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10 Pág. Centro de Investigación Forestal (CIFOR), Riparian vegetation supports high biodiversity providing many services and is, therefore, an important landscape element. Riparian ecosystems are subject to numerous pressures leading to population decline and genetic erosion of riparian plants. This may have cascading effects at various ecosystem levels, including decreasing ecosystem services, so identifying the current status of genetic diversity of riparian tree species is vital to improve the effectiveness of restoration efforts. We aimed to elicit expert views on the status and importance of genetic diversity of tree species, and conservation needs across European riparian ecosystems. Sharing of such information among researchers, managers and policymakers has the potential to enhance ecological restoration and management of riparian ecosystems. We identified experts in riparian genetic resources conservation and management across Europe. These included stakeholders with different perspectives, ranging from researchers to practitioners. We designed a set of questionnaires where our identified experts were asked to answer questions related to the status and conservation of genetic diversity of riparian tree species in their respective countries. Specifically, we asked about societal awareness, legislative tools, good practices and conservation or restoration projects accounting for intraspecific genetic diversity and differentiation of tree species in riparian ecosystems. Questionnaire responses were analysed and discussed in light of the scientific literature to define needs and priorities related to the management and conservation of genetic diversity of riparian tree species. The experts recognized that a combination of in situ and ex situ measures and/or integrative conservation of riparian ecosystems is the most appropriate option for conserving the genetic diversity of riparian tree species. Simultaneous application of conservation measures at the level of priority species, identified by experts, and protection of riparian areas are required. Synthesis and applications. This study revealed the importance of recognizing the ecological processes that shape the genetic diversity of riparian tree species in hydrographic networks (dendritic spatial configuration, specific patterns of gene flow among riparian populations, fragmentation of river by dams) but also the need to overcome socio-economic barriers, such as lack of policy priority, deficiency in funding and weak legislation framework., The work leading to this paper was developed within the COST Action (CA16208)—CONVERGES (Knowledge Conversion for Enhancing Management of European Riparian Ecosystems and Services), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology; www.cost.eu) and by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union. We thank three anonymous reviewers for comments and suggestions that greatly improved the paper. JM was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, according to the agreement No. 0801-417/1. PMRG was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the 2020.03356.CEECIND grant, and through PTDC/ASP-SIL/28593/2017 grant; and Forest Research Centre by the FCT (UIDB/00239/2020) grant. RP was supported by the grant from the National Science Centre, Poland (2019/35/B/NZ8/01901).

The long-lived and evergreen olive tree dominates the Mediterranean landscape, representing an agroecological and cultural symbol and a genetic heritage of inestimable value. Sicily, for historical, geographical, and cultural reasons, has a very rich and distinctive olive germplasm. In this work, a large survey was conducted to discover, collect, and characterize the genetic diversity of centennial monumental olive trees from historical sites, such as the Greek Temple Valley (Agrigento), ancient gardens, or farmland present in the western part of the island. Trees were chosen based on their height, trunk, stump size, and presumed age; particularly, only olive trees with an age estimated at more than 400 years old were taken into consideration. For the morphological characterization, the leaf, fruit, and endocarp traits were analyzed. For the molecular characterization, 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers largely used for fingerprinting analysis were used. Reference cultivars were included in the analysis for comparison. Nuclear DNA was extracted from different parts of the plant (young leaves of shoots taken from the canopy and young leaves taken from suckers, which arose from the basal part of the tree) to check if the trees were grafted and to explore their diversity. Most of the monumental trees have been grafted at least one time during their long life, and some genotypes showed unique genetic profiles combined with peculiar phenotypic traits. Suckers (rootstock of the trees) showed a strict genetic relationship with an ancient monumental oleaster tree, also included in the study. “Patriarch” (original mother plants) trees of local cultivars were also identified. This research revealed a high level of the still unexplored genetic diversity of the Sicilian olive germplasm and highlighted its importance as a gene reservoir, which could support new breeding programs for the evaluation and possible selection of traits linked to putative resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses (particularly Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca ST53 or soil- borne diseases or insects). The results will be useful for improving the conservation process, enriching existing collections of olive genetic resources, and supporting on-farm conservation projects.

Groves with ancient olive trees (Olea europaea L.) could be considered remnants of old agroforestry systems. Anything but static, these agro-ecosystems have undergone drastic transformational processes in Mediterranean countries, where abandonment or intensification have been observed far more than continuity, expansion or renaissance, leading to environmental degradation of rural areas. Starting from this assumption and inspired by historical ecology and historical geography, we consider centuries-old olive trees as living archives of human-nature interactions and are thus proxies of past agroforestry. Our aim is to better understand what has driven dynamics of change and persistence, happening today as well as in the past. We first travel backward in time, looking at the ecology of land management systems during the Roman period (ca 200 BC-400 AD) and late Antiquity (ca AD 400-700). The special focus is the island of Sicily, the granary of the Empire, well known as a region where cereal production increased around the latifundia economy. We reconstruct the diversity of land tenure and the ecology of such complex systems, by combining records from Roman agriculturalists and palaeoenvironmental evidence of the past. We then zoom out, to look at today’s management practices in olive groves, thus drawing a parallel between Antiquity and today. Our work provides valuable insights into the correlation between certain organisation models, ecological strategies and adaptation capacity over the long term, clearly showing that human and nature dimensions are interconnected. Such entanglement may be a key element for ensuring these agroecosystems resilience. All elements that may contribute to the re-invention of sustainable forms of their management, for the present and the future.

12 páginas.- 4 figuras.- referencias.- Additional supporting information can be found online in the Supporting Information section at the end of this article.- Full Access in https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/geb.13652, Aim Our understanding of the mechanisms that maintain forest diversity under changing climate can benefit from knowledge about traits that are closely linked to fitness. We tested whether the link between traits and seed number and seed size is consistent with two hypotheses, termed the leaf economics spectrum and the plant size syndrome, or whether reproduction represents an independent dimension related to a seed size–seed number trade-off. Location Most of the data come from Europe, North and Central America and East Asia. A minority of the data come from South America, Africa and Australia. Time period 1960–2022. Major taxa studied Trees. Methods We gathered 12 million observations of the number of seeds produced in 784 tree species. We estimated the number of seeds produced by individual trees and scaled it up to the species level. Next, we used principal components analysis and generalized joint attribute modelling (GJAM) to map seed number and size on the tree traits spectrum. Results Incorporating seed size and number into trait analysis while controlling for environment and phylogeny with GJAM exposes relationships in trees that might otherwise remain hidden. Production of the large total biomass of seeds [product of seed number and seed size; hereafter, species seed productivity (SSP)] is associated with high leaf area, low foliar nitrogen, low specific leaf area (SLA) and dense wood. Production of high seed numbers is associated with small seeds produced by nutrient-demanding species with softwood, small leaves and high SLA. Trait covariation is consistent with opposing strategies: one fast-growing, early successional, with high dispersal, and the other slow-growing, stress-tolerant, that recruit in shaded conditions. Main conclusions Earth system models currently assume that reproductive allocation is indifferent among plant functional types. Easily measurable seed size is a strong predictor of the seed number and species seed productivity. The connection of SSP with the functional traits can form the first basis of improved fecundity prediction across global forests., The project has been funded by grants to J.S.C. from the National Science Foundation, most re-cently DEB-1754443, and by the Belmont Forum (1854976), NASA (AIST16-0052 and AIST18-0063) and the Programme d'Investissement d'Avenir under project FORBIC (18-MPGA-0004; Make Our Planet Great Again). Jerry Franklin's data remain acces-sible through NSF LTER DEB-1440409. Data from Hubbard Brook (New Hampshire) were funded through NSF-LTER. Puerto Rico data were funded by NSF grants, most recently DEB 0963447 and LTREB 11222325. Data from the Andes Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Group were funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and NSF 727 LTREB 1754647. M.B. was supported by grant no. 2019/35/D/NZ8/00050 from the (Polish) National Science Centre and by Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange Bekker programme PPN/BEK/2020/1/00009/U/00001. Research by the USDA Forest Service and the USGS was funded by these agencies. Any use of trade, firm or product names does not imply endorsement by the US Government. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply en -dorsement by the U.S. Government

The forestry sector in Italy and throughout Europe is going through a critical period due to ongoing natural and anthropological processes, such as climate change and the abandonment of rural areas. These processes lead to a constant fragmentation of properties in small forest parcels, with direct impacts on management capacity. In this framework, new sustainable forest management methods are being tested and are shown to be good practices to oppose the decline of forest ecosystems. Their innovative aspects concern the introduction of a form of shared and circular economy, where management is built on the process, rather than on the product. Their technical activities are based on precision forestry systems and digitalization. The new approach takes into consideration the fact that the woods are an asset available to the whole community, in terms of benefits and protection. Forest Sharing® is an example of the application of shared forest management systems, due to which the owner user benefits from several services and opportunities, such as the advanced monitoring platform and the access to investment funds. After eighteen months of activity, the first results of the application of the new management systems can already be seen. Many aspects need further development, such as case studies concerning the enhancement due to forest certification and new recreational activities. Shared forest management systems have the potential to increase the level of knowledge and awareness of citizens about environmental and territorial issues.

In the context of global change, the integration of non-native tree (NNT) species into European forestry is increasingly being discussed. The ecological consequences of increasing use or spread of NNTs in European forests are highly uncertain, as the scientific evidence is either constraint to results from case studies with limited spatial extent, or concerns global assessments that lack focus on European NNTs. For either case, generalisations on European NNTs are challenging to draw. Here we compile data on the impacts of seven important NNTs (Acacia dealbata, Ailanthus altissima, Eucalyptus globulus, Prunus serotina, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Quercus rubra, Robinia pseudoacacia) on physical and chemical soil properties and diversity attributes in Europe, and summarise commonalities and differences. From a total of 103 publications considered, studies on diversity attributes were overall more frequent than studies on soil properties. The effects on soil properties varied greatly among tree species and depended on the respective soil property. Overall, increasing (45%) and decreasing (45%) impacts on soil occurred with similar frequency. In contrast, decreasing impacts on biodiversity were much more frequent (66%) than increasing ones (24%). Species phylogenetically distant from European tree species, such as Acacia dealbata, Eucalyptus globulus and Ailanthus altissima, showed the strongest decreasing impacts on biodiversity. Our results suggest that forest managers should be cautious in using NNTs, as a majority of NNT stands host fewer species when compared with native tree species or ecosystems, likely reflected in changes in biotic interactions and ecosystem functions. The high variability of impacts suggests that individual NNTs should be assessed separately, but NNTs that lack European relatives should be used with particular caution., Neobiota, 78, ISSN:1619-0033

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play a key role for improving the implementation of sustainable forest management at local, regional, and global level. The ICT potential to easily exploit a wider and more up-to-date set of information on the economic, environmental, and so- cial value of forests is of relevant help for the daily work of technicians, land owners, and companies in boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of forest management. The concept of “Precision Forestry” (PF) was developed from the early 2000s, as a branch of precision farming or precision agriculture. PF includes the use of ICT, remote and proximal sensing technologies, and other devices to coordinate and control several processes on a spatial scale (“Precision”) for monitoring, planning, and managing forest resources (“Forestry”). The aim of this monography is to collect and describe some of the most important PF experiences applied or potential- ly useful for the Italian forestry sector. It may represent a reference guide for the stakeholders, such as forest owners, professional technicians, public administrators, and policy makers. The book includes eleven chapters reviewing the main tech- nological tools available in the Italian context and the most recent advances of ICT in forestry, also focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of their practical implementation. The opportunities and challenges of implementing PF meth- ods, practices and technologies are also discussed. In the first two chapters the precision forestry concept and its historical development are introduced. In the third chap- ter some basic elements of ICT, GIS, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), remote/proximal sensing, and related technologies which are essential for a better compre- hension of PF applications are recalled. In chapter 4 recent advances in large scale forest inventories with a focus on mapping and on the spatial estimation of forest variables integrating field surveys and multisource re- motely sensed data are described. Current advancements in the acquisition of field information including Terrestrial La- ser Scanning (TLS), new digital dendrometers, tree-talkers, terrestrial cameras, and APP for portable devices such as smartphones or tablets for dendrometric tree measures and new citizen science applications to support quantitative and qualitative spatial estimation of forest variables over large areas (i.e., forest health, fuel types) are also presented. The chapter ends up with the description of some experiences in the implementation of Forest Information Systems in Italy to provide a simple open-access to such new generation of spatial forest information. In chapter 5 PF tools, instruments, and technologies to sup- port sustainable forest management are illustrated. APPs developed to acquire field plots data to simulate manage- ment operations, the application of photogrammetric tech- nologies from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and TLS data for monitoring with high-spatial scale forest monitoring and for acquiring indicators at single tree level are presented. A de- tailed description of new user-friendly tools for forest roadplanning, design and construction, as well as forest opera- tion planning is also included. Precision forest tree farming (with particular reference to poplar cultivation), useful to promote and increase the prof- itability and sustainability of forest plantations within the Italian context is described in chapter 6. The innovation and enhancement within the supply chain of wood plantations (from planting to harvesting, including monitoring and identification of stress) by soil proximal sensing techniques, Early Warning Systems, and specific software are highlight- ed. Considering the even higher market demands, promoted by the large-scale planting programs for climate changes mit- igation and the demands for propagation material for en- vironmental recovery, innovative techniques and methods supported by ICT in the forest nursery sector are described in chapter 7. In chapter 8 available technologies related to precision har- vesting are analyzed and described taking into consideration the wood chain efficiency, by means of improved commu- nications between the owner/buyer and operators as well as among machineries used in forest operations, health and safety of forest operators, environmental impacts mitigation and recovery, and operators training. Advanced communi- cation systems and sensors for the exchange of data and information between machines, machine-equipments and/or machine-operators, teleoperations and automation are also described. Chapters 9 and 10 are related to wood products traceabil- ity, timber quality assessment as well as the technologies for the optimization of wood transformation processes. The concepts of wood product traceability and tracing, togeth- er with latest digital technologies for the identification and tracking of the logs (i.e., fingerprinting and RFID), are de- tailly reported. Chapter 11 is finally dedicated to the relationship between the EU policy framework and the digitalization process in both agricultural and forestry sectors. The book summarizes, under a proactive and homogeneous framework, PF methods, tools and technologies in relation with the digital transition of the Italian forestry sectors. The authors hope this book will be useful for improving the implementation of sustainable forest management practic- es at all levels in Italy, providing a comprehensive review useful for policy makers, technicians, forestry owners and students.

Invasive non-native trees (INNTs) are increasingly recognized to have negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services in protected areas. The management of INNTs is one of the major challenges to preserving native species and ecosystems, to which more and more efforts and resources are bound to be destined in the coming decades. Indeed, the combined effects of climate change and increasing disturbance factors (e.g. wildfires) are likely to aid the spread of many INNTs in the Mediterranean protected areas, as well as favouring their competitive relationships with native species. However, the effective implementation of control measures is far from being fully achieved. I assessed how the problem of INNTs is currently addressed within the Natura 2000 sites in Sicily, designed according to the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). In particular, I will check the management plans of some selected Special Areas of Conservation searching for the activities provided for the management and control of INNTs. My research will be focused on the most widespread INNTs occurring on the island, such as Ailanthus altissima and Acacia saligna, along with taxa characterized by a very recent spread such as Parkinsonia aculeata and Vachellia karroo. Furthermore, some of these non-native trees are included in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on invasive alien species. The study will address some main questions: (1) Are invasive non-native trees well managed in protected sites in Sicily? (2) Do different protected sites deal with the same non-native species in the same way? (3) Are planned activities effectively implemented and successful? The result of the study could be used to favour the cooperation and exchange of information about the control of INNTs between the managing bodies of different protected sites, thus increasing the efficacy of the necessary interventions.

Valorisation and sustainable exploitation of woody biomass from cultivation interventions might be an important opportunity to track alternative development trails for rural communities in natural protected areas. The governance of Mediterranean protected areas is characterized by overlapping, sometimes conflicting institutions, stakeholders and regulations, causing negative impacts on decision-making processes. We present an open source GIS-based decision support system tool for mapping forest accessibility and optimizing woody biomass extraction. Two models were implemented to support forest managers during the decision-making process in designing and managing wood-energy supply chains. The optimal grid resolution to run the models was determined via a Least Cost Path analysis. The models were executed at different scales, performing satisfactorily when distances between recorded and modelled paths were lower than the grid unit. The higher the scale, the more the percentile of distances lower than the grid unit. The models were validated in Madonie mountains, Sicily, Italy.

Diversi studi compiuti negli ultimi anni hanno messo in luce una lunga quanto sottovalutata tradizione nell’uso del legno in generale e di quello di castagno in particolare, in Sicilia e sue isole satelliti (Sala et al., 2020). Altre indagini hanno inoltre confermato le ottime qualità tecnologiche del legno di castagno siciliano (Cruciata et al., 2018; La Mantia et al., 2006a; Maggiore et al., 2006). Meno noto ma altrettanto interessante è l’uso prolungato delle castagne nell’alimentazione; i frutti venivano infatti consumati prevalentemente, ma non esclusivamente, nelle zone montane dell’isola. Insufficientemente esplorate appaiono tuttora anche la ricchezza genetica, così come il ruolo del castagno nella biodiversità degli ecosistemi e paesaggi agroforestali dell’isola. Il contesto commerciale nazionale ed internazionale, i processi di abbandono delle aree montane e gli attacchi dei patogeni che hanno colpito il castagno hanno portato nel corso degli ultimi decenni ad una drastica riduzione delle superfici occupate dai castagneti su gran parte del territorio siciliano (La Mantia et al., 1999). Senza adeguate misure di valorizzazione, sperimentazione e interventi economici mirati l’insieme di queste congiunture sfavorevoli, spesso sinergiche, rischiano di provocare la scomparsa definitiva di componenti preziose di questo patrimonio culturale, colturale e genetico (Cutino et al., 2006 a e b; La Mantia et al., 2006 b). In questo contesto, vengono presentate alcune proposte d’intervento che traggono spunto da un quadro sintetico delle conoscenze disponibili sulla storia naturale del castagno in Sicilia.

Riparian zones are the paragon of transitional ecosystems, providing critical habitat and ecosystem services that are especially threatened by global change. Following consultation with experts, 10 key challenges were identified to be addressed for riparian vegetation science and management improvement: (1) Create a distinct scientific community by establishing stronger bridges between disciplines; (2) Make riparian vegetation more visible and appreciated in society and policies; (3) Improve knowledge regarding biodiversity—ecosystem functioning links; (4) Manage spatial scale and context-based issues; (5) Improve knowledge on social dimensions of riparian vegetation; (6) Anticipate responses to emergent issues and future trajectories; (7) Enhance tools to quantify and prioritize ecosystem services; (8) Improve numerical modeling and simulation tools; (9) Calibrate methods and increase data availability for better indicators and monitoring practices and transferability; and (10) Undertake scientific validation of best management practices. These challenges are discussed and critiqued here, to guide future research into riparian vegetation. This article is categorized under: Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

The LIFE project Desert-Adapt (LIFE16 CCA/IT/000011) has designed a Desertification Adaptation Model (DAM) framework of land management to respond to two of the most critical problems experienced by farmers, public land and communities of the Mediterranean Basin, given the need to adapt to current Climate Change and reduce or counteract the increasing phenomenon of land degradation and desertification risk. These two issues are interrelated, as land degradation often characterizes fragile areas where the co-occurrence of climatically unfavourable conditions, mostly prolonged aridity and high temperatures, and inappropriate land management, leads to loss of ecosystem quality, biodiversity, productivity, agronomic activity abandonment, economic impoverishment and social crisis. The key concept behind the DAM approach is that successful long-term economic self-sufficiency and social balance, in areas under climatic and degradation risk, can only be achieved with land management strategies tailored to maintaining and enhancing the land resource base, i.e the natural capital associated with land resources and ecosystem services. The model is being tested in 9 areas under desertification risk covering almost 1000h belonging to municipalities or private farmers in southern Portugal, Spain and Italy. Ecological, economic and social functions, as well as adaptation measures are being tested to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed solutions, their benefits and immediate or long-term impacts and current limitations to the wider application of the proposed strategy.

In the last decades the Alpine landscape has dramatically changed due to social and economic factors. The most visible impact has been the reduction of the population for mid and high altitude villages and the shrinking of the part of the land used for agriculture and grazing, with a progressive reduction of pastures and meadows and the expansion of the forested areas. For these reasons, a dataset describing the forest, meadows and pasture coverage for the Trentino region, in the eastern Italian Alps, has been created. A set of heterogeneous sources has been selected so that maps and images cover the longest possible time span on the whole Trentino region with comparable quality, creating a Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) map based on historical maps from 1859 to 1936 and aerial images from 1954 to 2015. The achieved accuracy ranges from 98% for historical maps to 94% for aereal imagery. The analysis of selected landscape metrics provided preliminary results about the forest distribution and patterns of recolonization during the last 155 years. It has been possible to create future scenarios for the forest evolution for the next 85 years. Given the large number of maps involved, the great flexibility provided by FOSS for spatial analysis, such as GRASS, R, QGIS and GAMA and the possibility of scripting all the operations have played a pivotal role in the success both in the creation of the dataset and in the extraction and modeling of land use changes.

Tropical forests harbor most of global terrestrial biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services, although they have been largely replaced by agricultural activities. Amazon is the largest tropical forest remaining, and cattle ranching and soybean cultivation are by far the greater drivers of deforestation, that together with other few commodities constitutes the main products responsible for the imported deforestation caused by European countries. Agroforestry systems and sustainable intensification are pointed out as solutions to conciliate food production with environmental conservation, thus reviewing the results of studies comparing these practices against conventional ones are needed. We performed a systematic review of papers assessing the effects of cattle ranching and soybean cultivation on Amazon deforestation as well as performed a meta-analysis on the effects of sustainable practices on different ecosystem services. Our results highlight the negative impacts of cattle ranching and soybean crops on the ecosystem dynamics and functionality of the Amazon biome, also due to speculative economical mechanisms. Our meta-analysis indicated a huge gap of knowledge of empirical studies comparing sustainable and conventional practices, with just 13 studies meeting the requirements for inclusion. The overall model comparing the ecosystem services provided in conventional land-uses and those adopting sustainable practices indicated a non-significant effect. Such result was due to the negative effect found on the few studies assessing crop yield and herbage biomass, a pattern also found in a European meta-analysis. However, livestock productivity, soil organic carbon, soil fertility and woody biomass were positively affected, indicating a wider beneficial effect. Our review also shed light on the responsibilities in the consumption of many food products that are the cause of tropical deforestation. In conclusion, we discuss challenges and opportunities to advance research into the real effects of sustainable practices to conciliate agriculture and tropical forests conservation.

Precision forestry is becoming a key sector for forest planning because it allows complex analyses of forest data to be carried out simply and economically. It contributes to the integration between technicians and operators in the sector by guaranteeing the transparency of the forest management operations (Corona et al., 2017). In the context of the progressive development of technology, we investigated the feasibility of using the hand-held mobile laser scanner (HMLS) system in different types of forest sites and comparison of the characteristics of individual trees (tree height, diameters at breast height) with traditional surveys, applied with the aim to validate the performance of the system for a future alternative methodology for forest planning thanks to the collaboration with the forestry company “Dimensione Ricerca Ecologia Ambiente Italia” (D.R.E.Am. Italia). GEOSLAM ZEB HORIZON ™ laser scanner is a hand-held mobile laser scanner containing SLAM technology that can be solved the problem of no GNSS signal or poor signal under the forest canopy making it more practical for forest investigations (Gollob et al., 2020). 15 forest sample plots are selected to reflect different stand conditions in Mediterranean forests taking into count the development stage and density of the sub-canopy vegetation, as well as the species composition in the forest stands. The aim of this study is to show the possible extrinsic circumstances that make the method fail by varying the ecological status of forest plots.

Climate change is forcing the redistribution of life on Earth at an unprecedented velocity1,2. Migratory birds are thought to help plants to track climate change through long-distance seed dispersal3,4. However, seeds may be consistently dispersed towards cooler or warmer latitudes depending on whether the fruiting period of a plant species coincides with northward or southward migrations. Here we assess the potential of plant communities to keep pace with climate change through long-distance seed dispersal by migratory birds. To do so, we combine phenological and migration information with data on 949 seed-dispersal interactions between 46 bird and 81 plant species from 13 woodland communities across Europe. Most of the plant species (86%) in these communities are dispersed by birds migrating south, whereas only 35% are dispersed by birds migrating north; the latter subset is phylogenetically clustered in lineages that have fruiting periods that overlap with the spring migration. Moreover, the majority of this critical dispersal service northwards is provided by only a few Palaearctic migrant species. The potential of migratory birds to assist a small, non-random sample of plants to track climate change latitudinally is expected to strongly influence the formation of novel plant communities, and thus affect their ecosystem functions and community assembly at higher trophic levels., The ‘Molecular Ecology Laboratory’ (LEM–EBD–CSIC; ISO9001:2015 and ISO14001:2015 certifications) and the ‘Research Unit of Biodiversity’ (UO–CSIC–PA) provided logistical support for molecular analyses. We thank L. Viesca and E. Cires for laboratory assistance, and J. M. Varela for the bird illustrations. Barcoding data were obtained within an Individual Fellowship from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014-656572: MobileLinks) and supported by a GRUPIN grant from the Regional Government of Asturias (IDI/2018/000151). ‘King Jaume I’ awarded to A.T. supported data collation during two postdoctoral contracts. J.P.G.-V. is supported by a Spanish ‘Ramón y Cajal’ fellowship (RYC-2017-22095) and a grant from the Spanish MICINN (PID2019-104922GA-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). B.R. is supported by a Spanish ‘Juan de la Cierva Incorporación’ fellowship (IJCI-2017-33475). R.H.H. is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (UID/BIA/04004/2020). B.I.S. is supported by a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowship. W.J.S. is funded by Arcadia.

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) can regenerate successfully from seeds after mixed-severity fires with mid-to-long fire return intervals (>60 years). However, if fire return interval is lower than the age of sexual maturity, post-fire seeding will be limited, leaving vegetative resprouting as the only viable option for recovery. This means that the forecasted increase in fire frequency driven by climate change may erode beech forest resilience to fire. Here, we surveyed tree regeneration in a European beech forest affected by two consecutive fires, in 2003 and 2017, and applied experimental clipping of tree saplings to address the following questions: (1) What is the fire resistance and post-fire recovery via resprouting of tree saplings? (2) Which factors drive post-fire resprouting of beech saplings? (3) Does post-fire clipping of tree saplings increase the probability of survival and resprouting vigor? We monitored 2195 beech saplings and 953 saplings of other tree species during three consecutive years, from 2018 to 2020. Almost all beech saplings were top-killed by fire, and two-thirds of them died completely. However, 3 years after the second fire, 30 per cent of beech saplings survived by resprouting from the base. Post-fire resprouting was less likely in small-diameter saplings and in those more injured by fire. Overall, the second fire did not cause a major decline of beech regeneration and consequently did not alter the dominant species composition of post-fire recovery. Given the low specific resistance to fire, post-fire resprouting of saplings is therefore a key component of beech resilience to short-interval fires. The effects of clipping on post-fire survival and resprouting vigor were very limited, suggesting the unsuitability of actively clearing burned beech regeneration as a post-fire management prescription. In conclusion, basal resprouting from beech saplings after fire-induced top-kill led to a higher-than-expected resilience of beech to short-interval fires (i.e. circa 15 years).

Many cities around the world are expanding, including in their perimeters green and blues spaces that could be crucial for the maintaining of biodiversity. Urban waterbodies are generally created to provide other services, but correctly managed they can provide also relevant ecosystem services. The Palermo Plain was characterized, in the past centuries, by several wetlands that were progressively destroyed (or “reclaimed”). The ancient irrigation system, probably set during the Arab domination (IX-XI century A.D.), became a substitute ecosystem able to host a significant biodiversity. Our research focused on the remains of this system, scattered in the relictual green areas of the Plain, and especially on typical open cisterns, named (with a term of Arabic origin) “gebbie”; we checked the presence of strictly aquatic flora (vascular plants and charophytes), taking also into account some water parameters (conductivity, pH and hydroperiod) and the type of management of these water bodies. The floristic richness of these urban reservoirs appears to be generally low; however, they sometimes support rare species, or species otherwise disappeared from the Plain. If well managed, they have the potential to support a much greater biodiversity than they currently do; on the contary, abandoned “gebbie” are the poorest ones.

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is a tree species native to the western Mediterranean Basin (EUFORGEN 2019). Cork oak forests are human-shaped ecosystems that have to be managed to be preserved in a long-term perspective. Cork oak stands range from closed forests to open woodlands, provide high ecosystem services, mainly through cork production, support high biodiversity and provide carbon storage and water regulation services. Due to their important ecological role, these ecosystems are listed in the European Habitats Directive (Habitat 9330: Quercus suber forests, EEC, 1992). In the last years, especially in Italy, cork oak stands are undergoing a relevant regression due to the decline of traditional management. The most extensive cork oak forests occur in Sardinia, followed by Sicily, Tuscany and Calabria. In Sicily, this tree covers about 19,000 ha (about 7% of total regional forest cover), from sea level up to 1,000 m a.s.l (Camerano et al. 2011). Also in this region, the abandonment of traditional management and recurrent wildfires has caused a progressive decline of cork oak forests and widespread degraded conditions. In this work, we analysed the recovery of a cork oak forest through the improvement of management in a study area where cork oak is mixed with stone pine (Pinus pinea L.). To improve the vitality of cork oak and increase cork production, the thinning of the pine stand was carried out. The silvicultural treatments were carried out without a total removal of pine trees and uncovering of the soil but selecting the pine trees that effectively hindered the cork tree. In the future, the response of the forest system will be evaluated in terms of natural regeneration and other cautious, continuous and capillary interventions may be proceeded. After felling, trees were processed in 2-meter length assortments while thin material, tree tops and branches were chipped and left on the ground. We collected data on: 1) site conditions (topography, soil conditions and understory vegetation), 2) stand characteristics (adult tree layer, species composition, density, structure) and 3) time for felling and logging the stone pine. We also evaluated the quantity of the wood material obtained. This study provides technical recommendations that can support sustainable management and restoration efforts in Mediterranean cork oak landscapes. This type of management in addition to produce cork will allow high level of biodiversity and socio-economic benefits.

Gli ecosistemi forestali, che attraversano un lungo periodo senza rilevanti azioni di disturbo antropico quali le utilizzazioni forestali, possono evolvere con caratteristiche compositive e strutturali che li distinguono nettamente da soprassuoli più giovani dello stesso tipo, e sotto particolari condizioni vengono definiti vetusti. La significativa presenza di piante adulte e grandi, una certa diversificazione strutturale, significativi quantitativi di legno morto sia in piedi che a terra e la presenza di fauna e flora specializzate, sono tra le caratteristiche più comunemente associate ai boschi vetusti. A livello italiano, con le modifiche apportate al Testo Unico Forestale (D.Lgs. 34 del 2018) con la Legge 141/2019, che ha convertito in legge il Decreto “Clima” (D.Lgs. 111/2019), è necessario un periodo di invecchiamento naturale di almeno 60 anni. Lo stesso riferimento normativo prevede la definizione delle linee guida per l’identificazione dei boschi vetusti e la creazione della rete nazionale dei boschi vetusti. A livello europeo, la mappatura e la protezione integrale dei boschi vetusti sono tra le priorità della nuova strategia forestale europea per il 2030. Nel Mediterraneo, tali sistemi forestali sono poco diffusi a causa del millenario utilizzo delle risorse forestali, ed anche per questa ragione sono stati oggetto di ricerche e studi dedicati soltanto negli ultimi decenni. Di conseguenza, si registra una conoscenza ancora limitata soprattutto per alcune tipologie forestali. In questo contesto, l’obiettivo del presente lavoro è stato quello di individuare aree forestali a prevalenza di roverella in Sicilia con potenzialità di vetustà, analizzarle nel dettaglio e valutare l’effettiva possibilità di classificazione come bosco vetusto. Nell’ambito del progetto LIFE4OAKFORESTS (LIFE16NAT/IT/0002 45, http://it.life4oakforests.eu/), sono previste attività di monitoraggio forestale in boschi vetusti di roverella ricadenti nell’habitat di interesse comunitario 91AA* - Boschi orientali di quercia bianca. A tal fine, sono stati individuati due soprassuoli forestali a dominanza di specie appartenenti al ciclo della roverella (Quercus pubescens Willd. s.l.) quali Quercus amplifolia Guss. e Q. virgiliana (Ten.) Ten., caratterizzati da significativi segni di vetustà, localizzati nel settore centro-occidentale della Sicilia: il bosco del Fanuso (Riserva Naturale orientata “Bosco della Ficuzza, Rocca Busambra, Gorgo del Cappelliere e Gorgo del Drago”), e il Bosco di Gurgo (Riserva Naturale orientata “Monte Genuardo e Santa Maria del Bosco”). In particolare, sono stati studiati la biomassa arborea, la rinnovazione naturale delle specie legnose, la necromassa arborea e i microhabitat. È stato seguito il protocollo di rilievo definito all’interno del sopramenzionato progetto LIFE, e che ha previsto la valutazione delle diverse categorie da rilevare (alberi grandi con diametro a petto d’uomo > 40 cm, alberi con diametro a petto d’uomo > 5 cm, rinnovazione naturale) e dei relativi parametri dendrometrici e strutturali, in diverse aree concentriche, mentre il legno morto a terra è stato valutato con il metodo del transect di intersezione lineare. Particolare attenzione è stata rivolta agli individui arborei di grande dimensione ed al legno morto, che rappresentano gli elementi diagnostici più importanti dei boschi vetusti. Sulla base delle soglie di riferimento dei boschi vetusti in ambiente mediterraneo, con particolare attenzione ai querceti termofili, abbiamo valutato il livello di vetustà dei popolamenti forestali in esame, considerandone anche lo stato di conservazione e di evoluzione complessiva. Il risultato dell’indagine consentirà, inoltre, di formulare delle idonee proposte gestionali per i due soprassuoli forestali, che necessitano di specifiche ed urgenti misure di conservazione e tutela, in ragione delle superfici estremamente limitate che occupano e della loro straordinaria importanza ecologica e paesaggistica.

Several global commitments have established a compromise to greatly increase the presence of trees in agricultural lands, fostering therefore the adoption of agroforestry systems and the destination of some areas for reforestation. Such tasks are challenging, particularly under the current climate change scenarios, and several studies have demonstrated a high risk of seedling mortality under harsh and extremely variable environmental conditions, calling for solutions that must increase the success and reduce the costs of growing a tree. In this study, inside the project LIFE Desert Adapt, we tested the effects of different types of growing aids such as shelters, mulching and innovative methods such as biodegradable paper devices (Cocoon™) as well as plant-plant facilitation using nurse species to try to enhance survival and growth of planted seedlings in agricultural and forest areas at high desertification risk in Sicily, Italy. The growing aids were used on three species, two native (wild olive Olea europaea var. sylvestris and broom Spartium junceum) and one crop (almond Prunus dulcis) in three different sites, while plant-plant facilitation was evaluated assessing the effects of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) and wild olives on richness and density of recruitment at community level in four sites. Growing aids greatly enhanced seedling growth and survival in all cases, with a high mortality found on the control seedlings, mostly due to drought. Both prickly pear and wild olives facilitated the recruitment of 8 native species, in some cases boosting tree growth very quickly. We found relevant species-specific responses, a crucial data to define whether invest on more costly methods, such as the cocoon. However, in all cases emergency irrigations during summer were needed. Our results indicate that with current variations in climate, the use of growing aids to promote tree growth is highly recommended, or in some cases obligatory. Additionally, our results indicate a very good potential in the use of prickly pear and wild olives as facilitators to promote natural regeneration and to speed up the formation of agroforestry systems.

Nell’ambito delle attività sviluppate dalla regione siciliana nella redazione del Piano Forestale Regionale 2009- 2013, negli anni 2006/2007 sono stati realizzati 8 campi sperimentali in diversi contesti pedoclimatici siciliani (Bioclima: mesomediterraneo e supramediterraneo. Substrato: alluvionale, argilloso, calcareo, flyshioide, sabbioso/ siliceo) in 5 province siciliane (Agrigento, Enna, Messina, Palermo e Trapani). La scelta delle specie da piantare è stata compiuta sulla base di una suddivisione del territorio siciliano per aree ecologicamente omogenee compiuta dal gruppo di Selvicoltura di UNIPA, e utilizzata per fornire uno strumento operativo e vincolante per i progetti forestali realizzati nell’ambito del PSR. Le piantine utilizzate erano state prodotte utilizzando semi raccolti localmente in ossequio alla legislazione della regione siciliana, che obbliga, per i rimboschimenti, l’utilizzo di materiale di moltiplicazione raccolto nell’ambito del territorio dell’isola. L’obiettivo dello studio era quindi quello di valutare la performance di attecchimento e crescita di diverse specie forestali autoctone da impiegare in impianti di rimboschimento e arboricoltura da legno in Sicilia nell’ambito dei vari contesti pedo-climatici siciliani. In par - ticolare sono state impiegate le seguenti specie: Acer campestre, Acer monspessulanum, Acer obtusatum, Acer pseudoplatanus, Castanea sativa, Celtis australis, Ceratonia siliqua, Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus angustifolia, Fraxinus excelsior, Fraxinus ornus, Ilex aquifolium, Malus sylvestris, Olea europaea var. sylvestris, Phillyrea latifolia, Pistacia lentiscus, Pyrus amygdaliformis, Pyrus pyraster, Prunus avium, Prunus dulcis, Quercus cerris, Quercus ilex, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens, Quercus suber, Sorbus domestica e Sorbus torminalis. Complessivamente sono state utilizzate circa 6300 piantine, comprensive del ripristino delle fallanze, provenienti dai vivai del Dipartimento Regionale dello Sviluppo Rurale e Territoriale di Castellammare del Golfo, Filici, Piano Noce, Piazza Armerina e Ziriò. I primi rilievi, eseguiti negli anni successivi all’impianto, hanno dato indicazioni utili sulla sopravvivenza e l’accrescimento delle diverse specie forestali. Purtroppo, negli anni seguenti i campi hanno subito una fase di abbandono che si è tradotto nell’assenza di cure colturali e soprattutto nel pascolo. Tuttavia, questi fattori di disturbo possono essere considerati “normali” nelle nostre condizioni e pertanto, anziché essere un fattore eccezionale, possono essere considerati un “fattore” ambientale. Durante il 2021 sono stati ripetuti i rilievi, nei siti in cui sono sopravvissute piante affermate, che hanno confermato la diversa capacità di crescita e resistenza di alcune specie rispetto ad altre. Queste informazioni saranno preziose per gli interventi di rimboschimento da compiere nei prossimi anni in un contesto ambientale sempre più difficile ed incerto a causa dei cambiamenti climatici e delle crescenti minacce verso gli ecosistemi forestali mediterranei.

In Italia, come in gran parte d’Europa, sono state introdotte numerose specie arboree esotiche che, in alcuni casi, si sono diffuse al di fuori delle aree di impianto e si sono naturalizzate, causando impatti alla biodiversità e al paesaggio. Studi recenti hanno definito la distribuzione degli alberi esotici invasivi in diversi habitat naturali e semi-naturali a scala nazionale. Sarebbe però utile soffermarsi sulla loro distribuzione tra categorie forestali, unità di classificazione dei boschi utili alla loro gestione. In questo lavoro sono state identificate le categorie forestali attualmente o potenzialmente più soggette all’invasione da parte delle specie arboree esotiche invasive, con lo scopo di valutarne la rilevanza sul territorio italiano. Dapprima, per la selezione e la caratterizzazione delle specie invasive oggetto di studio, sono state consultate le principali banche dati nazionali, europee e internazionali sulla distribuzione delle specie esotiche. Sulla base di fonti bibliografiche, scientifiche e tecniche, di conoscenze specialistiche degli autori e attraverso un metodo standard di valutazione, è stato quindi assegnato a ciascuna categoria forestale, su una scala di quattro valori, un livello di invasione da parte di ciascuna specie arborea esotica. Le categorie forestali più invase sono risultate i boschi ripariali, i castagneti, i querco-carpineti, e la macchia mediterranea. Le categorie forestali a maggior rischio di futura invasione da parte di un certo numero di alberi esotici sono i querceti di farnia, le faggete e le pinete di pino silvestre. Le specie arboree esotiche che invadono il maggior numero di categorie forestali sono Ailanthus altissima e Robinia pseudoacacia, ampiamente diffuse sull’intero territorio nazionale. L’analisi sistematica delle informazioni disponibili ha permesso di mettere in relazione la distribuzione delle specie arboree esotiche invasive nelle foreste italiane alle categorie forestali più vulnerabili all’invasione. Queste conoscenze possono fornire un supporto alla gestione forestale finalizzata a prevenire le invasioni e a mitigarne gli impatti negativi sugli ecosistemi forestali, nonché alla scelta delle specie da utilizzare nei rimboschimenti e negli interventi di recupero ambientale.

I report here the first record of Heptapleurum arboricola Hayata (syn. Schefflera arboricola (Hayata) Merr.) (Araliaceae) as a casual non-native plant throughout the Mediterranean area. I observed the natural regeneration in urban areas at Castellammare del Golfo, a small coastal town in north-west Sicily (Mediterranean Italy). Due to the lack of self-sustaining populations and the short-term observational period, Heptapleurum arboricola should be considered as a casual species according to the classification of non-native plants. The detection of early signs of naturalization of non-native plants is of crucial importance for the management and control of invasive species. The main abiotic and biotic factors involved in the possible future spread of the species are briefly discussed.

Inland waters (rivers, lakes and ponds) are important conduits for the emission of terrestrial carbon in Arctic permafrost landscapes. These emissions are driven by turnover of contemporary terrestrial carbon and additional pre-aged (Holocene and late-Pleistocene) carbon released from thawing permafrost soils, but the magnitude of these source contributions to total inland water carbon fluxes remains unknown. Here we present unique simultaneous radiocarbon age measurements of inland water CO2, CH4 and dissolved and particulate organic carbon in northeast Siberia during summer. We show that >80% of total inland water carbon was contemporary in age, but pre-aged carbon contributed >50% at sites strongly affected by permafrost thaw. CO2 and CH4 were younger than dissolved and particulate organic carbon, suggesting emissions were primarily fuelled by contemporary carbon decomposition. Our findings reveal that inland water carbon emissions from permafrost landscapes may be more sensitive to changes in contemporary carbon turnover than the release of pre-aged carbon from thawing permafrost.

Aboveground biomass, volume, and basal area are among the most important structural attributes in forestry. Direct measurements are cost-intensive and time-consuming, especially for old-growth forests exhibiting a complex structure over a rugged topography. We defined a methodology to optimize the plot size and the (total) sampling area, allowing for structural attributes with a tolerable error to be estimated. The plot size was assessed by analyzing the semivariogram of a CHM model derived via UAV laser scanning, while the sampling area was based on the calculation of the absolute relative error as a function of allometric relationships. The allometric relationships allowed the structural attributes from trees’ height to be derived. The validation was based on the positioning of a number of trees via total station and GNSS surveys. Since high trees occlude the GNSS signal transmission, a strategy to facilitate the positioning was to fix the solution using the GLONASS constellation alone (showing the highest visibility during the survey), and then using the GPS constellation to increase the position accuracy (up to PDOP~5−10). The tree heights estimated via UAV laser scanning were strongly correlated (r2 = 0.98, RMSE = 2.80 m) with those measured in situ. Assuming a maximum absolute relative error in the estimation of the structural attribute (20% within this work), the proposed methodology allowed the portion of the forest surface (≤60%) to be sampled to be quantified to obtain a low average error in the calculation of the above mentioned structural attributes (≤13%).

The mapping of a survey variable throughout a continuum or for finite populations of units is usually performed from a model-dependent perspective. Nevertheless, when a sample of locations/units is selected by a probabilistic sampling scheme, the complex task of modelling can be avoided by using the inverse distance weighting interpolator and deriving the properties of maps in a design-based perspective. Conditions ensuring consistency of maps can be derived mainly based on some obvious assumptions about the pattern of the survey variable throughout the study region as well from the feature of the sampling scheme adopted to select locations/units. Nevertheless, in a design-based setting the totals of the survey variable for a set of domains partitioning the study region are commonly estimated by traditional estimators such as the Horvitz–Thompson estimator in the case of finite populations or the Monte-Carlo estimator in the case of continuous populations or by related estimators exploiting the information of auxiliary variables. That necessarily gives rise to different total estimates with respect to those achieved from the resulting maps as the sum of the interpolated values within domains. To obtain non-discrepant results, a harmonization of maps is here suggested, in such a way that the resulting totals arising from maps coincide with those achieved by traditional estimation. The capacity of the harmonization procedure to maintain consistency is argued theoretically and checked by a simulation study performed on some real populations.

Despite an increasing attention on the role of land in meeting countries' climate pledges under the Paris Agreement, the range of estimates of carbon fluxes from land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) in available databases is very large. A good understanding of the LULUCF data reported by countries under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – and of the differences with other datasets based on country-reported data – is crucial to increase confidence in land-based climate change mitigation efforts. Here we present a new data compilation of LULUCF fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) on managed land, aiming at providing a consolidated view on the subject. Our database builds on a detailed analysis of data from national greenhouse gas inventories (NGHGIs) communicated via a range of country reports to the UNFCCC, which report anthropogenic emissions and removals based on the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) methodology. Specifically, for Annex I countries, data are sourced from annual GHG inventories. For non-Annex I countries, we compiled the most recent and complete information from different sources, including national communications, biennial update reports, submissions to the REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) framework, and nationally determined contributions. The data are disaggregated into fluxes from forest land, deforestation, organic soils, and other sources (including non-forest land uses). The CO2 flux database is complemented by information on managed and unmanaged forest area as available in NGHGIs. To ensure completeness of time series, we filled the gaps without altering the levels and trends of the country reported data. Expert judgement was applied in a few cases when data inconsistencies existed. Results indicate a mean net global sink of −1.6 Gt CO2 yr−1 over the period 2000–2020, largely determined by a sink on forest land (−6.4 Gt CO2 yr−1), followed by source from deforestation (+4.4 Gt CO2 yr−1), with smaller fluxes from organic soils (+0.9 Gt CO2 yr−1) and other land uses (−0.6 Gt CO2 yr−1). Furthermore, we compare our NGHGI database with two other sets of country-based data: those included in the UNFCCC GHG data interface, and those based on forest resources data reported by countries to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and used as inputs into estimates of GHG emissions in FAOSTAT. The first dataset, once gap filled as in our study, results in a net global LULUCF sink of −5.4 Gt CO2 yr−1. The difference with the NGHGI database is in this case mostly explained by more updated and comprehensive data in our compilation for non-Annex I countries. The FAOSTAT GHG dataset instead estimates a net global LULUCF source of +1.1 Gt CO2 yr−1. In this case, most of the difference to our results is due to a much greater forest sink for non-Annex I countries in the NGHGI database than in FAOSTAT. The difference between these datasets can be mostly explained by a more complete coverage in the NGHGI database, including for non-biomass carbon pools and non-forest land uses, and by different underlying data on forest land. The latter reflects the different scopes of the country reporting to FAO, which focuses on area and biomass, and to UNFCCC, which explicitly focuses on carbon fluxes. Bearing in mind the respective strengths and weaknesses, both our NGHGI database and FAO offer a fundamental, yet incomplete, source of information on carbon-related variables for the scientific and policy communities, including under the Global stocktake. Overall, while the quality and quantity of the LULUCF data submitted by countries to the UNFCCC significantly improved in recent years, important gaps still remain. Most developing countries still do not explicitly separate managed vs. unmanaged forest land, a few report implausibly high forest sinks, and several report incomplete estimates. With these limits in mind, the NGHGI database presented here represents the most up-to-date and complete compilation of LULUCF data based on country submissions to UNFCCC. Data from this study are openly available via the Zenodo portal (Grassi et al., 2022), at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7190601.

Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) is a developing concept to help policymakers and practitioners develop focused forestry governance and management to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Within the EU COST Action CA15226, CLIMO (Climate-Smart Forestry in Mountain Regions), a CSF definition was developed considering three main pillars: (1) adaptation to climate change, (2) mitigation of climate change, and (3) the social dimension. Climate mitigation occurs through carbon (C) sequestration by trees, C storage in vegetation and soils, and C substitution by wood. However, present and future climate mitigation depends on the adaptation of trees, woods, and forests to adapt to climate change, which is also driven by societal change.Criteria and Indicators (C & I) can be used to assess the climate smartness of forestry in different conditions, and over time. A suite of C & I that quantify the climate smartness of forestry practices has been developed by experts as guidelines for CSF. This chapter charts the development of this definition, presents initial feedback from forest managers across Europe, and discusses other gaps and uncertainties, as well as potential future perspectives for the further evolution of this concept.

Many forest tree species have been moved outside their native range to provide goods and services elsewhere, but some of them have become invasive, causing negative impacts on biodiversity and human activities. The assessment and knowledge on the degree and scale to which forest ecosystems are invaded by non-native trees is of paramount importance for tailored policies and strategies aiming at forest conservation. By analyzing main databases and literature and applying a four-level scale of invasion (not currently invaded and with low invasibility; potentially invasible; moderately invaded; massively invaded), we assessed the current and potential occurrence of twenty-five invasive non-native trees across forest ecosystems in Italy. Vulnerability to invasion substantially differed across forest categories, with riparian forests being particularly vulnerable to invasion. Acacia dealbata, Juglans nigra, Populus × canadensis and Prunus laurocerasus invaded a relatively small number of forest categories but showed their potential to widen their impact on others. Furthermore, some non-native species showed a recent increase of their invasive status in Italy. This study identified the Italian forest categories and non-native tree species that deserve primary attention, and can support proper management and allocation of funding to protect forests from the spread of invasive tree species.

Mediterranean forests are important sources of income for society and represent biodiversity hotspots, characterized by a mosaic of forest structures, from short-rotation even-aged stands to old-growth forests. However, such increased complexity requires forest management to balance timber production with biodiversity conservation at various spatial scales. This study investigated the impacts of forest structures and management alternatives on the occurrence and richness of Tree-related Microhabitats (TreMs) – as proxies for forest biodiversity – in three Mediterranean forests in Italy. The generalized linear mixed model was applied to assess the relationship between a large set of forest structural parameters and the occurrence and richness of TreMs at the tree level, and resulted in an overall model accuracy higher than 80%. The same model was then implemented in hypothetical forest structures, resulting from no management, close-to-nature forestry and combined management system. Results show that at early developmental stages of the stand, no management slightly anticipates the occurrence of TreMs, while in mature forests, the combined forest management system effectively balances forest productivity with biodiversity conservation. The close-to-nature management system is recommended for promoting TreMs richness. Such findings might be used to support sustainable forest management and valorise the multifunctional role of Mediterranean forests.

Leucaena leucocephala is worldwide used for wood production, reforestation and for feeding livestock. To assess the potential use of leucaena for animal nutrition, we analysed the composition of methanolic extracts of leaf samples of two varieties occurring in Sicily (Mediterranean area), also determining the presence of mimosine.