Le zone ornitologiche della Sicilia: un metodo per l'individuazione oggettiva di ecoregioni.

Gli autori presentano una zonizzazione ecologica della Sicilia costruita in maniera oggettiva su base ornitologica con i dati sulla distribuzione delle specie nidificanti raccolti nei periodi 1979-1984, 1985-1992 e 1993-2006. Le maglie quadrate 10x10 km in cui erano riportati i dati originali sono state raggruppate con una cluster analysis sulla base della somiglianza della comunità ornitica nidifican- te, utilizzando le specie indicatrici per individuare il livello ottimale di raggruppamento che caratte- rizza ciascun gruppo e, insieme alle categorie di uso del suolo, fitoclimatiche e geologiche prevalen- ti al loro interno, i caratteri ecologici principali di ciascun gruppo. Sono state individuate nel complesso sette zone ornitologiche: (1) isole circumsiciliane, (2) pianure costiere mediterranee, (3) sistemi agricoli mediterranei della vite, (4) sistemi agricoli mediterranei steppici, (5) sistemi agricoli mesomediterranei (6), montagne mesomediterranee e (7) montagne temperate. La zona (1) risulta ben caratterizzata da uccelli marini (Calonectris diomedea, Puffinus yelkouan, Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis) e specie legate a scogliere ed ambienti rocciosi (Falco eleonorae, Falco peregrinus, Monti- cola solitarius). La zona (2) è caratterizzata da specie legate ai litorali (Charadrius alexandrinus) o agli ambienti umidi (es.: Himantopus himantopus, Ixobrychus minutus, Anas platyrhynchos) e compren- de, in sostanza, ambienti prevalentemente costieri, pianeggianti e non aridi, anche coltivati (Cistico- la juncidis). Carattere decisamente agricolo hanno le zone (3), (4) e (5), con la zona (3) priva di spe- cie indicatrici e che comprende i sistemi più poveri dal punto di vista ornitologico e la zona (4) invece, che include le aree con carattere più steppico (specie indicatrici: Sturnus unicolor, Falco biar- micus, Burhinus oedicnemus). La zona (6) è quella più eterogenea, caratterizzata da moltissime spe- cie indicatrici, legate alle rupi (Neophron percnopterus, Aquila chrysaetos, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), alle aree aperte (Alauda arvensis, Lullula arborea, Anthus campestris) con alberi sparsi (Lanius sena- tor), ai boschi (Turdus viscivorus, Certhia brachydactyla); molte di queste specie sono di elevato inte- resse (es.: Milvus milvus, Milvus migrans), indicando la grande importanza conservazionistica di que- sta zona ornitologica. La zona (7) è ben caratterizzata da specie legate al bosco e a climi freschi (Phylloscopus collybita, Periparus ater, Poecile palustris siculus, Sitta europaea). In generale le zone ornitologiche mostrano una corrispondenza molto limitata con zonizzazioni su base fitoclimatica e una maggiore corrispondenza invece con le classificazioni dei sistemi di paesaggio che includono anche gli aspetti dell’azione storica dell’uomo sul territorio

GESTIONE DEL BOSCO E CONSERVAZIONE DELLA BIODIVERSITA': L'ANALISI ECOPAESISTICA APPLICATA A TERRITORI BOSCATI DELLA TOSCANA MERIDIONALE

This research, developed for a wooded area of Southern Toscana with both the evergreen and deciduous broadleaves woods, aims to show the consequences of coppice management on biodiversity and to suggest a methodology useful to foster biological conservation. An analysis of landscape spatial confi guration was carried out according to principles of landscape ecology and using birds as indicators, by means of already available data describing this territory. The connection between the territory and biodiversity has been analysed at different spatial scales to understand if the perception limits of wooded land and their changes, caused by implementation of forestry strategies by a forest technician can be analogous to that of birds. Scenarios were built according to different constrains applied to management to estimate the impact of different utilisation criteria on resources spatial pattern and therefore on biodiversity. These criteria were then tested in a public estate managed according to a forest management plan. The most relevant conclusions of this research can be summarised as follows: 1. at a regional level the Colline Metallifere territory is important for establishing ecological continuity. Forestry and ecological planning should always approach the territory at different scales; 2. structural heterogeneity, for this case study, affects biodiversity in an apparently contradictory way. The management criteria adopted favour bird species linked to high forest environment but are disadvantageous to species linked to open ground. Forest policy of past decades leading to reforestation of former fi elds and pastures, rural depopulation inducing the secondary succession on abandonedfarmland and longer coppice rotations resulted in a strong reduction of open areas. These are important habitats for birds, which all over the Mediterranean area are menaced; 3. growth processes cause structural changes at the stand level and therefore mosaics originated by different stand structures can be considered as “fragile”. Changes in the landscape due to these processes increase homogeneity and therefore may act on biodiversity in a negative way; 4. several limitations adopted in building the scenarios correspond to rules already adopted in standard management plans, which do not take biodiversity specifi cally into consideration; 5. empirical data on biodiversity collected in coppices, which could support or reject these hypotheses, are lacking; fi eld research is mostly needed; 6. different behaviour of various bird species in the coppice habitat show the need to adopt strict and clear concepts regarding indicator species or umbrella species and to avoid generic statements about “fauna”, “birds” or “habitat” to evaluate biodiversity

PROGETTO LIFE11 ENV IT 215 RESILFORMED - RESILIENZA AL CAMBIAMENTO CLIMATICO NELLE FORESTE MEDITERRANEE

Le condizioni climatiche delle regioni mediterranee, caratterizzate da frequenti annate siccitose, contribuiscono all’indebolimento degli ecosistemi forestali. Come risultato le foreste riducono le loro capacità produttive e sono più soggette a fenomeni di degrado secondario. Inoltre i contesti economico-sociali possono acuire il degrado con la diffusione di uno scorretto uso della risorsa (tagli boschivi, pascolamento) e con la diffusione degli incendi boschivi. L’obiettivo generale del progetto è preservare i sistemi forestali in ambiente mediterraneo dai rischi derivanti dai cambiamenti climatici, tramite processi di naturalizzazione, aumento di biodiversità e migliorata reattività, nei processi di recupero, in seguito ad eventi destabilizzanti. Obiettivo specifico è implementare una politica forestale regionale in grado di aumentare la capacità di resilienza delle foreste siciliane, migliorandone l’efficienza ecosistemica e favorendo la salvaguardia della biodiversità. Tra le azioni principali previste dal progetto, che si concluderà alla fine del 2015, si possono citare la classificazione delle categorie forestali siciliane in funzione della sensibilità alla desertificazione, l’indagine diacronica sull’uso e copertura del suolo dei principali paesaggi forestali siciliani, la definizione di prassi selvicolturali specifiche; la realizzazione di 120 ettari di interventi dimostrativi in 6 aree della Sicilia; la realizzazione di 6 piani di indirizzo forestali attraverso processi partecipativi con le popolazioni locali. Nella fase finale del progetto è prevista l’implementazione delle linee strategiche sperimentate con ResilForMed nel Piano Forestale Regionale della Sicilia

I. Biodiversità e configurazione del paesaggio forestale attraverso le scale spaziali

ISI Master list(http://scientific.thomsonreuters.com/) Periodico a diffusione europea ed extraeuropea Argomenti trattati: selvicoltura, ecologia forestale, gestione forestale sostenibile, genetica forestale. REFEREE

GESTIONE DEL BOSCO E CONSERVAZIONE DELLA BIODIVERSITA': L'ANALISI ECOPAESISTICA APPLICATA A TERRITORI BOSCATI DELLA TOSCANA MERIDIONALE. Premessa

This research, developed for a wooded area of Southern Toscana with both the evergreen and deciduous broadleaves woods, aims to show the consequences of coppice management on biodiversity and to suggest a methodology useful to foster biological conservation. An analysis of landscape spatial confi guration was carried out according to principles of landscape ecology and using birds as indicators, by means of already available data describing this territory. The connection between the territory and biodiversity has been analysed at different spatial scales to understand if the perception limits of wooded land and their changes, caused by implementation of forestry strategies by a forest technician can be analogous to that of birds. Scenarios were built according to different constrains applied to management to estimate the impact of different utilisation criteria on resources spatial pattern and therefore on biodiversity. These criteria were then tested in a public estate managed according to a forest management plan. The most relevant conclusions of this research can be summarised as follows: 1. at a regional level the Colline Metallifere territory is important for establishing ecological continuity. Forestry and ecological planning should always approach the territory at different scales; 2. structural heterogeneity, for this case study, affects biodiversity in an apparently contradictory way. The management criteria adopted favour bird species linked to high forest environment but are disadvantageous to species linked to open ground. Forest policy of past decades leading to reforestation of former fi elds and pastures, rural depopulation inducing the secondary succession on abandonedfarmland and longer coppice rotations resulted in a strong reduction of open areas. These are important habitats for birds, which all over the Mediterranean area are menaced; 3. growth processes cause structural changes at the stand level and therefore mosaics originated by different stand structures can be considered as “fragile”. Changes in the landscape due to these processes increase homogeneity and therefore may act on biodiversity in a negative way; 4. several limitations adopted in building the scenarios correspond to rules already adopted in standard management plans, which do not take biodiversity specifi cally into consideration; 5. empirical data on biodiversity collected in coppices, which could support or reject these hypotheses, are lacking; fi eld research is mostly needed; 6. different behaviour of various bird species in the coppice habitat show the need to adopt strict and clear concepts regarding indicator species or umbrella species and to avoid generic statements about “fauna”, “birds” or “habitat” to evaluate biodiversity

Functional connectivity for silvogenesis in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Miller) plantations as a base towards an effective landscape biodiversity strategy in southern Apulia (Italy)

This study is based on the hypothesis that early silvigenetic processes occurring in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Miller) plantations in southern Apulia (Italy) are favoured by the presence of bird species acting as vectors for broadleaved species colonisation. The aim of the work has been to assess the degree of functional connectivity of Aleppo pine plantations with respect to these vectors. A combination of modelling procedures were applied, one derived from the maximum-entropy principle (MaxEnt), the other form graph theory (Conefor Sensinode 2.2). Results suggest that the use of MaxEnt in combination with the Conefor Sensinode 2.2, not only overcomes the need to make subjective expert judgments about habitat suitability, but also improves the conceptual performance of the Conefor Sensinode 2.2 algorithm itself when “least-cost distance” algorithms are not applicable. The rationale of the model adopted by this software is based on a simplistic patch-corridor-matrix conceptual model. MaxEnt assumes the more realistic landscape continuum one by considering environmental (i.e. context relevant) variables in conjunction to each landscape element. The conceptual and operational switch from the ecological network model to the more realistic ecological continuity model might have crucial consequences for maintaining biodiversity at landscape scale, especially the role such perspectives could play in complementing the protected area network strategies

III. Ipotesi sugli esiti a medio-lungo termine della gestione forestale attuale sulla conservazione della biodiversità

Starting from the consideration emerged form the previous phases (MAIROTA et al. and MAIROTA and PIUSSI this volume) a posterior landscape ecological analysis was carried out in order to assess the consequences of an actual forest management plan. The same set of spatial scale was adopted, even though the focus was on the lower three levels of the hierarchy of the patchiness, birds were again used as bioindicators and a GIS was created on purpose for the management estate studied. The analysis was extended in time up to the year 2042 when the interventions, as scheduled and implemented by 2005, are likely to infl uence both the single stand and the resultant spatial mosaic. Landscape confi guration change was examined at the three levels of the hierarchy using data at the patch to compute a few landscape pattern indices. To compare the ex ante and the ex post situations descriptive statistics applied. Effects on biodiversity were qualitatively assessed by means of the verifi cation of the fulfi lment of the habitat needs, in terms of habitat availability, of a set of bird species specialised or dependent on forest habitat types, in both situations. A higher degree of landscape heterogeneity (due to the increase of both aggregation and contrast) at the management level is to be expected by the implementation of the forest management plan. As the management level is crucial for habitat selection for birds, speaking in general terms, such effects do not appear as detrimental for conservation purposes. However it has to be taken into an account that the implementation of this very management plan is also likely to produce a relatively homogeneous pattern as far as age of forest stands is concerned which does not seem to favour the viability of local populations of a few among the bird species considered. It is suggested that these and other issues emerging from this analysis are taken into an account when a new plan will be compiled in order to both avoid management anomalies and to better harmonise silviculture and conservation instances. The approach adopted is consistent with both the principles of “wise forest management in Europe” (ANDERSSON 2003) and of “adaptative management” (FEMAT)