## 3 Human Management. How Can it Help Mediterranean Forest Health and Conservation?
The combination of _Pinus_ and _Quercus_ species or _Quercus_ species alone have successfully ensured maximal biodiversity [279; 280] and soil conservation [280; 281] at mesic sites. _P. halepensis_ strongly competes for water, mainly in the upper soil layers, impeding the establishment of shrubs with shallow root systems [282; 283; 284]. Reforestation and afforestation with oaks alone or with _Pinus_ are thus advisable to ensure maximal diversity of understory plants allowed by the climatic conditions. The use of nursery species that provide shade can allow the replantation of semi-deciduous oaks when the repopulation combines them with evergreen oaks such as _Q. ilex_[285] or planting shrubs in reforestations with mesic pines such as _P. nigra_[286]. _P. halepensis_, however, has been the best species in most studies, reforestations and afforestation in semi-arid areas with a mean annual precipitation of 300-400 mm [287; 288; 289; 290]. The success of reforestation and afforestation in semi-arid areas can be improved by fertilization [291]. The diversity of understory plants in _P. halepensis_ forests can be improved by planting appropriate shrubs in stands with specific pine densities [277]. Some animal communities have also been improved in stands aforested with _P. halepensis_ in semi-arid Mediterranean areas [292]. Another problem, mainly in countries in phases of economic development and expansion, is the necessity to manage forests to reduce CO\({}_{2}\) emissions in the framework of the Kyoto protocol [293], which increases the need for appropriate forest management, reforestation, and afforestation in the Mediterranean Basin. The use of mulches and organic amendments [294; 295; 296] and even of soil conditioners with water-absorbing polymers [297; 298] substantially favors the early establishment of tree seedlings. The use of composite amendments (sewage sludge plus green waste) can also be useful if the amounts of P and trace elements are controlled to avoid environmental pollution [200]. Organic amendments can generally efficiently counteract the most common first step of soil degradation by water erosion and wildfires: The loss of organic matter [299; 300; 301]. We recommend choosing the best species identified by previous studies to ensure the success of reforestation and afforestation [279; 302; 303]. Management practices after reforestation or afforestation are also important for increasing the probability of success [304]. Periodic reduction of vegetation, such as shrubs and grasses, can improve the survival and growth of planted trees [304]. Appropriate forest management, with a good combination of forest patches of different sizes and successional stages together with other ecosystems, such as cropland, is also an adequate tool to improve the capacity to store C [305]. Appropriate management is also necessary to maintain natural Mediterranean forests in their current structure and areas [306]. An adequate level of thinning a few years after a fire can enhance forest regeneration and allow the control of fuel load for possible future forest fires, both by seeder species such as _P. halepensis_ and by resprouter species such as _Q. ilex_[307]. Forest conservation can thus be improved by the good management of burned areas or areas with degraded soil. We should first reduce or avoid some practices. Salvage logging is common in several post-fire areas but has been very detrimental to forest regeneration due to soil degradation [308]. Conserving a specific amount and density of logging remnants after a fire has been associated with the better conservation of bird abundance and richness [309]. Various practices of forest management can have positive or negative effects on the post-fire regeneration of _Q. suber_ trees, e.g., traditional coppricing is considered necessary, but branch pruning should be avoided [310].