According to the chronicles, when the Spanish sailed to the islands, most of them were covered by large forests and woods.

Lugarejos

These woods were largely used to support economic and social development.

After four centuries of intensive use of woodland, a major turning point arose in the forest repopulation policy established by the Government in the forties. The total surface area covered by pinewoods increased considerably, especially on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where repopulation was performed from 1940 to 1990 on 17,000 and 9,000 hectares of land, respectively.

The western province (El Hierro, La Gomera, La Palma and Tenerife) now has a larger and better preserved woodland area than the eastern province (Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura). Briefly, pinewoods constitute the best preserved ecosystem, whereas laurel or thermophile woods remain only in testimonial quantities.

Tijarafe (La Palma)

Most reforestation has taken place on Gran Canaria island, with approximately 45,000 hectares eligible for repopulation, most of them on privately owned land.

On the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura it is still questioned whether the current degradation could be more due to a natural desertisation process or to the impact of grazing.

The layout of the islands favours a high rate of erosion, which is reinforced when there is no greenery to provide protection. Sixty per cent of the territory (some two hundred thousand hectares) is now suffering from erosion phenomena, and some areas have been classified as "irreversibly eroded".

La Furnia (Tenerife)

On the other hand, 40% of the territory belongs to the Network of Protected Areas, including 80% of the surface area covered by trees. Most of these protected areas are privately owned land (such as 49, 000 ha in Gran Canaria) and they are largely abandoned due to their limited or non-existent profitability.

Woods and their future are more vulnerable on the most densely populated islands, where urban development is practically proportional to the decline of traditional activities.

The principle of multifunctionality applied to woodland makes it advisable to promote the introduction of species with a high degree of rural acceptance, while repopulating with local species.