FOLLOWING AN INTEGRATIVE AND MULTISCALE APPROACH THIS PROJECT PROVIDES VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR SUSTAINABLE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN ISLANDS. BY THIS PROPOSAL WE AIM TO ASSESS NOT ONLY THE FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE OF MEDITERRANEAN MAQUIS TO HERBIVORY, BUT ALSO THE ROLE OF SMALL RUMINANTS ON THE PREVENTION OF WILDFIRES AND RESTORATION OF BURNT AREAS OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS. AT INDIVIDUAL SCALE, WE WILL STUDY THE IMPACT OF FERAL GOATS (INCLUDING THE AUTACTONUS MALLOCAN WILD GOAT) ON ENDEMIC, BROADLY DISTRIBUTED OR PALATABLE PLANTS IN THE ISLAND. AT POPULATION SCALE, HOWEVER, WE WILL EXPLORE THE ROLE OF LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE ON THE ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF FLOCKS. FINALLY, WE WILL ASSESS THE IMPACT OF GRAZING ON THE SECONDARY POST-FIRE SUCCESSION OF VEGETATION. ALONG THIS LINE, WE WILL PERFORM FIELD MANIPULATIONS OF BROWSING PRESSURE AIMING AT EVALUATING THE USE OF GOATS FOR WILDFIRE PREVENTION. TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS, WE WILL COMBINE LABORATORY ANALYSIS (DIET QUALITY, MICROHISTOLOGY FOR DIET COMPOSITION, SECONDARY COMPOUNDS ASSESSMENT), VEGETATION MONITORING IN OPEN AND FENCED AREAS, AND THE USE OF UNMANNED SPACECRAFTS TO ASSES GOAT DENSITY OR VEGETATION ACTIVITY (MULTISPECTRAL IMAGES). FURTHERMORE, THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE ROLE OF HERBIVORES IN THIS SINGULAR ECOSYSTEM WILL ALSO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILL SERVE TO DEVELOP ENVIRONMENTAL PLANS AIMED AT VEGETATION CONTROL AND FIRE PREVENTION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN.