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iForest -Biogeosciences and Forestry
IntroductionIn Central Europe, the Balkans, and Mediterranean countries black pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) is commonly planted for protection purposes (Bussotti 2002). In Italy, this practice was established at the national level in the 20 th century in accordance with a policy that was developed to protect the land from erosion (Piermattei et al. 2012).Black pine has been used often in central and southern Italy to reforest mountainous areas depleted by the intensive use of natural resources, especially during World War I and II. Toward the end of the 1970s, the mandatory requirement to reforest these areas using coniferous species was discontinued. In Italy, black pine occurs mostly in pure stands of even-aged forests (50 years old on average) and covers an area of 236 467 hectares (Gasparini & Tabacchi 2011).Black pine has been used widely acrossItaly because of its typical characteristics of a pioneer species: low mortality, rapid juvenile growth, low incidence of health issues, and the ability to improve both chemical and physical characteristics of the soil. Among the sub-species of Pinus nigra Arn., the European black pine (Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. nigra) was used more commonly on calcareous soils and Pinus nigra subsp. laricio Maire was preferred on sandstone soils. The main purpose of establishing pine forests in Italy was to protect the soil from erosion, and also to facilitate the natural succession toward mixed forests with a strong component of deciduous species (Cantiani et al. 2010). The commercial value of these pine forests was not a priority.The most common silvicultural treatments in Europe currently aim at maximizing the stability and facilitating the transition from pure stands to mixed stands with a stronger component of native tree species (Mosandl & Kessner 1999, Heitz & Hasenauer 2000, Kenk & Guehne 2001, Malcolm et al. 2001, Kint et al. 2006. Black pine was usually planted in pure stands at a density of 2500 trees per hectare with a rotation period of approximately 90 years depending on the site characteristics. During the rotation period multiple thinning usually should be applied to facilitate the transition toward a mixed forest. The average stand age of Italian pine forest is 50 years; consequently, there is still a need for additional research to understand the most effective treatments required to convert these pure pine forests.On privately owned forests (approximately 47% of the total), the most common treatment is a clear cut on small patches followed by artificial regeneration of native species (e.g., Acer pseudoplatanus L., Acer opalus Mill., Quercus cerris L., Fraxinus ornus L., etc.). On public land, larger areas are commonly harvested (e.g., strips, patches) in order to facilitate the natural regeneration of native species.Thinning is the most effective silvicultural treatment to enhance the ecological value of these stands. Pure pine stands reach canopy closure at an early age; therefore, it is important to conduct pre-commercial thinning ...