Naturalist Miguel Ortega Martínez discusses ancient Spanish trees

Naturalist and ethnographer Miguel Ortega Martínez, a collaborator with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), discusses the historical and environmental insights provided by ancient trees. Ortega Martínez is currently coordinating the ‘Arbóreo’ exhibition at the Casa de la Ciencia in Seville.

He identifies Cazorla as the location of Spain’s oldest trees, noting that larch pines there can reach ages between 1,100 and 1,200 years. Ortega Martínez explains that tree longevity is often tied to isolation from human activity, such as land clearing for agriculture or timber harvesting.

Regarding environmental changes, he notes that while trees can adapt to slow climatic shifts, abrupt changes can lead to ecological collapse. He also highlights that despite common perceptions of Spain as a barren land, it remains among the most forested countries in Europe.