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Landscapes are the result of a continuous society-nature interaction, whose elements are interconnected to such an extent that they should be conceived as a single socio-ecological system. In this context, planning is faced with the challenge of reconciling competing sectoral interests in order to ensure the multifunctionality of landscapes and their sustainable development. In academic research, the concept of 'Bundles' is attracting interest for its ability to identify sets of Ecosystem Services (ES) that repeatedly appear together in time or space. To date, few applications take into account the supply-demand perspective and there is a lack of evidence on how local system characteristics influence ES Bundles. This research proposes a new functional characterization of landscapes based on the demand and supply of ES Bundles, associating them with local socio-economic assets in the Marche Regional case study. The results provide a first step towards the construction of a regional Green Infrastructure that can assist the land-use management process and balance competing sectoral interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, urban afforestation processes have been increasingly recalled in political and strategic documents as actions to halt and reverse ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, by improving the livability of cities and the wellbeing of citizens. However, the effects of land use and land cover transformations are still poorly explored, highlighting a paucity of data and scientific evidence to support efficient urban planning and sustainable land management. This study will discuss the results of a preliminary analysis of afforestation processes that have occurred in the Metropolitan City of Milan and explore how this knowledge can support ecologically oriented planning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For nearly three decades, a series of ecological planning experiences have been developed in Chile, which were initially aimed at environmental sustainability, and then focused on the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of ecological processes in order to ensure the provision of ecosystem services. Although ecological planning has an indicative character, and therefore a limited capacity to affect land transformations, the Chilean experience is interesting for the rich methodological reflection that has been conducted. This article aims to retrace and analyze the evolution of ecological planning, with a focus on the methodological aspect. In the conclusions, some critical points that remain open are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scienze del Territorio is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Exploiting environmental resources and urbanisation processes has significantly altered the natural ecosystems over time, turning them into socio-ecological systems strongly affected by anthropic settlements. Spatial planning must therefore aim at new development models able to harmonise the need to preserve the environmental components with the need to reduce the socio-economic inequalities, often linked to inequitable access to ecosystem services. The case study of the Liguria Region is presented, with its marked polarisation between the linear coastal conurbation and inner areas, the areas providing the most significant number of ecosystem services and those with greater population and urbanisation density, which are instead organised as large demand poles. The paper analyses the relationship between environmental values, in terms of ecosystem multifunctionality, and rural innovation forms that support territorial competitiveness. The aim is to explore how a systemic approach can integrate opportunities between the inner and coastal areas, qualifying the valley systems as new elements of the anthropic-environmental structure of the region. Article info Received: 21/03/2023; Revised: 27/04/2023; Accepted: 05/05/2023

Closer-to-Nature Forest Management is a new concept proposed both in the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and in the EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030. Closer-to-Nature Forest Management aims to improve the conservation values and climate resilience of multifunctional, managed forests in Europe. We present the concept based on a set of seven guiding principles and discuss main problems and opportunities of its application at continental scale and in Italy.

Cities are the main field of application of technological innovations for ecological transition and decarbonisation. With reference to its proximity spaces, the research proposes a multidisciplinary and transcalar vision in which analytical and quantitative methods of urban design are combined with qualitative assessment methods of technological design to simulate and measure the impacts of interventions in terms of mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change. A planning support tool, based on game theory, guides the choice between effective and interdependent solutions for decarbonisation through renewable energy production, ecosystem services and accessibility to essential services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agathon: International Journal of Architecture, Art & Design is the property of DEMETRA CE.RI.MED and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The worldwide dynamics of the last thirty years are outlining opaque scenarios and forcing contemporaries to search for a catharsis whose urgency can no longer be postponed: cultures, economies and ecological balances in their current state are in danger of collapsing at an unprecedented rate. Nevertheless, it is possible to draw from the past references capable of updating consolidated paradigms, rediscovering approaches oriented towards the long term aimed at maintaining the conditions that have allowed progress and well-being for a large part of our species. The millenary practice of transhumance, today relegated to marginal contexts, is one of these: the extensive breeding of livestock, conducted on foot over long distances in search of pastures, is an exemplary adaptation to the scarcity of resources provided by the natural succession of seasons. In contrast, the problems arising from industrialised forms of animal husbandry are highlighted by numerous studies. The regeneration of the vast material and immaterial heritage inherited from transhumance, on the other hand, can provide answers to environmental, ethical and social issues that afflict every continent today: an ante litteram model of sustainability that finds in bioregional planning a concrete prospect of re-actualisation.

Closer-to-Nature Forest Management is a new concept proposed both in the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and in the EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030. Closerto-Nature Forest Management aims to improve the conservation values and climate resilience of multifunctional, managed forests in Europe. We present the concept based on a set of seven guiding principles and discuss main problems and opportunities of its application at continental scale and in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scienze del Territorio is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed lifestyles in relation with the external environment, in particular nature. The permanence in natural environments, the relationship with the outside and with the green that surrounds us reveal, in general, important elements of personal and collective well-being, both during the usual daily life but also and above all in the current pandemic crisis, that has dramatically changed everyone’s life habits and has disrupted interpersonal relationships and the relationship with the outdoor world, often observed from a window. As part of the CNR FOE-Nutrage project “Nutrizione, Alimentazione e Invecchiamento attivo”, subtask 3.6.4 “Well-being search in natural environments”, a case study was conducted with the aim of investigating, through desk analysis and field surveys, the relationship between the environment and well-being on a sample of people over 65 years of age - considered at high risk during the current COVID-19 pandemic - residing mainly in Calabria (southern Italy) and Lombardia (northern Italy). The overall vision integrated good lifestyles and permanence in natural environments with the perspective of disease prevention and maintenance of the psycho-physical health. Results showed that the sample interviewed, despite having changed during the lockdown of March-April 2020 the type of environment frequented and reduced the time spent outside, did not give up walking, attending outdoor spaces and taking care of the house greenery (plants and terraces) for their psycho-physical well-being. The study is part of a vision extensively investigated by the scientific literature on the influence of environmental factors on the psycho-physical well-being of people, and, in particular, on the importance of ecosystem services and of the “Green-care”.

Understanding the interrelations between natural and built environments is at the base of the reconfiguration criteria of man-made areas. Starting from the results of a research project on the requalification of urban outdoor spaces in a rational comprehensive city pilot case, the implementation of green stormwater infrastructures was tested, considering a section of the hydrographic network. The method hereby presented evaluates the benefits caused by nature-based solutions, formulating a research through design project to compare the performance of the vegetation based on analyses carried out at different scales. The investigation of the relations among the considered environmental parameters contributes to innovating the environmental requalification approach.

The paper presents a model to evaluate the ecological efficiency of urban green areas to support the meta-design of ‘green infrastructures’. The model was implemented with a GIS-based framework to extract ecological efficiency maps. The model was experimented in the case study area of Naples, Italy and aims to relate the different ecological capacities with the medium- and long-term heat wave impact scenarios on the population subject to energy poverty. The results of the experiment validate the model in terms of usability and replicability highlighting its added value as a support tool for decision-makers, in particular for the meta-design of green infrastructures in urban areas.

The growing interest in the positive effects of the forest on the individual and social sphere and in the cultural and social development of local realities has motivated this survey to investigate the preferences of recreational activities carried out in the forest. The study was aimed to understand the effect of the forest on the psychological conditions of its users, and to evaluate the value attributed to the ecosystem services of the forest by the users themselves. The survey focused on the perception of the forest of the students of the degree courses in Forestry and Environmental Sciences of the University of Florence. The survey population was constituted by 283 students, 219 enrolled in the three-year degree course and 64 in the master’s course; 36% of the population, 102 students, answered a questionnaire specially created for this study. The main frequentation of the forest for free leisure activities has defined psychological well-being through the sensation of “serenity”, as the one most perceived, and sensations of “energy”, “euphoria”, “quiet”, “relief” and “lucidity”. A high value was attributed to the ecosystem services of the forest, such as “local climate regulation” and “air quality regulation”, by demonstrating the weight of the background of university studies. The survey is proposed as a pilot study for the analysis of psychological well-being and the recreational services of the forest useful to numerous professionals connected to it.

Copyright of QU3: iQuaderni di U3 is the property of Quodlibet S.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of QU3: iQuaderni di U3 is the property of Quodlibet S.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of QU3: iQuaderni di U3 is the property of Quodlibet S.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of QU3: iQuaderni di U3 is the property of Quodlibet S.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of QU3: iQuaderni di U3 is the property of Quodlibet S.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed lifestyles in relation with the external environment, in particular nature. The permanence in natural environments, the relationship with the outside and with the green that surrounds us reveal, in general, important elements of personal and collective well-being, both during the usual daily life but also and above all in the current pandemic crisis, that has dramatically changed everyone's life habits and has disrupted interpersonal relationships and the relationship with the outdoor world, often observed from a window. As part of the CNR FOE-Nutrage project "Nutrizione, Alimentazione e Invecchiamento attivo", subtask 3.6.4 "Well-being search in natural environments", a case study was conducted with the aim of investigating, through desk analysis and field surveys, the relationship between the environment and well-being on a sample of people over 65 years of age - considered at high risk during the current COVID-19 pandemic - residing mainly in Calabria (southern Italy) and Lombardia (northern Italy). The overall vision integrated good lifestyles and permanence in natural environments with the perspective of disease prevention and maintenance of the psycho-physical health. Results showed that the sample interviewed, despite having changed during the lockdown of March-April 2020 the type of environment frequented and reduced the time spent outside, did not give up walking, attending outdoor spaces and taking care of the house greenery (plants and terraces) for their psycho-physical well-being. The study is part of a vision extensively investigated by the scientific literature on the influence of environmental factors on the psycho-physical well-being of people, and, in particular, on the importance of ecosystem services and of the "Green-care". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing interest in the positive effects of the forest on the individual and social sphere and in the cultural and social development of local realities has motivated this survey to investigate the preferences of recreational activities carried out in the forest. The study was aimed to understand the effect of the forest on the psychological conditions of its users, and to evaluate the value attributed to the ecosystem services of the forest by the users themselves. The survey focused on the perception of the forest of the students of the degree courses in Forestry and Environmental Sciences of the University of Florence. The survey population was constituted by 283 students, 219 enrol - led in the three-year degree course and 64 in the master's course; 36% of the population, 102 students, answered a questionnaire specially created for this study. The main frequentation of the forest for free leisure activities has defined psychological well-being through the sensation of "serenity", as the one most perceived, and sensations of "energy", "euphoria", "quiet", "relief" and "lucidity". A high value was attributed to the ecosystem services of the forest, such as "local climate regulation" and "air quality regulation", by demonstrating the weight of the background of university studies. The survey is proposed as a pilot study for the analysis of psychological well-being and the recreational services of the forest useful to numerous professionals connected to it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural and forestry sectors are currently facing the dramatic trilemma of producing food, energy and wood for a growing world population, while preserving the environment at the same time. Agroforestry systems are able to address those issues by integrating crops and/or grazing animals with woody perennials on the same land unit, which results in ecological intensification of productivity and higher and synergic use efficiency of natural resources and cultural inputs. In Italy, there is a long tradition of agroforestry systems, but the modernization of agriculture and society has led to a great reduction in their adoption. Both the residual traditional agroforestry systems (about 1.4 million ha) and the modern ones currently studied, can contribute to food and wood security, while significantly maintaining the most relevant local and global ecosystem services (soil erosion, phytoremediation, biodiversity, carbon sequestration) in the current context of climate change.

The article presents the maps and data at the provincial level of COVID infections in Italy in the first phase of the epidemic (March-May 2020). The bio-geography of infections in Italy was very articulated, with a spatial imprint that was maintained in the months considered despite significant variations in the total number of infections within the period considered. In addition to a North-South macro-gradient, infra- and supra-regional territorial areas with specific characteristics have been produced. The situations less affected by the infections occurred in areas without significant metropolitan components, characterized by a more balanced relationship from an ecological and landscape point of view. Some implications for better management of future epidemic risks are discussed. The so-called ‘green deal’ development models, in addition to the new contents for economic productions, need to have greater awareness of the bio-physical risks associated with an inadequate government of the territory: it will be necessary that they concretely assign a relevant role to multi-scalars networks of ecosystems and landscapes and the resilience services they offer.

Water has important economic values, mainly in the agricultural sector. Beside enhancing agricultural output and crop diversification, irrigation generates positive externalities which have been little emphasized by the literature. The purpose of this review is to investigate the direct, indirect and potentialbenefits of water use in agriculture by taking an additional step towards the identification and economic evaluation of the observed positive, social, environmental and ecological effects of irrigation. Five categories of contributions are examined: irrigation returns flows for groundwater recharge; biodiversityand wildlife habitat; landscape aesthetic and cultural values; nutrient recycling and retention; and improved health, nutritionand living conditions. Knowing the economic value of such positive externalities would help to get the right policy incentives for better water use and increased water savings in a context of growing water scarcity.

In this study we aim to assess how public opinion perceives the value of dry-stone walls in the terraced vineyards of Mt Etna (Italy), recently named intangible cultural heritage of Humanity by UNESCO because they are an “example of human manufacture realized in perfect harmony with the environment”. We referred to the concept of “appeal to authority” that is a form of defeasible argument in which a claimed authority’s support is used as evidence for an argument’s conclusion. By a Contingent Valuation approach, we showed that the authoritative role of UNESCO affected people’s willingness to pay to preserve dry-stone walls in the terraced vineyards in Mt. Etna. The role of the Institutions dedicated to the protection of environmental goods appears relevant in promoting the preservation of environmental resources for future generations.

The paper analyzes the main regulatory experiments for Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS) in North America and Asia, comparing requirements for implementation and outcomes. It also underlines the need to make these spaces representative of the social and environmental complexity of a public place, presenting the original proposal to include in the exchange conditions regulations that guarantee ecosystem services equivalent to the loss for the community due to the bonus granted. The reflection leads to three main aspects for the edition of updated regulations: the construction of integrated networks of spaces, the consideration of the urban ecosystem and the meta-design of thematic cultural guidelines.

The paper focuses on an integrated evaluation methodology aimed at measuring the values and the pressures of a particularly attractive landscape in Northern Italy: the Vineyard Landscape of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato in Piedmont, which has been recently included in the World Heritage List of Unesco (WHL, 2014). This evaluation methodology investigates the values and the pressures of this landscape, through a system of indicators which assesses, on one hand, the economic value of the territory and, on the other, the pressures produced on its components. In the present paper, the proposed integrated evaluation methodology could be considered a reliable tool in the decision-making process for the definition of territorial transformation scenarios.

Urban and peri-urban forests play a relevant role for the urban population providing recreational and relaxing opportunities, improving air and water quality, and maintaining local biodiversity. In the last century, anthropic pressure and social requests on urban and peri-urban forests was drastically increased. In this context, surveys aimed to investigate the opinions and preferences of residents and visitors about urban and peri-urban forests are relevant in order to supply useful information to the local managers. The aim of the present study is to investigate social preferences for aesthetic and functional characteristics of the Monte Morello peri-urban forest in Tuscany after two different silvicultural treatments (traditional thinning and selective thinning). In order to collect the social preferences a semi-structured questionnaire was administered in spring-summer 2016 to 201 visitors of the Monte Morello peri-urban forest. The results of the survey show that the respondents prefer mixed forests with a horizontal and vertical differentiated stand structure. The respondents prefer three benefits (ecosystem services) provided by the Monte Morello forest: recreational opportunities, carbon dioxide sequestration and biodiversity conservation. In addition, the results show that respondents prefer from the aesthetic point of view the peri-urban forest of Monte Morello after the selective thinning. Conversely, the scenario status quo is the least appreciated due to the high amount of deadwood. The results of the present study provide quali-quantitative information useful for the decision makers (forest planners and managers) in order to define forest management strategies to enhance a peri-urban forest from the recreational point of view and to increase the site attractiveness.

Forests are important for timber production and provide a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), including water provision and regulation, carbon sequestration, erosion control, and recreational services. However, these services, which are crucial for human well-being, are not sufficiently recognised and rarely included into forest planning. The project LIFE+ Making Good Natura aims to develop innovative governance models for agro-forestry sites of the Natura 2000 network based on ES to achieve new possible mechanisms of (self)financing. This paper provides insights into the biophysical and monetary valuation of nine ES, which were quantified for selected Natura 2000 sites in different regions of Italy. Based on our results, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are discussed in relation to forest planning and management suggesting a new concept for the forest planning. Management plans should hence integrate different financial flows, not only wood or timber, but also different ES which provide more interesting income.

Determinants, attitudes and willingness of private forest owners to produce goods and services: a review of the international literature. There is an information gap in the Italian literature with regards to private forest ownership, while several analysis are available on the characteristics and the management systems of public forest ownership. To address this gap, this paper presents the characteristics of private forest owners and their evolution in time by reviewing the international literature in the last three decades. The examined studies are reported according to four perspectives: (i) the available classifications and/or typologies of private forest owners; (ii) the determinants of different forest owners’ behaviors, especially in relation to their objectives; (iii) the attitudes of forest owners and the motivations behind their management decisions; (iv) the valuation of the willingness to accept monetary compensations in return for the provision of ecosystem services. The results show a very complex picture, varying both in space and time. However, some recurring features can be identified: (i) not only are forest owners motivated by timber production goals, but also by other reasons, often very diversified and detached from market considerations; (ii) a “multi-functional” forest owner is by no means less active, but, conversely, is more active than a forest owner whose sole objective is timber production; (iii) in general, the active owner is a farmer whose family has owned the forest for many generations (and in this case he/she is more market-oriented), or is a new entry in the forestry sector; (iv) the “passive” owner is usually elderly, non-farmer and resides far from the property. In addition, the “absent” owner is a common problem to several of the examined geographical contexts. Although the results of the review cannot be transferred as such, they represent a useful starting point for similar analyses in the Italian context. Examining the determinants and attitudes of private forest owners in Italy would indeed prove interesting, given that private forest ownership in Italy represents a relevant share of total forest area and that the implementation of new policy tools such as payments for ecosystem services requires active participation by all key actors, including forest owners.

Starting from the current evolution of the national legislation in the matter of socioeconomic development of inner and remote areas in Italy, a strict correlation with the forest and forestry sector is pinpoint and described. In the last decades forest geography has more and more become a mountain geography, where mountains are the main part of the country and are mainly affected by abandonment of rural areas. Despite the great potential for the invoked European new bioeconomy wave, forest area, the biggest green infrastructure in Italy, has its major role in the conservation purposes, well calibrated and actually effective. Room for other ecosystem services, starting from a responsible and well balanced process of wood mobilization and other regulating functions, are discussed, such as the importance and the high opportunity for halting demographic decline and pushing internal socioeconomic energies.

This paper compares the traditional vs carbon-oriented forest management of two coniferous stands in the Alpine environment, quantifying the carbon sink, the carbon credit generated and the economic results. The results show the economic feasibility of the transition from current forest management strategies to a carbon-oriented method in the considered context. Carbon-oriented management provides relevant environmental benefits, combatting climate change, even though some elements of uncertainty still persist, particularly in relation to achieving a profitable management, specifically due to the volatile voluntary carbon credit market.

This paper compares the traditional vs carbon-oriented forest management of two coniferous stands in the Alpine environment, quantifying the carbon sink, the carbon credit generated and the economic results. The results show the economic feasibility of the transition from current forest management strategies to a carbon-oriented method in the considered context. Carbon-oriented management provides relevant environmental benefits, combatting climate change, even though some elements of uncertainty still persist, particularly in relation to achieving a profitable management, specifically due to the volatile voluntary carbon credit market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Societa e Storia is the property of FrancoAngeli srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The agricultural and forestry sectors are currently facing the dramatic trilemma of producing food, energy and wood for a growing world population, while preserving the environment at the same time. Agroforestry systems are able to address those issues by integrating crops and/or grazing animals with woody perennials on the same land unit, which results in ecological intensification of productivity and higher and synergic use efficiency of natural resources and cultural inputs. In Italy, there is a long tradition of agroforestry systems, but the modernization of agriculture and society has led to a great reduction in their adoption. Both the residual traditional agroforestry systems (about 1.4 million ha) and the modern ones currently studied, can contribute to food and wood security, while significantly maintaining the most relevant local and global ecosystem services (soil erosion, phytoremediation, biodiversity, carbon sequestration) in the current context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape features are the result of interrelated actions of man-and-nature and can provide ecosystem services that need to be protected. Since urban planning policies can impact negatively on the conservation of cultural ecosystem services, urban plans must map them and make provision for their protection. For the Plan of Franciacorta (22 municipalities in Lombardy), we chose QGIS to set up a geo-database and map cultural heritage information. QGIS can provide more flexibility than a typical map, thanks to its graphics tools. To plan the development of actions to protect the landscape and suggest a range of planning opportunities for municipalities, an integrated representation of the landscape and protected ecological elements can highlight some critical issues: municipal borders can prove an obstacle in the implementation of supra-municipal projects and protected areas can include enclaves potentially vulnerable to urban pressures. Such maps have proved useful in guiding the planning choices in the development of the landscape protection schemes. The geo-location of critical aspects has brought out a range of inter-municipal planning opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary ecology has played a key role in the search for innovative and holistic approaches to policy-making, as it provided new models and tools for the analysis of environmental relationships linking the mankind to the biotic and a-biotic components of human living ecosystems, and for the identification and quantification of the economic, social and cultural benefits that communities receive by them in terms of services. An increasing number of international and national studies focuses on these Ecosystem services (ESs) to build a common framework and (re)define public policies on environment and land-uses. Policies that are still characterized by a partial approach which hinders any form of integration and coordination reducing the effectiveness of interventions. This is a key point especially for the historical agricultural landscapes where the reduction of multifunctional agriculture, the intensification of agribusiness and urban expansion have caused fragmentation of ecosystems, disruption of natural ecological corridors and a significant loss of biodiversity. The paper focuses on these issues by investigating the role of ESs in the definition of rural policies for historical agricultural landscapes in Europe, through a comparative analysis of qualitative nature which involves policy documents produced at the national and regional level in two European regions at the NUTS 2 statistical level, Sardinia (IT) and Central development region (RO), selected as case studies.

Ecosystems are an irreplaceable support for a region’s quality of life, thanks to the goods and services that they provide (ecosystem services). These ecosystem services can be assessed in economic terms, considering the economic weight of natural capital in resources management and in landscape planning (e.g. strategic plans, rural development plans) and recognizing the crucial role of those territories that have natural resources and a sustainable strategic planning. This approach can be translated in a territorial equalization between those territories that consume natural resources and those that produce them.

In questo contributo di introduzione al volume “Biodiversity” (Rivista di Estetica n. 59, 2015), dopo aver sottolineato il legame tra la realizzazione degli inventari biologici (le tassonomie) e lo studio della biodiversità, e la difficoltà di definire la biodiversità, prendo in esame tre diversi modi di intendere il valore della biodiversità. Oltre al valore etico ed estetico, oggetto rispettivamente di discipline relativamente recenti come l’etica ambientale e l’estetica ambientale, la biodiversità ha un valore economico, presente soprattutto nel cosiddetto approccio dei servizi ecosistemici, dove la biodiversità è principalmente intesa nei termini dei servizi che gli ecosistemi possono offrire agli esseri umani presenti e futuri.

Over the last decades, the stock of natural capital has been globally reduced by human-induced effects such as climate change, and land use and cover modifications. In particular, the continuous flow of goods and services from ecosystems to people is currently under threat if the current human activities still remain unsustainable. The recent bioeconomy strategy is an important opportunity to halt the loss of biodiversity and the reduction of services provision, from global to local scale. In this framework, forest sector plays a fundamental role in further enhancing the sustainable development and the green growth in degraded environments, such as marginal and rural areas. This paper provides an overview of the bioeconomy-based natural resources management (with a focus on forest ecosystems), by analyzing the related challenges and opportunities, from international to national perspective, as in Italy. At first, the role of forest sector in addressing the purposes of green growth is analyzed. Secondly, the most suitable tools to monitor and assess natural capital changes are described. Finally, the most important research contributions within the bioeconomy context are reported. To create the suitable conditions for bioeconomy and green growth, the following insights have to be denoted: (i) a deeper understanding of natural capital and related changes; (ii) the improvement of public participation in decision-making processes, especially at landscape scale; (iii) the effective integration of ecological, socio-cultural, and economic dimensions while managing natural resources.

Urban and peri-urban forests play a relevant role for the urban population providing recreational and relaxing opportunities, improving air and water quality, and maintaining local biodiversity. In the last century, anthropic pressure and social requests on urban and peri-urban forests was drastically increased. In this context, surveys aimed to investigate the opinions and preferences of residents and visitors about urban and peri-urban forests are relevant in order to supply useful information to the local managers. The aim of the present study is to investigate social preferences for aesthetic and functional characteri - stics of the Monte Morello peri-urban forest in Tuscany after two different silvicultural treatments (traditional thinning and selective thinning). In order to collect the social preferences a semi-structured questionnaire was administered in spring-summer 2016 to 201 visitors of the Monte Morello peri-urban forest. The results of the survey show that the respondents prefer mixed forests with a horizontal and vertical differentiated stand structure. The respondents prefer three benefits (ecosystem services) provided by the Monte Morello forest: recreational opportunities, carbon dioxide sequestration and biodiversity conservation. In addition, the results show that respondents prefer from the aesthetic point of view the peri-urban forest of Monte Morello after the selective thinning. Conversely, the scenario status quo is the least appreciated due to the high amount of deadwood. The results of the present study provide quali-quantitative information useful for the decision makers (forest planners and managers) in order to define forest management strategies to enhance a peri-urban forest from the recreational point of view and to increase the site attractiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest management based on ecosystem services and payments for ecosystem services: considerations after the project LIFE+ Making Good Natura. Forests are important for timber production and provide a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), including water provision and regulation, carbon sequestration, erosion control, and recreational services. However, these services, which are crucial for human well-being, are not sufficiently recognised and rarely included into forest planning. The project LIFE+ Making Good Natura aims to develop innovative governance models for agro-forestry sites of the Natura 2000 network based on ES to achieve new possible mechanisms of (self)financing. This paper provides insights into the biophysical and monetary valuation of nine ES, which were quantified for selected Natura 2000 sites in different regions of Italy. Based on our results, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are discussed in relation to forest planning and management suggesting a new concept for the forest planning. Management plans should hence integrate different financial flows, not only wood or timber, but also different ES which provide more interesting income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Ri-vista: Ricerche per la progettazione del paesaggio is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)