Photo by Charles J. Sharp. License: CC BY-SA 4.0.

As Europe strives to meet the 2030 protected area targets, rewilding emerges as a promising strategy. A recent study in Current Biology by Miguel Araújo and Diogo Alagador, posits that passive and active rewilding measures hold the potential to restore low productive and abandoned ecosystems and enhance biodiversity across Europe.

Researchers from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) and the University of Évora (Portugal) have developed a methodology to identify areas in Europe with rewilding potential. This supports states in expanding protected natural areas across the continent. According to their analysis, a quarter of Europe meets the criteria for rewilding, whether passive or active.

Passive Rewilding:
Passive rewilding involves managing natural processes to increase ecological connectivity. This allows species to move from areas with surplus populations to those with deficits or where local extinctions have occurred. In the Iberian Peninsula, passive rewilding could play a significant role, enhancing ecosystem connectivity and managing existing populations.

Active Rewilding:
Active rewilding focuses on reintroducing key species essential for ecosystem function. This method is particularly important when critical herbivores and carnivores have disappeared from the food chain and natural recolonization is unlikely. By introducing native species with vital ecological roles, ecosystems can regain their lost biodiversity and balance.

Significant Findings:
“Approximately 117 million hectares, nearly a quarter of the continent, meet the criteria we have established for implementing rewilding strategies,” says Miguel B. Araújo. “The selected areas are large, sparsely populated, have minimal economic activity impact, and host significant mammal species, both herbivores and carnivores, which are crucial for the natural dynamics of ecosystems.”

 

Figure 1 of the study – The map of rewilding opportunities shows areas in blue where species are present that allow for passive rewilding. The blue gradients indicate the size of these areas, with lighter blue representing contiguous areas between 10,000 and 50,000 hectares (classified as meso-rewilding areas), medium blue representing areas between 50,000 and 100,000 hectares (classified as macro-rewilding areas), and dark blue representing areas over 100,000 hectares (classified as mega-rewilding areas). Yellow, brown, and red areas mark regions that require active rewilding. The yellow to brown gradient indicates the potential for herbivore reintroduction, with yellow showing smaller areas and brown larger areas. Red areas indicate zones needing active rewilding with carnivore reintroduction.

Regional Insights:
“Seventy percent of these areas are located in colder regions. Scandinavia, Scotland, the Baltic states, and the Iberian Peninsula are among the European regions with the greatest potential for passive rewilding. Significant results can be achieved by managing territorial dynamics, such as connectivity and species dispersal, as well as managing populations of key species crucial for ecosystem functioning,” explains Diogo Alagador.

Addressing Rural Abandonment:
Many European regions face rural abandonment, leading to severe social problems and increased fire risks due to biomass accumulation. Rewilding offers an alternative for these territories by reestablishing herbivore populations to control biomass. In large enough areas, where human conflict can be managed, there is potential for the return of large carnivores like wolves or bears. These carnivores play a crucial role in managing herbivore populations and creating resilient landscape mosaics.

Shifting from rural to natural management also presents opportunities for economic activities based on leisure and tourism. “We have found that several countries could utilize depopulated areas to expand zones with greater environmental protection, thereby supporting the European strategy for biodiversity by 2030,” concludes Araújo.

The study can be accessed here:

Araújo, M.B. & Alagador, D. (2024) Expanding European protected areas through rewilding. Current Biology. doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.045