[2] Sierra de las Nieves stands out for the great variety of landscapes and ecosystems it boasts and this is due to the complex geology and geomorphology it presents, as well as the special climatic conditions to which it is exposed.

However, the overload of livestock in the mountains leads to the reduction of plant cover and the simplification of its structure and composition, seriously damaging the natural regeneration of tree and shrub species.

In fact, overgrazing is responsible for the strong erosion suffered by the highest areas of the sierra, preventing the regeneration of the high mountain gall oak.

High temperatures and prolonged droughts will enhance the negative effects of forest fires, pests and diseases in the future and consequently increase the risk of soil erosion.

[6] In relation to forest pests and diseases, the fungi Heterobasidium annosum and Armillaria mellea, together with the lepidoptera Dioryctria aulloi and the borer Cryphalus numidicus have caused numerous damages to the Spanish fir during the last decades.

It is considered likely that its expansion has been favored by the weakening of plant formations as a result, among other things, of periods of drought, although currently the phytosanitary status of the Spanish firs has reached an “ecological balance”.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development is carrying out a Pinsapo Recovery Plan9 through which conservation actions are being carried out, which began in the mid-20th century and culminated in 2011 with the approval of said plan, consisting of the protection and improvement of the existing populations, as well as the restoration of their habitat, attempting to regenerate and reforest the areas in which they have disappeared as a result of the forest fires.