The 3rd General Meeting of the “MedWildFireLab - Global Change Impacts on Wildland Fire Behaviour and Uses in Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, towards a «wall less» Mediterranean Wildland Fire Laboratory” project was held on November 23rd (afternoon) and 24th (morning) of 2015, at the Olissippo Oriente Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal. The MedWildFireLab project is a FORESTERRA ERA-NET “Enhancing forest research in the Mediterranean through improved coordination and integration” funding.

This meeting was a parallel event to the FORESTERRA ERA-NET Final conference that was held on November 24th (afternoon) and 25th at the same place. On the 26th a field visit was organised to the Arrábida National Park. The Arrábida Natural Park is situated in the Peninsula of Setúbal and around 50 km from Lisbon. The climate is mediterranean, with drought summers and moderated winters, and some atlantic influence. The vegetation is typically Mediterranean, forming garrigues and maquis of C. coccifera, R. officinalis and Erica sp.; in some water lines we can see similar vegetation, shrubs growing like trees, forming Woods of Arbutus unedo, O. europea sp. sylvestris, Viburnum tinus, Quercus faginea and even Acer monspessulanum.

This 3rd General meeting was a valuable exchange of experiences and ideas especially on the main MedWildFireLab goals: to develop an integrated Mediterranean forest information system as basis for fostering the cooperation and exchange of knowledge and know-how; to work towards common concepts and vocabulary adapted to Mediterranean context; to address the policy makers proposals and recommendations for up-dating wildland fire policies and to support the transnational access to existing research networks and infrastructures towards a new transnational joint research structure willing to ensure a long-lasting cooperation in this field.

Friday, 27 November 2015