Shrubs occupy the space between ground vegetation and tree canopy. They protect soil, stabilise slopes, provide wildlife habitat, produce flowers and fruit and add another layer of photosynthesis to the landscape. Monchique already contains remarkable native and adapted shrub communities including medronho, myrtle, heathers and rockroses.
Too little shrub vegetation removes valuable habitat and soil protection. Dense, continuous unmanaged shrub vegetation can become a serious component of wildfire fuel.
Our aim is therefore not to eliminate shrubs. It is to manage them as part of a diverse mosaic. Grazing, pruning, selective clearing, access and strategic fuel management can allow the ecological value of shrubs to remain without permitting dangerous fuel continuity to dominate the landscape.