Chestnut Production-Related Businesses in the Courel Mountains of Galicia, NW Spain: An Opportunity for Biodiversity Conservation, Ecosystem Restoration, and Rural Development

Abstract

Chestnut orchards (soutos in the Galician language) constitute the main feature of socio-ecological production landscapes (SEPLs) characteristic to the Northwest Iberian Peninsula. These landscapes display high levels of biodiversity that are shown in the genetic, interspecific, and ecosystem domains. They also produce a variety of ecosystem services, including cultural, regulating, and provisioning ones. Nevertheless, the interrelation between ecological functions, ecosystem services, and businesses in the present day is threatened by the abandonment of traditional management, giving way to a range of transformations that affect both the mountain landscapes and their socio-economic fabric.

The objective of this study is to explore the relationships between socio-economic activities and the capacity of chestnut SEPL to preserve high biodiversity levels in the municipality of Folgoso do Courel (Galicia, NW Spain), an area with a strong tradition in chestnut production systems. To do so, we first analyse the economic structure of the area using official statistics and identifying specific businesses related to the local SEPL. We also use a geographical information system to analyse land cover maps to locate and characterize chestnut production areas. We complete our analysis by interviewing business owners to elicit important elements in the business-SEPL relationship. Our results show the strong dependence of chestnut-related businesses on the local SEPL, and how the multifunctional aspects of chestnut production are important assets in the businesses’ visions. Also, we identify risks and impacts affecting the socio-ecological production landscape. We conclude that supporting SEPL-related businesses could benefit biodiversity conservation and sustainability in the territorial system.