fire risk, soil erosion) absent in the NRR.

Conclusions:

• A flexible, goal-oriented framework is proposed for selecting restoration indicators, balancing harmonization with regional adaptation.
• The framework aims to improve forest restoration monitoring effectiveness in Spain and southern Europe.
• Integrating socioeconomic and resilience indicators is vital for successful national restoration plans.