Background Thermophilous forests once covered vast areas on the Canary Islands, Spain. The forests include several priority habitats listed in the EU Habitats Directive, including Macaronsian juniper woods, which is the Canaries’ variety of the priority habitat *9560. The habitat is also important for some bird species such as the rare laurel pigeon, (Columba junoniae), which is endemic to the isles. The unique habitats were once deforested to provide farmland, and more recently cut down for use in contemporary interiors/ exteriors (e.g. for furniture), or used for urban buildings. The sparse remaining areas with juniper woodlands on the island of Tenerife had become degraded due to human activity and overgrazing. Today, only a few remains of this special forest are still found on Tenerife, barely reaching 1% of their original extent. As well as the deforestation, the main threats to the habitat are from erosion risk and from invasive alien species. Conservation actions through a restoration plan were urgently needed in order to increase the remaining forest cover. Objectives The main project’s objective was to begin the restoration of the priority habitat, Juniperus thermophilous forest, establishing a pilot experience and generating the necessary capacity for the continuation of a forest recovery programme after the end of the project. The targeted area for restoration actions was 53.5 hectares of land within the Teno nature park, an SCI (site of Community importance) within the Natura 2000 network on the island of Tenerife. As well as practical restoration measures, studies would be carried out to assess the composition and structure of the habitat, and plant reproduction. A monitoring plan would be implemented, best practice guidelines published. These measures would be complemented by various dissemination activities. Results The project’s main objective i.e. to lay the foundations for the restoration of the Juniperus thermophilous forest was met. Key actions included: 1. A preliminary study of the endemic Juniperus forest of the Teno park was carried out at the start of the project. It established the potential area of the thermophilous forest in the park; defined restoration guidelines; evaluated the ecological structure, dynamic and specific composition of the forest in Teno; assessed the status of the thermophilous forest in the project area; and included a list of the alien species to be removed. 2. The production of vegetal material to be used in the ecological restoration – seed collection and the growing of seedlings in the nursery. At the end of the project, 14 850 young plants had been produced. 3. Ecological restoration of the area: (i) Alien plants were removed over 1 000 m2 to allow space recovery for reforestation and reduce the risk of colonization by alien species); (ii) Experimental reforestation was carried out (planting seedlings from the tree nursery. The first test involved 350 specimens [245 individuals of ‘sabina’ (Juniperus turbinata subsp. canariensis) and 105 individuals of ‘acebuche’ (Olea europaea subsp. guanchica)]. The second phase included the manual planting of 700 specimens of eight different species (among others, 194 were specimens of ‘sabina’ and 126 specimens of ‘acebuche’) over an area of 1 ha and afterwards (March 2007) the reforestation of the rest of the plot i.e. 9 635 specimens (among others, 4 069 were ‘sabina’ and 186 were of ‘acebuche’). The total number of plant replacements was 4 635. 4. Vegetation monitoring – tests for example, were carried out to determine the survival and growth of young plants after planting by comparing with the control plots; determining the Juniperus age, age pattern, and growth rates; analysis of the nutrient levels of the soil in the project area etc. 5. Monitoring of bird species in the project area – compiling details of bird fauna characteristic of thermophilous forests, particularly Juniperus woodlands; monitoring in particular, protected birds, after restoration and in the surrounding areas. Data was also compared with the control plots in the Juniperus woodlands of Afur in Anaga, Tenerife and Tamargada in Vallehermoso onb the island of La Gomera). These practical restoration measures were complemented by various dissemination activities including the publication of a book, “Thermophilous woodlands in the Canary Islands”, leaflets and posters etc., aimed at furthering knowledge gained through the project and increasing support for the conservation of the habitat. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).