The chapter house of the old convent of Santo Domingo, located in La Laguna, was the venue for the launch of the book The Landscapes of the Canarian Laurisilva. Natural and Cultural Heritage, published by the Environment Department of La Laguna City Council yesterday. “This publication, the outcome of a diligent research initiative, stands as a significant addition to the understanding of the laurel forest, a distinctive ecosystem that merges nature with Canarian customs and practices linked to our natural surroundings,” remarked Domingo Galván, the councillor for Environment and Local Development, during the official release of the book.
Galván underscored that this work serves as “a considerable homage to this natural inheritance and a plea for its preservation.” “It is crucial to perceive the dynamics of these landscapes not merely as remnants of history, but as vibrant ecosystems in perpetual development. This publication aspires to encourage its readers to safeguard and value this exceptional heritage in the Canary Islands.”
The councillor acknowledged the extensive research undertaken by the authors, all of whom are specialists in the field: María Eugenia Arozena, a professor of Physical Geography at the University of La Laguna; Josep María Panareda, a professor of Physical Geography at the University of Barcelona, and Víctor Manuel Martín Febles, a technical expert in Public Use at the Cabildo with experience in managing protected areas like the Anaga Rural Park and Teide National Park.
The event featured a special appearance by Eduardo Martínez de Pisón, emeritus professor of Geography at the Autonomous University of Madrid, former lecturer at the University of La Laguna, and recipient of the National Environment Award in 1991. Pisón emphasised that “researchers have managed to listen to the ‘voice of the forest’, merging scientific precision with a profound sensitivity to the fragility and intricacy of this ecosystem.”
The book comprises six chapters that explore the laurel forest from various angles: its origins as a cloud forest, its natural and cultural evolution, the human influences that have moulded its current state, and the recent trends in regeneration and transformation of the landscape. Furthermore, it discusses the management of protected areas of this ecosystem.
According to Martínez de Pisón, within this book “readers will possess the voice of the forest. They are about to uncover what the silence of the trees reveals to geographers about the past, present, and future of this captivating ecosystem,” he emphasised.
