Combined forest and soil management after a catastrophic event

Abstract

At the end of October 2018, a storm of unprecedented strength severely damaged the forests of the eastern sector of the Italian Alps. The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha. The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the University of Padua. After eight months of discussion, the authors of this article wrote a consensus text. The sometimes asper debate brought to light some crucial aspects: 1) even experienced specialists may have various opinions based on scientific knowledge that lead to conflicting proposals for action. For some of them there is evidence that to restore a destroyed natural environment it is more judicious to do nothing; 2) the soil corresponds to a living structure and every ecosystem’s management should be based on it; 3) faced with a catastrophe, people and politicians find themselves unarmed, also because they rarely have the scientific background to understand natural processes. Yet politicians are the only persons who make the key decisions that drive the economy in play and therefore determine the near future of our planet. This article is an attempt to respond directly to a governor with a degree in animal production science, who formally and prudently asked a university department called “Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry” for help before taking decisions; 4) the authors also propose an artistic interpretation of facts (uncontrolled storm) and conclusions (listen to the soil). Briefly, the authors identify the soil as an indispensable source for the renewal of the destroyed forest, give indications on how to prepare a map of the soils of the damaged region, and suggest to anchor on this soil map a series of silvicultural and soil management actions that will promote the soil conservation and the faster recovery of the natural dynamic stability and resilience.

New species and new records of exotic Scolytinae (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) in Europe

“…During the years 2019–2021, constant monitoring activities, carried out by the authors as part of biodiversity and invasive species surveys and the monitoring of xylophagous beetles conducted by Reparto Carabinieri Biodiversità Belluno in the forested nature reserves affected by the Vaia storm ( Zanella et al 2020 ), led to the collection of multiple Scolytine beetles, some of which represent new or relevant faunistic records of exotic species for the European fauna. Here, we present these records.…”

Soil Arthropod Community in Spruce Forests (Picea abies) Affected by a Catastrophic Storm Event

“…At the end of October 2018, an unprecedented catastrophic event, the Mediterranean storm "Vaia", hit the eastern sector of the Italian Alps, causing severe damage to forest and infrastructure. The Sirocco currents, boosted by their passage over the Mediterranean Sea, hit northeastern Italy, and affected an estimated area of 2,306,968 ha, covered mainly by woods of spruce, spruce-fir, and spruce-fir-beech trees, resulting in major damage and the complete wood destruction of about 42,500 ha [26,27]. With the damage of more than 8 million cubic metres of standing trees and, more importantly, the sudden reduction of forest-related ecosystem services, including protection against landslides, avalanches, and floods, the storm had unprecedented regional consequences.…”