IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i7p2520-d158672.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable Land Management, Adaptive Silviculture, and New Forest Challenges: Evidence from a Latitudinal Gradient in Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Gianfranco Fabbio

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

  • Paolo Cantiani

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

  • Fabrizio Ferretti

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

  • Umberto Di Salvatore

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

  • Giada Bertini

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

  • Claudia Becagli

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

  • Ugo Chiavetta

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

  • Maurizio Marchi

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

  • Luca Salvati

    (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

Abstract

Aimed at reducing structural homogeneity and symmetrical competition in even-aged forest stands and enhancing stand structure diversity, the present study contributes to the design and implementation of adaptive silvicultural practices with two objectives: (1) preserving high wood production rates under changing environmental conditions and (2) ensuring key ecological services including carbon sequestration and forest health and vitality over extended stand life-spans. Based on a quantitative analysis of selected stand structure indicators, the experimental design was aimed at comparing customary practices of thinning from below over the full standing crop and innovative practices of crown thinning or selective thinning releasing a pre-fixed number of best phenotypes and removing direct crown competitors. Experimental trials were established at four beech forests along a latitudinal gradient in Italy: Cansiglio, Veneto; Vallombrosa, Tuscany; Chiarano, Abruzzo; and Marchesale, Calabria). Empirical results indicate a higher harvesting rate is associated with innovative practices compared with traditional thinning. A multivariate discriminant analysis outlined significant differences in post-treatment stand structure, highlighting the differential role of structural and functional variables across the study sites. These findings clarify the impact of former forest structure in shaping post-treatment stand attributes. Monitoring standing crop variables before and after thinning provides a basic understanding to verify intensity and direction of the applied manipulation, the progress toward the economic and ecological goals, as well as possible failures or need for adjustments within a comprehensive strategy of adaptive forest management.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianfranco Fabbio & Paolo Cantiani & Fabrizio Ferretti & Umberto Di Salvatore & Giada Bertini & Claudia Becagli & Ugo Chiavetta & Maurizio Marchi & Luca Salvati, 2018. "Sustainable Land Management, Adaptive Silviculture, and New Forest Challenges: Evidence from a Latitudinal Gradient in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2520-:d:158672
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/7/2520/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/7/2520/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pommerening, Arne & Särkkä, Aila, 2013. "What mark variograms tell about spatial plant interactions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 251(C), pages 64-72.
    2. Rupert Seidl & Mart-Jan Schelhaas & Werner Rammer & Pieter Johannes Verkerk, 2014. "Increasing forest disturbances in Europe and their impact on carbon storage," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(9), pages 806-810, September.
    3. Gert-Jan Nabuurs & Marcus Lindner & Pieter J. Verkerk & Katja Gunia & Paola Deda & Roman Michalak & Giacomo Grassi, 2013. "First signs of carbon sink saturation in European forest biomass," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 3(9), pages 792-796, September.
    4. Salvati, Luca & Carlucci, Margherita, 2011. "The economic and environmental performances of rural districts in Italy: Are competitiveness and sustainability compatible targets?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(12), pages 2446-2453.
    5. Federico Magnani & Maurizio Mencuccini & Marco Borghetti & Paul Berbigier & Frank Berninger & Sylvain Delzon & Achim Grelle & Pertti Hari & Paul G. Jarvis & Pasi Kolari & Andrew S. Kowalski & Harry La, 2007. "The human footprint in the carbon cycle of temperate and boreal forests," Nature, Nature, vol. 447(7146), pages 849-851, June.
    6. Marco Zitti & Carlotta Ferrara & Luigi Perini & Margherita Carlucci & Luca Salvati, 2015. "Long-Term Urban Growth and Land Use Efficiency in Southern Europe: Implications for Sustainable Land Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-27, March.
    7. Wim de Vries & Svein Solberg & Matthias Dobbertin & Hubert Sterba & Daniel Laubhahn & Gert Jan Reinds & Gert-Jan Nabuurs & Per Gundersen & Mark A. Sutton, 2008. "Ecologically implausible carbon response?," Nature, Nature, vol. 451(7180), pages 1-3, February.
    8. Ferrara, Carlotta & Carlucci, Margherita & Grigoriadis, Efstathios & Corona, Piermaria & Salvati, Luca, 2017. "A comprehensive insight into the geography of forest cover in Italy: Exploring the importance of socioeconomic local contexts," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 12-22.
    9. Rupert Seidl & Mart-Jan Schelhaas & Werner Rammer & Pieter Johannes Verkerk, 2014. "Correction: Corrigendum: Increasing forest disturbances in Europe and their impact on carbon storage," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(10), pages 930-930, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maurizio Marchi & Francesco Chianucci & Carlotta Ferrara & Giorgio Pontuale & Elisa Pontuale & Anastasios Mavrakis & Nathan Morrow & Fabrizio Rossi & Luca Salvati, 2018. "Sustainable Land-Use, Wildfires, and Evolving Local Contexts in a Mediterranean Country, 2000–2015," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-13, October.
    2. Marcela Prokopová & Ondřej Cudlín & Renata Včeláková & Szabolcs Lengyel & Luca Salvati & Pavel Cudlín, 2018. "Latent Drivers of Landscape Transformation in Eastern Europe: Past, Present and Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, August.
    3. Luca Salvati & Ilaria Tombolini & Roberta Gemmiti & Margherita Carlucci & Sofia Bajocco & Luigi Perini & Agostino Ferrara & Andrea Colantoni, 2017. "Complexity in action: Untangling latent relationships between land quality, economic structures and socio-spatial patterns in Italy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(6), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Rosanna Salvia & Pere Serra & Ilaria Zambon & Massimo Cecchini & Luca Salvati, 2018. "In-Between Sprawl and Neo-Rurality: Sparse Settlements and the Evolution of Socio-Demographic Local Context in a Mediterranean Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, October.
    5. Lars Högbom & Dalia Abbas & Kęstutis Armolaitis & Endijs Baders & Martyn Futter & Aris Jansons & Kalev Jõgiste & Andis Lazdins & Diana Lukminė & Mika Mustonen & Knut Øistad & Anneli Poska & Pasi Rauti, 2021. "Trilemma of Nordic–Baltic Forestry—How to Implement UN Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-12, May.
    6. Valerio Moretti & Luca Salvati & Massimo Cecchini & Ilaria Zambon, 2019. "A Long-Term Analysis of Demographic Processes, Socioeconomic ‘Modernization’ and Forest Expansion in a European Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-16, January.
    7. Patrice Loisel & Marielle Brunette & Stéphane Couture, 2022. "Ambiguity, value of information and forest rotation decision under storm risk," Working Papers of BETA 2022-26, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    8. Thomas, J. & Brunette, M. & Leblois, A., 2022. "The determinants of adapting forest management practices to climate change: Lessons from a survey of French private forest owners," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    9. Margherita Carlucci & Ilaria Zambon & Andrea Colantoni & Luca Salvati, 2019. "Socioeconomic Development, Demographic Dynamics and Forest Fires in Italy, 1961–2017: A Time-Series Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-17, March.
    10. Ilaria Zambon & Agostino Ferrara & Rosanna Salvia & Enrico Maria Mosconi & Luigi Fici & Rosario Turco & Luca Salvati, 2018. "Rural Districts between Urbanization and Land Abandonment: Undermining Long-Term Changes in Mediterranean Landscapes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-17, April.
    11. Kallio, A. Maarit I. & Solberg, Birger & Käär, Liisa & Päivinen, Risto, 2018. "Economic impacts of setting reference levels for the forest carbon sinks in the EU on the European forest sector," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 193-201.
    12. Julie Thomas & Marielle Brunette & Antoine Leblois, 2021. "Adapting forest management practices to climate change : Lessons from a survey of French private forest owners," Working Papers hal-03142772, HAL.
    13. Jarisch, Isabelle & Bödeker, Kai & Bingham, Logan Robert & Friedrich, Stefan & Kindu, Mengistie & Knoke, Thomas, 2022. "The influence of discounting ecosystem services in robust multi-objective optimization – An application to a forestry-avocado land-use portfolio," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    14. Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir & Sirio Cividino & Gianluca Egidi & Rosanna Salvia & Luca Salvati, 2020. "Rapidity of Change in Population Age Structures: A Local Approach Based on Multiway Factor Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-13, April.
    15. Francesca Mariani & Ilaria Zambon & Luca Salvati, 2018. "Population Matters: Identifying Metropolitan Sub-Centers from Diachronic Density-Distance Curves, 1960–2010," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Lessa Derci Augustynczik, Andrey & Yousefpour, Rasoul, 2021. "Assessing the synergistic value of ecosystem services in European beech forests," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    17. Salvati, Luca & Ciommi, Maria Teresa & Serra, Pere & Chelli, Francesco M., 2019. "Exploring the spatial structure of housing prices under economic expansion and stagnation: The role of socio-demographic factors in metropolitan Rome, Italy," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 143-152.
    18. Maurizio Marchi & Carlotta Ferrara & Rita Biasi & Rosanna Salvia & Luca Salvati, 2018. "Agro-Forest Management and Soil Degradation in Mediterranean Environments: Towards a Strategy for Sustainable Land Use in Vineyard and Olive Cropland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-8, July.
    19. Zambon, Ilaria & Benedetti, Anna & Ferrara, Carlotta & Salvati, Luca, 2018. "Soil Matters? A Multivariate Analysis of Socioeconomic Constraints to Urban Expansion in Mediterranean Europe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 173-183.
    20. Giovanni B. Concu & Claudio Detotto & Marco Vannini, 2021. "Drivers of intentions and drivers of actions: willingness toparticipate versus actual participation in fire management inSardinia, Italy," Working Papers 018, Laboratoire Lieux, Identités, eSpaces et Activités (LISA).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2520-:d:158672. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.