Connecting Mediterranean forests: a framework for conservation corridor planning

Mediterranean forests are increasingly threatened by land fragmentation, climate change, and governance challenges, placing biodiversity, ecosystem services, and rural livelihoods at risk. Forest conservation corridors (CC) offer a practical solution for restoring connectivity, enhancing ecological resilience, and supporting the long-term stability of Mediterranean landscapes. This paper presents a practitioner-oriented framework for CC planning and implementation, developed from a comprehensive narrative review of scientific literature, policy instruments, and real-world projects. The framework explicitly aligns corridor strategies with the objectives of the newly enacted Nature Restoration Law (NRL), demonstrating how corridor-based restoration directly supports the law’s targets for biodiversity recovery, climate mitigation, ecological resilience, and disaster risk reduction. Corridors are shown to be invaluable tools for advancing multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those related to climate action, water management, disaster risk, rural economies, and food security. Forest corridors also enhance Nature’s Contributions to People (NCPs), delivering essential benefits from carbon sequestration and soil protection to water retention, health, learning, and cultural values. By mobilizing cross-sector partnerships, integrating economic incentives, enabling participatory monitoring, and fostering adaptive management, the proposed framework empowers stakeholders to design and maintain corridors that maximize ecological and social benefits. Regional case studies highlight best practices, common challenges, and innovative solutions, underscoring the role of forest corridors as a pillar for sustainable development and restoration in Mediterranean regions. Forest CCs should be central to policy and practice if the Mediterranean is to meet NRL, SDG, and NCP commitments for present and future generations.