management of mediterranean forests to improve its...

Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region

Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016

LIFE11 ENV/IT/000215 RESILienza al cambiamento climatico nelle FOReste MEDiterranee

Resilience of Mediterranean forests to Climate change

Management of Mediterranean forests to improve its resilience to Climate Change

Marcello Miozzo (1), Gabriele Mugnai (1), Donato S. La Mela Veca (2), Sebastiano Cullotta (2), Federico G. Maetzke (2), Sebastiano Sferlazza (2), Luciano Saporito (3)

(1) DREAM Italia

(2) University of Palermo (3) Sicily Region



Climatic conditions of Mediterranean region, characterized by frequent dry years, contribute to the weakening of forest ecosystems. As result, forests reduce their production capacity and are more vulnerable to risks, such as pest attacks. In addition, the economic and social conditions may exacerbate the degradation with the spread of the improper use of resources (improper forest cutting, over grazing) and the higher incidence of forest fires. Sicily with its 258,502 hectares of high forests is one of the Italian regions with a lower coefficient of woodiness; it is known that historically forested areas were wider, with a lost of forest areas that continued until the beginning of the last century, when this trend stopped and huge investments were done to reafforestate wide cleared surfaces. However, the regional forests are at risk of degradation for the growing phenomenon of forest fires and even more for its exposure to climate change.

Background



Climate change - Scenarios in Europe



Current status

Forecast

Forest vegetation in view of some scenarios of climate

change in Italy (Pignatti G. , 2011)



Forest Landscape in Sicily CFRS, 2007)



Forest category Surface

ha %

Maquis and shrublands 139304 29.00

Reforestation stands 105460 21.96

Pubescent oak forests 84753 17.64

Holm oak forests 28649 5.96

Turkey oak forests 25289 5.26

Other broadleaved forests 20180 4.20

Riparian forests 19177 3.99

Cork oak forests 18831 3.92

Beech forests 15964 3.32

Chestnut forests 11520 2.40

Wood plantations 4642 0.97

Corsican pine forests 4316 0.90

Mediterranean pine forests 2245 0.47

Total 480330 100.00

Forest category (IFRS, 2010)



Reforestation stands (CFRS, 2010)



Madonie

Sicani

Madonie

Nebrodi

Etna

12% of the regional area

Protected area Area (ha)

Natural reserves (n. 72) 78403

Sicani Natural Park 44020

Madoonie Natural Park 40237

Nebrodi Natural Park 84259

Etna Natural Park 58370

Alkantara River Natural Park 1801

Total 307090

Alkantara

Protected areas in Sicily



Natura 2000 Network in Sicily

238 sites Natura2000 639,135 ha 24,7% of regional surface



Details of ResilForMED

Approval date by European Commission: 14th June 2012

Starting date: 1th June 2012

Closing date: 30th June 2016

Lifetime: 49 momths

Total cost: 1.557.743 Euro

EU contribution: 778.871 Euro

% EU confunding 50%


Resilience of Mediterranean forests to Climate change



The partnership

D.R.E.Am. Italia soc. coop.

Agricolo-Forestale

Referent: Marcello Miozzo

[email protected]

Comando Corpo

Forestale, Regione

Siciliana

COORDINATING BENEFICIARY Regione Siciliana, Assessorato regionale delle risorse agricole e alimentari, Dipartimento Regionale Sviluppo Rurale e Territoriale Referent: Luciano Saporito - [email protected]

University of Palermo

Depatrtment of Agricultural and

Forest Science,

Referent: Federico G.

Maetzke

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]







Project objectives

The project stems from the need to identify new forest practices in order to promote the ecological resilience of forest communities in Sicily threatened by risk of desertification. The overall objective of ResilForMed is to preserve Mediterranean forest ecosystems from the risks due to climate change. The specific objective is to implement a regional forest policy able to increase the resilience of forests in Sicily, improving ecosystem efficiency and promoting forest biodiversity conservation.



The ResilForMed strategy

Identify key factors and attributes positively correlated to the

resilience of the forest ecosystems.

Define and implement in a demonstrative way good forest

management practices with the aim to increase resilience of

forest ecosystems to climate change.



Project actions Preparatory actions A1 Identification and mapping of areas at greatest risk to climate change at regional and landscape scale; A2 Analysis of the value of the forest practices according to tradition and local custom;

A3 Analysis, evaluation and quantification of the effects of climate change in Sicilian forests; A4 Define, through indicators, the role of forest ecosystems in adaptation measures to climate change.

Demonstration actions and implementation B1 Definition of optimal management models for improving the resilience of forests; B2 Implementation of the main silvicultural techniques in favor of the evolutionary dynamics of forest ecosystems (120 hectares of interventions); B3 Implementation of management plans to address patterns of agroforestry through a participatory table with local communities; B4 Updating of the Regional Forest Plan.

Communication and Dissemination Actions D1 Realization of the guidelines for the protection of biodiversity and the resilience of forest; D2 Training of technicians and forestry workers; D3 Videoclips of project actions; D4 Website; D5 information panels; D6 Publication of the Layman's report; D7 Final conference of the project and networking.



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Forest landscape scale and Natura 2000 Network



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From forest landscape scale to planning and intervention scale

Forest landscape scale

Demostration area of

planning scale

Demonstration area of

intervention scale



Sensitivity map to the risk of desertification of

forests in Sicily (Action A1)



Main indicators of the forest resilience

1) Tree density

2) Trees composition

3) Structural complexity

4) Presence/absence of Old-growth trees

5) Presence/absence of natural regeneration

6) Presence/absence of exotic/alien species




BP01: ACTIONS TO PROMOTE MIXING OF SPECIES AND THE HYDROGEOLOGICAL STABILITY OF FORESTS Practices to improve soil quality (nutrients, texture and structure), which at the same time ensure or maintain adequate levels of organic matter, water supply efficiency and optimal lighting and temperature conditions for the acceleration of the progressive successional dynamics.

BP02: RENATURALIZATION OF ARTIFICIAL FORESTS Measures to facilitate the renaturalization process in order to increase stability and ecological-structural ecosystem efficiency. Are also foreseen interventions to reintegrate native species in stands without seed-bearing trees.

PB03: RECOVERY AND RESTORATION OF DEGRADED FORESTS Restoring degraded forest stands by over grazing or by fire: e.g. salvage felling (tramarrature, succisione) for oaks species or introduction of native species more resistant to fires.

Good forest management practices to increase the resilience of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems (Action B1)



BP04: ACTIONS TO PROMOTE THE STRUCTURAL COMPLEXITY OF THE STANDS Conversion of coppices to high forests (holm oak forests, deciduous oak forests, beech forests) within the protected areas in order to encourage greater productivity and ecosystem stability of stands. BP05: ACTIONS TO ENCOURAGE GREATER CONNECTIVITY IN THE AGRO-FORESTRY SYSTEMS Actions aimed at reducing the fragmentation of forested areas by increasing their connectivity so mitigating the influence of human activities in the surrounding areas (agricultural and pasture areas).

Good forest management practices to increase the resilience of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems (Action B1)



Implementing the best management practices for

increasing the resilience of Mediterranean forests

in the regional forest policy of Sicily

Drafting of 6 pilot management plans that implement the

RESILFORMED Good Practices in the project areas:

l Monti Sicani, Municipaloty of Castronovo di Sicilia

(Palermo province), estesa 261,18 ha;

l Monti Madonie, Municipality of Isnello (Palermo province),

estesa 526,78 ha;

l Monti Nebrodi, Municipality of Tortorici (Messina province),

estesa 436,79 ha;

l Calatino area, Municipality of Caltagirone (Catania

province), estesa 421,31 ha;

l Monte Etna, Municipality of Maletto (Catania province),

estesa 421,69 ha;

l Island of Pantelleria, Municipality of Pantelleria (trapani

province), estesa 233,22ha.



Implementing of best management practices for

increasing the resilience of Mediterranean forests

in the regional forest policy of Sicily

Update of the Regional Forest Plan by introducing good management practices to improve the health and vitality of the forest ecosystem, the contribution of forests to the global carbon cycle, the conservation of biological diversity in forest ecosystems that are strategic in encouraging the adaptation of forest ecosystems to climate change.




Resilience of mediterranean forests to climate change

www.resilformed.it Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/liferesilformed

Donato Salvatore La Mela Veca University of Palermo

Department of Agricultural and Forest Science Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 4, Ingresso H

90128 Palermo

[email protected]

http://www.resilformed.it/


management of mediterranean forests to improve its...

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