| Summary: | Ecological restoration of forest in desertified lands, where the soil has been seriously damaged by erosion, is a long-term process. Understanding this process requires an exhaustive analysis of the forest structure, composition and function, and the actions necessary to reach the appropriate ecosystem. We analyzed a fifty year-old hydrology-forest restoration in central Spain, using an ecological forest restoration framework with phases of forest cover rehabilitation and subsequent monitoring and follow-up. Although full recovery the previously existing oak forest is still a longer-term goal, the short-term establishment of a pine forest has helped to restore ecosystem function and to mitigate serious erosion problems. The establishment of pine forest allowed progress in reconstituting the soil, introducing native oak seedlings, and regulating the hydrological cycle.
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