Rural landscape planning and forest management in Tuscany (Italy)

The article analyzes the relationships between landscape planning and forests in Italy with a specific focus on Tuscany. For the Tuscan region landscape represents a fundamental value from the cultural, economic, environmental and social point of view. This is why it was the first region of Italy to develop a landscape plan in 2014, according to the National Code for Cultural Heritage, setting up a Landscape Observatory to monitor the application of the plan in 2016. The plan is the main instrument providing a vision for the development model of the region and guidelines for the planning of rural areas also affecting forest management. The construction of the plan has caused an intense debate, due to the strict limitations imposed to soil consumption, to agricultural and forest activities. Forests cover more than the half of the regional surface, but 30% of them is the result of the abandonment of farmed land occurred in the last decades, while 50% of the forests are currently managed. The article examines how the values connected to the forests have been identified an assessed in the plan, the strict limitations for their protection but also the decision to allow the restoration of farmed land to maintain a balance between farmed and forest land in the landscape. Landscape and forest is the topic of the chapter about Italy in the FAO SOFO 2018

L’inventario nazionale del paesaggio rurale storico. Nuovi indirizzi per la pianificazione delle aree rurali

In Italy there is a great richness of rural landscapes, created by man during the centuries. Their recognition, conservation and dynamic management represent important actions to keep this heritage. The essay tells about the result of a research on historical rural landscapes led by the Ministry of Agricoltural, Food and Forestry Policies, published in 2010, that starting from the work of Sereni and Gambi, faces the theme of identification and classification of cultural-historical landscapes and defines 120 “traditional” landscapes

Agricultural Heritage Systems and Landscape Perception among Tourists. The Case of Lamole, Chianti (Italy)

The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) program, promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), recognizes the multifunctional role of agricultural heritage systems. Traditional terraced landscapes represent important touristic destinations, and Chianti is one of the most well-known areas of Italy for rural tourism. The high-quality landscape of Lamole, consisting of forests and terraced agricultural areas, is included in the Italian National Register of Historical Rural Landscapes thanks to local farmers who recently restored the traditional landscape, considering it important both for tourism and product quality. The main aim of this research was to investigate, using anonymous questionnaires, whether tourists are aware of the characteristics of the Lamole landscape in comparison with other parts of Chianti. Results show that tourists clearly express their preference for the traditional landscape, which is comprised of a mosaic of agricultural patches with dry-stone terraces and forests, and that the level of landscape diversification is similar to 180 years ago. As tourism is a major resource, public institutions should support farmers in preserving the traditional landscape, investing in paths and information, as requested by tourists. The methodology has proved to be useful for addressing local planning, and to help farmers to achieve sustainable development in well-known touristic rural areas

The traditional agroforestry systems of Sierra del Rosario and Sierra Maestra, Cuba

AbstractTraditional coffee cultivation in Cuba is the result of a complex interaction between different flora species creating agroforestry systems widely spread in mountainous area. The systems, product of local traditional knowledge, are mainly devoted to coffee production but, thanks to the interaction with other species, farmers provide different food products both for self-consumption and to be sold. Furthermore, the adoption of shade trees in order to reach a better quality of the coffee cultivated creates particular microclimate conditions favorable for microorganisms, fauna species and also for spontaneous flora species. According to this it is clear the relationships between traditional knowledge and biodiversity preservation which is fundamental also for improving the surrounding environment, avoiding floods or hydrogeological instability damages, concurring to climate change mitigation and carbon storage. Traditional agroforestry systems are one of the best example of coexistence and coevolution between man and nature, being an historical system adopted by local communities to satisfy their needs in total respect of the surrounding environment. Considering this, the promotion and maintenance of this kind of systems and knowledge related might constitute a valid example to actively preserve biodiversity while respecting human needs for food and livelihood security. These systems are also of particular importance considering the importance of coffee as a beverage served in many countries of the world, but often produced in intensive plantations. This paper shows the high sustainability of coffee production under the shade of trees and support a new concept of food quality contributing to preserve local cultures and environments