SOS PRODEHESA MONTADO
Microcredentials

Would you like to deepen your knowledge of the ‘Montado’ or enhance your professional skills?

During the first semester of the 2026–2027 academic year, the University of Évora will launch a series of micro-credentials dedicated to the sustainable management of the ‘Montado’ system, developed as part of the cross-border project SOSprodehesamontado – Models of integrated sustainability and resilience of the ‘Montado’ in the face of climate risks (funded by Interreg VA Spain–Portugal – POCTEP).

 

The courses have been designed to meet the needs of professionals, companies and organisations operating in the agro-silvo-pastoral sector, as well as anyone wishing to acquire or update their knowledge of this unique ecosystem. Each micro-credential can be taken independently, allowing for flexible training tailored to the interests and needs of each participant.

Course programme
  • Biodiversity and ecosystem services in the montado (November / December)
  • Mushrooms: guardians of the forests (November / December)
  • Designing living laboratories for regional innovation (October / November)
  • Nematology in the montado ecosystem (September / October)
  • Soil health in the montado: assessment, indicators and practices (October / November)
  • Forestry in an agroforestry context (October / November)
  • Geographic information systems for montado management (November)

The courses will take place between September and December 2026, either face-to-face, online or via a blended learning format, depending on the micro-credential. The dates, timetables, course content and enrolment conditions will be announced in the coming months.

Who are they aimed at?

Microcredentials are aimed at:

  • Technicians and professionals in the agriculture, forestry and livestock sector;
  • Owners and managers of agricultural and forestry holdings;
  • Companies and organisations wishing to invest in the training of their staff;
  • Consultants, researchers and students;
  • Anyone interested in the sustainable management and enhancement of the ‘Montado’.

Preference will be given to university graduates, although candidates with a relevant professional or academic background may also be considered.

TRAINING PROGRAMME

Biodiversity and ecosystem services in the ‘montado’

The ‘Montado’ is a unique agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystem of great natural value, which faces critical challenges to its sustainability, ranging from climate change to diminishing profitability. This system is notable for its exceptional biodiversity and is recognised as a biodiversity ‘hotspot’ within agricultural systems. This training course aims to equip local stakeholders with the skills to navigate the new political and economic framework driven by the European Green Deal and the Nature Restoration Act. The course focuses on transforming environmental obligations into opportunities, exploring emerging markets for payment for ecosystem services and new business models that ensure the ecological and economic resilience of farms. 

The objectives of this course are:

1. To identify the structural components, biodiversity and threats to the ‘Montado’;

2. To define and classify ecosystem services (ES) and their importance for human well-being; to recognise the main ES provided by the ‘Montado’ and the opportunities for their utilisation;

3. To understand how carbon and biodiversity markets operate;

4. To summarise key EU legislation (the Birds and Habitats Directives, the Green Deal, the Restoration Act) and its global framework (the Kunming–Montreal Framework);

5. Critically analyse the impacts of different management models on the provision of ES;

6. Assess the potential of new business models (agritourism, certification) for ‘Montado’ holdings;

7. Develop a strategic vision for the management of the ‘Montado’, integrating the valuation of ecosystem services;

8. Situate management decisions within the context of national and European environmental policies.

  • António Paulo Pereira Mira
  • Pedro Alexandre Marques da Silva Salgueiro
  • Anabela Dias Ferreira Belo

Coming soon 

Mushrooms: guardians of the forests

At present, our planet faces a range of threats that endanger all biodiversity and the very structure of the Earth as we know it. It is important to rapidly change the way we tackle these various problems to enable the creation of new solutions based on ‘Eco’ rather than ‘Ego’ – that is, focused on ecosystems, of which we are a part, rather than exclusively on benefits for humankind. This shift in mindset is only possible when we understand the world around us as a network of biological communication between beings from different kingdoms, cooperating to maintain the environment that sustains them. The age-old relationships between fungi and plants, which have evolved together in harmony and formed the precious soil that sustains them, is a topic rarely covered in school curricula, but one that will undoubtedly bring about a profound change in the way we relate to all other species on the planet. 

The objectives of this course are:
1. To identify the modes of nutrition of macrofungi (mushroom-producing fungi);
2. To recognise the habitat and seasonality of edible wild mushroom species and their inedible and toxic counterparts;
3. To understand that fungi (particularly macrofungi) in a forest area are essential for the forest’s health and for soil protection;
4. To recognise that, through the management of mycological resources, it is possible to restore forest areas that have been degraded, burnt or otherwise disturbed, in terms of both vegetation and soil characteristics;
5. To appreciate best practices for the proper management of fungi, flora and soils with a view to forest sustainability.

  • Celeste Santos Silva
  • Carlos Alexandre

Coming soon

Designing Living Laboratories for Regional Innovation

The course ‘Designing Living Labs for Territorial Innovation’ introduces students to Living Labs as frameworks for participatory, multi-stakeholder innovation, aimed at addressing complex territorial and socio-ecological challenges. The module combines conceptual foundations with practical design approaches, focusing on co-creation, governance, experimentation in real-world contexts and sustainability assessment. Through the analysis of real-world ‘Living Labs’ case studies and collaborative co-design workshops, students develop the skills to outline, structure and critically reflect on ‘Living Labs’ as applied to fields such as agriculture, landscape, energy and urban systems. The module emphasises reflective learning, stakeholder engagement and adaptive governance, preparing students to act as facilitators of inclusive and sustainable territorial innovation processes.

The objectives of this course are:

1. To enable students to understand and explain the concept, principles and evolution of Living Labs as tools for open innovation and sustainable territorial management;

2. To identify the key stages and stakeholders involved in the creation and operation of a Living Lab;

3. To analyse and critically reflect on real-world examples of Living Labs applied to socio-ecological systems;

4. To draw up a concise proposal for a Living Lab that integrates the dimensions of co-creation, governance and monitoring;

5. To develop the reflective and collaborative skills essential for managing participatory innovation processes in real territorial contexts.

  • María Rivera Méndez
  • Susana Andrea Lopes Filipe

Coming soon

Nematology in the montado ecosystem

In an extensive ecosystem with minimal human intervention and high ecological value, such as the ‘Montado’, nematology plays a significant role in soil quality and functional balance. Despite accounting for around 1 per cent of the total soil volume, these microscopic, worm-like organisms form an integral part of the food webs in this ecosystem, playing a role in fundamental ecological processes such as decomposition, nutrient recycling and mineralisation. In this respect, nematodes can be used to monitor ecological disturbances in the Montado. However, with regard to plant health, plant-parasitic nematodes can contribute to the worsening of symptoms caused by other pathogens, and have already been linked to root deterioration in cork oaks, holm oaks and herbaceous species. This micro-credential provides a solid grounding in the biology, ecology and importance of nematodes in the Montado ecosystem, integrating theoretical, laboratory and field components, with a particular focus on the diagnosis, sustainable management and impact of nematodes on the health of the Montado and soil regeneration.

The objectives of this course are:

1. To recognise the main trophic groups and the ecological role of nematodes associated with the Montado;

2. To carry out soil sampling and analysis to characterise the community of free-living nematodes and plant-parasitic nematodes;

3. To evaluate strategies for the mitigation and integrated management of nematodes in agro-silvo-pastoral systems.

  • Cláudia Sofia Leite Vicente Letras
  • Maria Margarida Saial Santos Guiomar Espada
  • Pedro Barbosa

 

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Soil health in the Montado: assessment, indicators and practices

Soil health in the Montado is a key factor in ensuring the sustainability, resilience and functionality of this agro-silvo-pastoral system. The soil underpins the main ecological processes that shape the Montado – specifically the nutrient cycle, water regulation and the dynamics of organic matter – and is therefore particularly sensitive to the management practices adopted. The integration of conventional methods with indicators that can be easily measured in the field allows for a more robust assessment of soil health and helps to define management practices that promote biodiversity, carbon sequestration and the economic viability of the system. Within the current framework of results-based payment schemes, it is essential to train technicians and farmers in the procedures for sampling, monitoring and assessing soil health in a field context.

The objectives of this course are:

1. To equip students with the knowledge and skills to analyse, monitor and assess soil health in the Montado, combining conventional diagnostic methods with the use of visual indicators;

2. To understand the theoretical foundations of the descriptors used, particularly those relating to structure, the dynamics of organic matter and carbon, the nutrient cycle and biological activity;

3. To contextualise the results obtained within the framework of sustainable management practices, in line with current agricultural and environmental policies.

  • Denis Ricardo Isidro Medinas
  • Isabel Maria Oliveira Brito
  • Dalila do Rosário da Encarnação Serpa
  • André Filipe Catarino de Oliveira

Coming soon 

Forestry in an agroforestry context

Hardwood and coniferous forest stands in agroforestry systems have unique characteristics, due to their stand structures, their productivity and their spatial and temporal variability. This micro-credential covers the structure of forest stands, silvicultural models, regeneration and thinning methods and, in the case of the cork oak, cork formation. Knowledge of silvicultural methods, techniques and tools enables the development of management alternatives and the selection of the most appropriate ones for each forest stand and for the management objectives.

The objectives of this course are:

To equip students with a body of knowledge that will enable them to acquire the skills required to manage broadleaf and coniferous stands in agroforestry systems, so that they can:

1. select suitable sites for the species;

2. characterise the structure of the forest stand and understand its implications for management;

3. select silvicultural models appropriate to management objectives;

4. understand the various regeneration methods and adapt them to the site and the silvicultural model;

5. assess the need for thinning, and select the appropriate method and degree of thinning;

6. in the case of the cork oak, understand cork formation, as well as the methods, intensity and best practices for cork harvesting.

  • Ana Cristina Andrade Gonçalves

Coming soon 

Geographic Information Systems for the Management of Montados

A micro-credential aimed at transferring knowledge in the field of geographic information technologies to support the planning and management of areas covered by montados and dehesas.

 

The objectives of this course are:

To equip students with the theoretical foundations of geographic science and geographic information systems, and to provide them with practical experience relevant to their studies, enabling them to acquire skills in:

1. managing and editing spatial data;

2. characterising the territory;

3. using reference databases;

4. map-making.

  • Nuno Ricardo Gracinhas Nunes Guiomar
  • Rui Daniel Parreira Machado
  • Sérgio Rui Borreicho Coelho Godinho

Coming soon 

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Cofinanciado por la Unión Europea a través del Programa Interreg VI-A España-Portugal (POCTEP) 2021-2027. Las opiniones son de exclusiva responsabilidad del autor que las emite.