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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]

Forest biomass is a renewable energy source, more climate-friendly than fossil fuels and widely available in Europe. The wood energy chain has been suggested as a means to re-activate forest management and improve the value of forest stands in marginalized rural areas. However, wall-to-wall estimates of forest biomass, needed to design the location and size of power and heat biomass plants in any given territory, are notoriously difficult to obtain. This paper tests an algorithm to predict forest biomass using publicly available Landsat satellite imagery in the Liguria region, northern Italy. We used regional forest inventory data to train and validate an artificial neural network (ANN) classifier that uses remotely-sensed information such as three principal components of Landsat-5 TM spectral bands, the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and topography, to retrieve aboveground live tree volume. Percent root mean square error was -9% and -23% for conifers and broadleaves respectively in the calibration dataset, and -27% and -24% in the validation dataset. The reconstructed volume map was updated to present day using current volume increment rates reported by the Italian National Forest Inventory. A wall-to-wall map of forest biomass from harvest residues was finally produced based on species-specific wood density, biomass expansion factors, volume logged for timber assortments, forest accessibility, and topography. Predicted aboveground forest volume ranged from 81 to 391 m³ ha-1. In forests available for wood supply (70% of the total), planned volume removals averaged 25.4 m³ ha-1, or 18.7% of the average standing stock across. Biomass available for bioenergy supply was 1.295.921 million Mg dry matter or 8.95 Mg ha-1. This analysis workflow can be replicated in all mountain regions with a predominant broadleaved coppice component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sever flood event hit Mt. Amiata region in July 2019. We know that trees can help to reduce or prevent flooding, but we also know that there are thresholds in this mitigation/prevention role and when these limits are exceeded we have to expect damages that cannot be avoided. Frequencies of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heat waves are increasing and expected to increase in the future. Researchers and managers have to dedicate time and effort to communicate better with stakeholders about the role of the forest and the forest management regarding these events and address the discussion on facts instead that on opinions. Facts are accurate statements while opinions are expressed statements that are believed to be true but may or may not be facts. The Amiata flood event is an example where the discussion spread in many media has been mainly based on opinions rather than facts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities have the potential to enhance carbon sequestration by the world's forests and contribute to climate change mitigation. Voluntary carbon trading is currently the only option to pursue and reward carbon sequestration by forestry activities. Carbon credits for enhanced sequestration can be sold to partners wishing to offset their own emissions. Here we illustrate the steps taken to design guidelines for the generation of voluntary carbon credits by improved forest management in Piemonte, Italy. The guidelines have been developed in a joint effort by academia, regional administrations, forest owners and professional consultants. In particular, we show how to compute the baseline and the additionality of credit-generating forest management activities, and how to reconcile the generation of forest carbon credits with law requirements, technical limitations, and the provision of other ecosystem services. To illustrate the profitability of carbon credit generation, we simulated the application of carbon credit guidelines to two forest-rich mountain watersheds in the southern part of the Piemonte region. The two dominating tree species are beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.). We computed current forest carbon stock and carbon credits generated in 20 years under business as usual and an alternative biomass retention scenario. The IFM resulted in an avoided harvest of 39,362 m³ for a net total of 64,014 MgCO2e after subtracting harvest emissions, or 38 Mg ha-1 throughout the permanence period of 20 years. These steps can be replicated in other mountain regions where there is interest in promoting this ecosystem service as an alternative or an addition to production-oriented forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades ecologists and natural resource managers have operated on the assumption that the normal condition of nature, if not disturbed by humans, is a state of equilibrium called homeostasis. This paradigm led to the doctrine, popular especially among conservationists, that nature knows best and that human intervention is bad by definition. In the last decades new evidences have led ecologists and natural resource managers to abandon such concept or consider it as irrelevant. The new paradigm is that ecosystems are constantly changing and the main engine of this change are natural disturbances (e.g., fire, wind, insect outbreaks, etc.). The biological diversity is dependent on natural disturbance, thus natural resource conservation and management must take into account the fundamental role of these events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]