Spatial and altitudinal bioclimatic zones of the Italian peninsula identified from a beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) tree-ring network

Piovesan, Gianluca; Biondi, Franco; Bernabei, Mauro; Filippo, Alfredo Di; Schirone, Bartolomeo

doi:10.1016/j.actao.2005.01.001

Cited by 103 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…around 1900 m asl. in southern Italy and 1800 m in central Italy (Piovesan et al 2005;Marchetti et al 2010); . around 1900 m in central Greece (Tsiripidis et al 2007); .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The southernmost beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests of Europe (Mount Etna, Italy): ecology, structural stand-type diversity and management implications

Cullotta

Puzzolo

Fresta

2013

Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all As

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The southernmost European beech forests are located in the upper forest vegetation belt on Mount Etna volcano. Their standstructural patterns were analysed to assess the effects of the site-ecological factors and previous management practices on the forest structure. Five main structural-silvicultural types were identified among the main beech forest types: coppice, highmountain coppice (HMCo), high forest, coppice in conversion to high-forest and non-formal stand. A detailed standstructural analysis was carried out through measured dendrometric parameters and derived structural characters linked to both the horizontal and the vertical profiles. Plant regeneration processes were also assessed, and several biodiversity indicators were calculated. The collected data indicate a high variability of beech stand structures in relation to the heterogeneity of the site-ecological characteristics as well as to the effects of both natural and anthropic disturbance factors. The occurrence of particular stand structures along the altitude gradient on Mount Etna is evident. It is especially visible in the multi-stemmed HMCos in relation to the changing, and increasingly limiting, ecological factors, although at higher altitudes historical anthropic actions (felling) also have had an influence. Inside the Mediterranean area, these stands highlight their ecological marginality, in terms of both latitude and altitude, especially regarding current climate change processes.

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“…around 1900 m asl. in southern Italy and 1800 m in central Italy (Piovesan et al 2005;Marchetti et al 2010); . around 1900 m in central Greece (Tsiripidis et al 2007); .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The southernmost beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests of Europe (Mount Etna, Italy): ecology, structural stand-type diversity and management implications

Cullotta

Puzzolo

Fresta

2013

Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all As

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“…In the Alps and northern Apennines, the climate is continental and the sub-alliances of forest associations are Abieti-Fagion, Eu-Fagion, CephalantheroFagion and Luzulo-Fagion. In central-southern Italy, the climate is Mediterranean and the associations are are Aremonio- Fagion and Geranio versicoloris-Fagion (Pignatti 1998, Piovesan et al 2005, Di Pietro 2009. Beech forests located in the northern Apennines have greater affinity with the Alpine beech forests than with those in central Italy (Pignatti 1998, Piovesan et al 2005.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are distributed in two phytoclimatic regions: Northern or Continental, and Central-Southern or Peninsular (Piovesan et al 2005). In the Alps and northern Apennines, the climate is continental and the sub-alliances of forest associations are Abieti-Fagion, Eu-Fagion, CephalantheroFagion and Luzulo-Fagion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Latent infection of Biscogniauxia nummularia in Fagus sylvatica: a possible bioindicator of beech health conditions

Luchi¹,

Capretti²,

Feducci³

et al. 2016

iForest

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Biscogniauxia nummularia is a xylariaceous fungus known as a common endophyte of European beech, living in plant tissues without development of symptoms, or even inducing strip-cankers and wood decay on trees stressed by drought. We studied the presence of the fungus in apparently healthy beech trees, growing in two different bioclimatic zones characterized by Continental and Mediterranean climates. Asymptomatic twigs were collected in each zone over the season and evaluated for the presence of B. nummularia infections using both cultural and qPCR methods. Results from qPCR indicated differences in the detection of B. nummularia among the seasons and between the study sites. In both sites the highest frequency of detection was in summer. B. nummularia was more frequently detected in the Mediterranean bioclimatic area, where drought is more common. These results suggest that B. nummularia may be a possible bioindicator of beech health stands.

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“…Southern European beech forests mainly grow in the mountain-Mediterranean vegetation belt of northeastern Spain, southern Italy and Sicily, and central Greece (Piovesan et al 2005, Peñuelas et al 2007, Tsiripidis et al 2007). Beech in Sicily grow at the very edge of the species' European range (Cullotta et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of traditional coppice practices and microsite conditions on tree health in a European beech forest at its southernmost range

Cullotta¹,

Placa²,

Maetzke³

2016

iForest

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European beech (Fagus sylvatica) grows at the southern limit of its range in the mountain-Mediterranean vegetation belt up to the timberline. The southernmost beech forests of Sicily (southern Italy) show peculiar ecological, structural and silvicultural characteristics, growing in fragmented and isolated stands near the timberline and in topographically marginal unfavorable habitats. Past silvicultural practices increased the heterogeneity of stand structure at these sites. We compared stand structural characteristics and tree health in coppice-cut and control beech stands with respect to the local topographic gradient (bottom, slope and ridge) and canopy cover (clearing/border vs. interior trees). Our results clearly showed a correlation between declining tree health (crown and bark damage, higher percentage of dead trees and lower seedling density) and recent coppice-cuts, poor (marginal) site quality (on ridges and slopes) and reduced canopy cover (in clearing/border trees). The decrease of tree health indicate an increasing threat to the long-term viability of beech stands facing multiple environmental stress factors (such as those related to southern latitude and topographic position). Declining tree health in the control plots also supports this hypothesis. We concluded that traditional forest management practices, such as coppice-cuts applied regardless to the specific microenvironmental conditions, may pose a risk to beech forest health at the southernmost edge of the species' range.

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Spatial and altitudinal bioclimatic zones of the Italian peninsula identified from a beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) tree-ring network

Cited by 103 publications

References 44 publications

The southernmost beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests of Europe (Mount Etna, Italy): ecology, structural stand-type diversity and management implications

The southernmost beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests of Europe (Mount Etna, Italy): ecology, structural stand-type diversity and management implications

Latent infection of Biscogniauxia nummularia in Fagus sylvatica: a possible bioindicator of beech health conditions

Effects of traditional coppice practices and microsite conditions on tree health in a European beech forest at its southernmost range

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