Silvicultural aspects of artificial black pine plantations: analysis of Italian regional laws

Abstract

Silvicultural aspects of black pine plantations: analysis of Italian regional laws During the last century, afforestation programmes were planned in most of the Italian regions and black pine plantations have represented one of the main public policy effort in mountain areas. The afforestation tecniques has been generally similar throughout Italy, producing nowadays artificial back pine forests showing similar age and structures. Nevertheless, contrasting forestry legislations and decision making both theoretically and technically are adopted at regional scale specifically on black pine forest management. Because of these heterogeneity of laws and regulation, a reference knowledge base can standardise and harmonise the different terms and technical-management aspects often involved in the forestry sector. The aim of this work is to provide a legislative history concerning afforestation at the National level, with a synoptic framework of the current regional forest legislation on the treatment of black pine forests.

Simulating alternative forest management in a changing climate on aPinus nigrasubsp.laricioplantation in Southern Italy

“…All the options were simulated to take place after 2016, i.e., the last year of field measurements. The scenarios cover several management objectives including post-disturbance management, wood production and renaturalization and reflect the state-of-the-science of management options applied to this region of the Italian Apennines (Cantiani et al, 2018). The first option (‘ no management ’) represents the natural development of the forest left without human intervention, while the second option (‘ natural regeneration ’) reproduces natural forest regeneration following a major disturbance event (e.g., wildfire), simulated as a clear-cut after 80 years from planting (i.e., around the time when atmospheric aridity start increasing while the fuel load is still high).…”

Impact of Spruce Plantation on Plant Diversity

“…The forestry policy put forward by the Italian government selected coniferous monocultures in order to meet, together with the urge to mitigate the hydro-geological instability, the high demand of building timber [29]. More precisely, species of the genus Pinus have been planted in the Mediterranean region [30], while the spruce (Picea abies) has been widely planted in the temperate region. A decisive intervention on the reforestation of the Italian mountains has been carried out by the fascist regime whose ideology attributed to the transformation of the territory the symbol of a "national renewal and rebirth" [31].…”

Simulating diverse forest management options in a changing climate on a Pinus nigra subsp. laricio plantation in Southern Italy

“…All the options were simulated to take place after 2016, i.e., the last year of field measurements. The scenarios cover several management objectives including post-disturbance management, wood production and renaturalization and reflect the state-of-thescience of management options applied to this region of the Italian Apennines (Cantiani et al, 2018).…”

“…Yet, the shelterwood system represents a more sustainable alternative to clear-cutting and patch cuttings by ensuring a progressive and constant light availability to the forest floor. The practice favors regeneration while modulating the competition for light and water resources with herbs and shrubs (not considered here), and allows higher revenues (Brichta et al, 2020;Cantiani et al, 2018;Montoro Girona et al, 2018). Therefore, we simulated two shelterwood options: 'shelterwood A', consisting of two light thinnings (20% reduction of BA) with a 10 year interval, followed by an establishment cut after 80 years from the original planting (80% reduction of BA) and a removal cut 10 year later; 'shelterwood B', defined by a delayed establishment cut after 90 years, preceded by three heavier thinnings (28.5% reduction of BA) and followed by a removal cut after 10 years.…”