Exploring nonlinear intra-annual growth dynamics in Fagus sylvatica L. trees at the Italian ICP-forests level II network

The European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is a widely distributed tree species across Europe, highly sensitive to climate change and global warming. This study illustrates results of a 5-year monitoring time period from eight sites of the ICP-Forests Level II (intensive monitoring network) along the Italian latitudinal gradient. The tree-level relationship between tree growth dynamics and environmental factors, including seasonal climate fluctuations were investigated by means of tree-level Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs). Model results revealed that climate was responsible for just a portion of the variability in beech growth dynamics. Even if climatic predictors were highly significant in almost all sites, the model explained nearly 30% of the total variance (with just a maximum value of 71.6%), leaving the remaining variance unexplained and likely connected with forest management trajectories applied to each site (e.g., aged coppice and fully grown high forest). Climate change scenarios were then applied to predict site-specific future responses. By applying climate change scenarios, it was predicted that central and northern Italy would face similar climatic conditions to those currently detected at southern latitudes. A special case study was represented by VEN1 plot (Veneto, Northern Italy) whose current and future climate regimes were grouped in a unique and separated cluster

Testing an expanded set of sustainable forest management indicators in Mediterranean coppice area

Although coppice forests represent a significant part of the European forest area, especially across southern Countries, they received little attention within the Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) processes and scenarios, whose guidelines have been mainly designed to high forests and national scale. In order to obtain “tailored” information on the degree of sustainability of coppices on the scale of the stand, we evaluated (i) whether the main coppice management options result in different responses of the SFM indicators, and (ii) the degree to which the considered SFM indicators were appropriate in their application at stand level. The study considered three different management options (Traditional Coppice TC, coppice under Natural Evolution NE, and coppice under Conversion to high forest by means of periodical thinning CO). In each of the 43 plots considered in the study, which covered three different European Forest Types, we applied a set of eighteen “consolidated” SFM indicators, covering all the six SFM Criteria (FOREST EUROPE, 2020) and, additionally, tested other sixteen novel indicators shaped for agamic forests and/or applicable at stand level. Results confirmed that several consolidated indicators related to resources status (Growing stock and Carbon stock), health (Defoliation and Forest damage), and socio-economic functions (Net revenue, Energy and Accessibility) were highly appropriate for evaluating the sustainability of coppice at stand level. In addition, some novel indicators related to resources status (Total above ground tree biomass), health (Stand growth) and protective functions (Overstorey cover and Understorey cover) proved to be highly appropriate and able to support the information obtained by the consolidated ones. As a consequence, a subset of consolidated SFM indicators, complemented with the most appropriate novel ones, may represent a valid option to support the evaluation of coppice sustainability at stand level. An integrated analysis of the SFM indicators showed that NE and CO display significant higher environmental performances as compared with TC. In addition, CO has positive effects also on socio-economic issues, while TC -which is an important cultural heritage and a silvicultural option that may help to keep local communities engaged in forestry – combines high wood harvesting rates with dense understory cover. Overall, each of the three management options showed specific sustainability values; as a consequence, their coexistence at a local scale and in accordance with the specific environmental conditions and the social-economic context, is greatly recommended since it may fulfill a wider array of sustainability issue

Testing an expanded set of sustainable forest management indicators in Mediterranean coppice area

Although coppice forests represent a significant part of the European forest area, especially across southern Countries, they received little attention within the Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) processes and scenarios, whose guidelines have been mainly designed to high forests and national scale. In order to obtain “tailored” information on the degree of sustainability of coppices on the scale of the stand, we evaluated (i) whether the main coppice management options result in different responses of the SFM indicators, and (ii) the degree to which the considered SFM indicators were appropriate in their application at stand level. The study considered three different management options (Traditional Coppice TC, coppice under Natural Evolution NE, and coppice under Conversion to high forest by means of periodical thinning CO). In each of the 43 plots considered in the study, which covered three different European Forest Types, we applied a set of eighteen “consolidated” SFM indicators, covering all the six SFM Criteria (FOREST EUROPE, 2020) and, additionally, tested other sixteen novel indicators shaped for agamic forests and/or applicable at stand level. Results confirmed that several consolidated indicators related to resources status (Growing stock and Carbon stock), health (Defoliation and Forest damage), and socio-economic functions (Net revenue, Energy and Accessibility) were highly appropriate for evaluating the sustainability of coppice at stand level. In addition, some novel indicators related to resources status (Total above ground tree biomass), health (Stand growth) and protective functions (Overstorey cover and Understorey cover) proved to be highly appropriate and able to support the information obtained by the consolidated ones. As a consequence, a subset of consolidated SFM indicators, complemented with the most appropriate novel ones, may represent a valid option to support the evaluation of coppice sustainability at stand level. An integrated analysis of the SFM indicators showed that NE and CO display significant higher environmental performances as compared with TC. In addition, CO has positive effects also on socio-economic issues, while TC -which is an important cultural heritage and a silvicultural option that may help to keep local communities engaged in forestry – combines high wood harvesting rates with dense understory cover. Overall, each of the three management options showed specific sustainability values; as a consequence, their coexistence at a local scale and in accordance with the specific environmental conditions and the social-economic context, is greatly recommended since it may fulfill a wider array of sustainability issues

Tree biomass and deadwood density into ageing Turkey oak coppices in Tuscany

Recent data from the National Forest Inventory point out the further reinforcement of coppice area under the position of “mature” standing crop or post-cultivation phase, both of them being spread throughout the original cultivation area. Such condition, mainly due to the less profitable fuel wood harvesting, involves also a share of the more productive types, i.e., Turkey oak forests. Here, a diffuse but forced approach among managers is to “wait and see”. The pro-active way of coppice conversion into high forest is otherwise being practiced in the public domain but on much smaller areas. Against management dilemmas, ageing stands growing under medium to good site conditions show a dynamic growth pattern resulting in a high age-related wood matter storage. At the same time, the heavy and prolonged regular mortality occurring in the fully-stocked shoot population builds up high amounts of deadwood, this becoming an attribute of these newly-formed types. Carbon storage is therefore coming to be one of the major tasks attributable to these systems within the post-cultivation phase. Aims of the work are to estimate both densities of living woody mass and standing+lying deadwood without any lower survey limit, given the small-sized stems building up these types; to check deadwood types/living biomass ratios; to survey deadwood decay; to analyse the dynamics of mass storage within the stands. Three case-studies, aged about three times the traditional rotation and different as for location and site-index, were selected at the purpose. Living woody mass density plus standing and lying deadwood per decay class were determined. Living woody mass density, made basically by stem+thick branches (95%), varies within 160 and 310 Mg ha-1. Total deadwood amount ranges from 22 to 30 Mg ha-1, i.e., 9 to 14% of living woody biomass. The lying/standing deadwood ratio is being reversed with ageing from 1/2 to 2/1-3/1. The intermediate decay class is prevailing (60-85%) across the sites. The observed dynamics and the age-related figures as well, suggest the role these types may play in soil conservation, forest recovery and carbon storage. The need of a consistent monitoring of the further post-cultivation progress is stressed to recognize the driving forces acting, the onset of possible limiting factors and feedbacks

Evidences from long-term monitoring of Italian forests. Tree radial growth as response index to disturbances and its relations with the stand structure

The paper deals with the work undertaken since 1995 within the national level II network framed into the ICP-Forests ICP-IM programme. A synthesis of results from tree growth monitoring and relationships with stand structure and related parameters, are reported. Current changes in the growth medium, i.e. physics and chemistry of atmosphere and soil, (increase of average air temperature, rainfall shortage and drought, CO2 enrichment, ozone level, nitrogen fertilization, sulphate deposition) drive today the soil-tree-atmosphere relationships. The overall result of these concurrent and counteracting factors is recorded along each growing seasons by radial stem growth, it providing a sensitive response. A few occurrences of disturbances to growth at regional and at case-study level, likely due to climate deviations, are discussed. Seasonal fluctuations and anomalous or extreme events are, as a matter of fact, the major evidences over the last decade. The heat wave 2003 is the main case occurred over a large part of Europe. Growth rate 2000-04 compared with 1997-2000, showed reductions up to 50% on plots located within the Southern continental border of the heat wave. These occurred more specifically at low elevations and for pre-determined early growth species (beech and oaks). Over the following time-window 2005-09, a significant growth decrease was vice versa detected within the coniferous spruce forests located at medium-high elevation in the Alps, where repeated seasonal anomalies both in air temperature and rainfall were recorded over the same time-span. The heavy effect of climate disturbance at a local scale is finally examined where two oak species with different auto-ecology grow together at the same site. Reasons why and awaited goals from protocols’ updating and the more intensive surveys applied to core-areas in 2009-10 under LIFE+FutMon, are reported. Perspectives at short to medium term of monitoring programme at national and European level are finally debated