The effects of ongoing climate changes urge us to adopt adaptation and mitigation measures that can secure life on Earth. Forest ecosystems play an important role in the carbon cycle and Mediterranean forests are increasing in area and stocks over the decades. Nevertheless, rapid and intense climate change will have a significant impact on Mediterranean forests. One possible approach to increase the adaptability of forest in the long term is to maintain and/or increase the complexity of the forest through specific management approaches. At the same time, management actions aimed at promoting forest diversification and reducing competition for resources under water-scarce conditions appear to be useful strategies for decreasing vulnerability and increasing the resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change. The Life project ManFor C.BD. (Managing Forests for multiple purposes: Carbon, BioDiversity, and socio-economic wellbeing)(LIFE09 ENV/ IT/000078) was set up to enhance the multifunctionality of forests. The objectives of the project were to propose and implement multifunctional forest management options, test their applicability, compare their effectiveness with traditional local techniques, select the more suitable and promote their application, and disseminate the results at different levels of management and planning. The ManFor C.BD. project considered ten study sites, predominantly beech, seven of them in Italy and three in Slovenia. In all the demonstration sites, two silvicultural options were added to the traditional interventions usually applied in local contexts. In several cases, the results obtained from the application of the innovative treatment(s) showed an increase in the necromass and in structural complexity of the forests and, in the medium term, an increased carbon sequestration capacity of the forest ecosystem. In addition, they showed a higher quantity of valuable woody assortments obtained from management, faster forest growth in the first years following the intervention (3-5 years post-intervention), an increase in biodiversity manifested by a greater abundance of hoverflies and less disturbance to birds during the logging. From the results of the Life ManFor C.BD. project, it has been possible to outline good adaptive forest management practices that can be differentiated according to their purpose into biodiversity conservation, carbon stock enhancement and increasing stand structural complexity. The actions aimed at preserving biodiversity are: • increasing diversity at stand and landscape level through the simultaneous application in different areas of traditional and innovative treatments; • increasing dead wood and maintaining old and senescent trees; • diversifying the vertical structure of the forest to allow for greater photosynthetic efficiency, production of good quality wood for durable products, favouring not-fixed and longer rotations to allow for more flexible management systems over time. At the same time, Mediterranean forests need to be more adapted to climate change. Accordingly, useful actions to increase the adaptive capacity of Mediterranean forests, are: • density management to regulate and reduce water use; • encourage species mixing and better management of thinning to promote growth; • implement actions to encourage regeneration; • implement coppice management to increase resilience to disturbances; • in-situ and ex-situ conservation for genetic resources; • encourage assisted migration of species with higher adaptive capacity; • implement preventive silviculture and vegetation management to prevent fires. Mediterranean forests, particularly beech forests, are indispensable allies in implementing mitigation and adaptation actions to ongoing climate change. These formations are at the same time threatened by rapid climate change; therefore, it is necessary to implement new forest management measures able to increase the resilience and multifunctionality of the forest. The choices to be implemented must be capable of favouring an increase in biodiversity and atmospheric carbon sequestration capacity. These objectives can be achieved through the implementation of innovative silvicultural treatments and the adoption of new management schemes better suited to the context of climate change, to seek greater flexibility, better production of valuable woody assortments, and higher structural variability at both the local and landscape scales.
3.3 Gestione adattativa delle faggete: il Life ManFor C.BD
Antenucci E.;Garfi' V.
2023-01-01
Abstract
The effects of ongoing climate changes urge us to adopt adaptation and mitigation measures that can secure life on Earth. Forest ecosystems play an important role in the carbon cycle and Mediterranean forests are increasing in area and stocks over the decades. Nevertheless, rapid and intense climate change will have a significant impact on Mediterranean forests. One possible approach to increase the adaptability of forest in the long term is to maintain and/or increase the complexity of the forest through specific management approaches. At the same time, management actions aimed at promoting forest diversification and reducing competition for resources under water-scarce conditions appear to be useful strategies for decreasing vulnerability and increasing the resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change. The Life project ManFor C.BD. (Managing Forests for multiple purposes: Carbon, BioDiversity, and socio-economic wellbeing)(LIFE09 ENV/ IT/000078) was set up to enhance the multifunctionality of forests. The objectives of the project were to propose and implement multifunctional forest management options, test their applicability, compare their effectiveness with traditional local techniques, select the more suitable and promote their application, and disseminate the results at different levels of management and planning. The ManFor C.BD. project considered ten study sites, predominantly beech, seven of them in Italy and three in Slovenia. In all the demonstration sites, two silvicultural options were added to the traditional interventions usually applied in local contexts. In several cases, the results obtained from the application of the innovative treatment(s) showed an increase in the necromass and in structural complexity of the forests and, in the medium term, an increased carbon sequestration capacity of the forest ecosystem. In addition, they showed a higher quantity of valuable woody assortments obtained from management, faster forest growth in the first years following the intervention (3-5 years post-intervention), an increase in biodiversity manifested by a greater abundance of hoverflies and less disturbance to birds during the logging. From the results of the Life ManFor C.BD. project, it has been possible to outline good adaptive forest management practices that can be differentiated according to their purpose into biodiversity conservation, carbon stock enhancement and increasing stand structural complexity. The actions aimed at preserving biodiversity are: • increasing diversity at stand and landscape level through the simultaneous application in different areas of traditional and innovative treatments; • increasing dead wood and maintaining old and senescent trees; • diversifying the vertical structure of the forest to allow for greater photosynthetic efficiency, production of good quality wood for durable products, favouring not-fixed and longer rotations to allow for more flexible management systems over time. At the same time, Mediterranean forests need to be more adapted to climate change. Accordingly, useful actions to increase the adaptive capacity of Mediterranean forests, are: • density management to regulate and reduce water use; • encourage species mixing and better management of thinning to promote growth; • implement actions to encourage regeneration; • implement coppice management to increase resilience to disturbances; • in-situ and ex-situ conservation for genetic resources; • encourage assisted migration of species with higher adaptive capacity; • implement preventive silviculture and vegetation management to prevent fires. Mediterranean forests, particularly beech forests, are indispensable allies in implementing mitigation and adaptation actions to ongoing climate change. These formations are at the same time threatened by rapid climate change; therefore, it is necessary to implement new forest management measures able to increase the resilience and multifunctionality of the forest. The choices to be implemented must be capable of favouring an increase in biodiversity and atmospheric carbon sequestration capacity. These objectives can be achieved through the implementation of innovative silvicultural treatments and the adoption of new management schemes better suited to the context of climate change, to seek greater flexibility, better production of valuable woody assortments, and higher structural variability at both the local and landscape scales.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
