Forests need to be cared for in order not to disappear.

· A third of the earth's surface is covered by forests that play a fundamental role in the life of the planet and whose threats and benefits are unknown to a large part of the population.

· In Spain there are authentic natural jewels such as those located in the province of Soria and that thanks to proper management are consolidated as great natural shields against climate change.

Wood is one of the most efficient natural instruments for carbon capture, in fact, it is stored in its structure even after the trees have been logged. This timber comes from our forests, which are powerful natural shields against threats such as climate change, as long as we learn to take care of them. Because taking care of them, managing them, is the key: in areas populated by humans, if we abandon them, they degrade and disappear. Far from the most widespread idea, forests require specific management in which humans must play the role that large herds of herbivores would play in unpopulated areas. We know that replanting is an important action for nature, for the forests and biodiversity of our planet, but we forget that it is equally, if not more important, to protect the trees we already have, with specific measures, to make them strong and avoid deforestation. The most effective tool to achieve this is management. It also helps us to avoid fires, reduce the risk of pests and diseases, promote the best adapted species, and generate resources such as wood, mushrooms, honey, or resin, and even landscapes for our well-being. Because despite the incredible ecological, economic, and social benefits that forests provide, deforestation continues at an unprecedented rate. Yet, their existence is vital, for example, to regulate the climate, keep river basins with clean water or cleaning the air we breathe. Forest Day, which is celebrated on March 21, is a good time to focus on the need to manage forests. After all, one third of the earth's surface is covered by these ecosystems. In Spain, for example, there are authentic natural gems such as those located in the province of Soria, which are consolidated as great natural shields against climate change. The LIFE Soria Forest Adapt project works along these lines. It is a European commitment that is developed in the Soria mountains and aims to increase the resilience of these ecosystems to climate change by including adaptive measures in public and private forest management plans. This is because "it is necessary to integrate climate change adaptation measures into management policies that respond to projections of what is going to happen in order to prevent, to anticipate the impacts", in declarations by project coordinator Daniel Hernández Torres, a technician at the Global Nature Foundation.

What are forests for?

In order to raise awareness about the importance of managing forests for their existence, the LIFE Soria ForestAdapt project has created a questionnaire that will move through social networks under the title "What are forests for?" and can be followed under the hashtags #LIFEForestAdapt and #SoriaEscudoNatural.

The LIFE Soria ForestAdapt project has a total budget of 1.5 million euros and an implementation period of four years. In addition, it has the support of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union and the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, through the Biodiversity Foundation. Fundación Global Nature Fundation is responsible for the coordination of the project in collaboration with the "Fundación Centro de Servicios y Promoción Forestal y de su Industria de Castilla y León" (Cesefor), the "Fundación Privada Empresa y Clima" (FEC), the Forest Stewardship Council in Spain (FSC Spain), the "Asociación para la Certificación Española Forestal" (PEFC Spain), the University of Valladolid (UVa) and the "Fundación General de la Universidad de Valladolid" (FUNGE).