<p>After stand-replacing windstorm salvage logging is the most common practice for recovering economic losses in managed forests and for reducing the risk of subsequent disturbances (e.g. bark beetle outbreaks). To restore forest cover timely after these interventions is therefore necessary, in order to limit the reduction of forest ecosystem services (ES) provision. In the first years following the disturbance and subsequent interventions, there is a need to monitor natural regeneration dynamics in damaged areas, in order to implement active restoration activities if necessary. In this study, we analyze the natural regeneration dynamics in 148 areas damaged by storm Vaia (2018) and salvage logged with different techniques in Northeast of Italy. Results show that regeneration species composition is driven mainly by previous stand composition, with some exceptions depending on seed dispersal strategy. Distance from the edge significantly influences the regeneration occurrence in large gaps and affects the browsing damage percentage, together with deadwood presence. Moreover, site factors, disturbance legacies, and logging methods reveal to be key points to consider in the post-disturbance management strategies definition. To reduce economic losses and exploit the windthrown areas in the short-term, it is possible to integrate reforestation with agroforestry practices (e.g. berries and honey production). This is the framework of the LIFE VAIA project, which aims to integrate innovative local agroforestry practices with artificial regeneration to restore forest cover, increasing the value of forest ecosystems and the ecological and socio-economical resilience of damaged forest ecosystems under future climate changes.</p>
<p>Mountain forests are complex ecosystems with a delicate equilibrium, providing several important ecosystem services (ES). Natural disturbances are the most important factor influencing mountain forest dynamics, and shaping forest stands. Under the current climate change (CC) scenarios, disturbance regime is changing, and new types of disturbances affect forest ecosystem. Nevertheless, to restore or maintain the provisioning of important ES, it is crucial to find the most effective post-disturbance management strategy in these new conditions. There are three different logging strategies generally applied in windthrown stands: salvage logging (SL), no intervention (NI), or partial salvage logging (PSL). To restore forest cover as soon as possible is the main goal in post-disturbance management. Understanding natural regeneration dynamics and their interaction with the logging interventions is therefore crucial to correctly implement forest restoration activities.</p><p>In this study, we analyzed the post-disturbance regeneration dynamics in 25 areas damaged by the biggest windstorm of the last century in the southern Alps, called Vaia, that hit northeast Italian Alps in 2018. We collected data from all over Veneto region, which was heavily damaged by the storm. The aim was to analyze how natural regeneration density and diversity are influenced by different logging systems (cable-based, ground-based, mixed system); how the distance from windthrow edges influence seedling establishment; and how the environmental conditions (e.g. exposure, slope, elevation, etc..) influenced regeneration dynamics. Pre-storm regeneration represents an important starting point to restore forest cover. We analyzed its contribution to regeneration dynamics, in relation to different logging systems and different soil cover within the gaps.</p><p>In this contribution, the sampling methodology will be presented and the preliminary results discussed.</p>
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.