Soil physical quality (SPQ) can be assessed by different experimental methodologies\ud and criteria and the optimal/critical values or ranges for SPQ\ud indicators are still approximate. Sampling soils with minimal anthropic pressures\ud should allow improvements in SPQ assessment. Different experimental\ud methodologies and criteria were applied to sample a Mediterranean oak forest\ud (Quercus ilex L.) and pasture land, in Sicily, with a varying degree of\ud anthropic disturbance. Soil water retention was determined in the laboratory\ud and the field, using the BEST (Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters)\ud procedure of soil hydraulic characterization. Capacity-based indicators, the\ud S index, and location and shape parameters of the pore volume distribution\ud function were calculated for assessing SPQ. With the laboratory data,\ud only the criterion using the capacity-based indicators suggested that SPQ\ud increased as external pressures decreased. Therefore, this criterion appeared\ud to be more reliable than the other tested criteria in the sampled environment.\ud The field method was more prone to suggest good conditions and less able\ud to signal differences between plots as compared with the laboratory method.\ud A forest soil with a good SPQ has an ability to store and provide water to\ud plant roots similar to, but it is more aerated than, a good agricultural soil.\ud Developing BEST for SPQ assessment is advisable since parameters descriptive\ud of the soil water transport properties can be collected with a single\ud experiment. Simultaneous characterization of dendrometric and soil parameters\ud at other sites is recommended to explore the relationships between SPQ\ud indicators and characteristics of the forest cover
Abstract:In Mediterranean ecosystems, special attention needs to be paid to forest-water relationships due to water scarcity. In this context, Adaptive Forest Management (AFM) has the objective to establish how forest resources have to be managed with regards to the efficient use of water, which needs maintaining healthy soil properties even after disturbance. The main objective of this investigation was to understand the effect of one of the AFM methods, namely forest thinning, on soil hydraulic properties. At this aim, soil hydraulic characterization was performed on two contiguous Mediterranean oak forest plots, one of them thinned to reduce the forest density from 861 to 414 tree per ha. Three years after the intervention, thinning had not affected soil water permeability of the studied plots. Both ponding and tension infiltration runs yielded not significantly different saturated, K s , and unsaturated, K -20 , hydraulic conductivity values at the thinned and control plots. Therefore, thinning had no an adverse effect on vertical water fluxes at the soil surface. Mean K s values estimated with the ponded ring infiltrometer were two orders of magnitude higher than K -20 values estimated with the minidisk infiltrometer, revealing probably soil structure with macropores and fractures . The input of hydrophobic organic matter, as a consequence of the addition of plant residues after the thinning treatment, resulted in slight differences in terms of both water drop penetration time, WDPT, and the index of water repellency, R, between thinned and control plots. Soil water repellency only affected unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity measurements. Moreover, K -20 values showed a negative correlation with both WDPT and R, whereas K s values did not, revealing that the soil hydrophobic behavior has no impact on saturated hydraulic conductivity.
Cork harvesting and stopper production represent a major forest industry in Sardinia (Italy). The target of the present investigation was to evaluate the ''classification tree'' as a tool to discover possible relationships between microsite characteristics and cork quality. Seven main cork oak (Quercus suber) producing areas have been identified in Sardinia, for a total of more than 122,000 ha. Sixty-three sample trees, distributed among different geographical locations and microsite conditions, were selected. A soil profile near each sample tree was described, soil samples were collected and analysed. After debarking, cork quality of each sample tree was graded by an independent panel of experts. Microsites where trees had more than 50% of the extracted cork graded in the best quality class, according to the official quality standard in Italy, were labelled as prime microsites, the others as nonprime microsites. Relationships between a binary dummy variable (0 for nonprime microsites, 1 for prime microsites) and site factors were investigated using classification tree analysis to select the relevant variables and to define the classification scheme. Prime quality microsites for cork production proved to be characterised by elevation, soil phosphorus content and sandiness. Results have been compared with those of the more conventional parametric approach by logistic regression. The work demonstrates the advantages of the classification tree method. The model may be appropriate for classifications at landscape and stand mapping levels, where it is possible to sample a number of microsites and to evaluate distributional characteristics of model output, while its precision is only indicative when estimating the prime quality of single microsites.
In recent decades, Mediterranean landscapes have been affected by human-induced drivers,\ud such as land use and climate change. Forest ecosystems and landscapes have been particularly\ud affected in mountainous regions due to limited management and stewardship, especially in\ud remote areas. Therefore, there is a need to set up new strategies to enhance ecosystem services\ud in forested areas which, in turn, will benefit local communities and economies. In this study,\ud we implemented a new approach—Multiscale Mapping of Ecosystem Services (MIMOSE)—to assess\ud ecosystem services in Mediterranean forests located in a mountainous region of Italy. We spatially\ud assessed timber provision and carbon sequestration according to three forest management strategies:\ud business-as-usual, maximizing economic values, and prioritizing conservation. Sustainable strategies\ud for forest planning were identified at the landscape scale. We found that (i) timber provision is\ud a conflicting service, especially when adaptation strategies are promoted; (ii) the most balanced set of\ud forest ecosystem services is achieved through prioritizing conservation; and (iii) the ecosystem\ud services availability is enhanced by optimizing the spatial allocation of different management\ud strategies. Our approach is suitable to support landscape planning for balancing forest ecosystem\ud potentialities while respecting local community needs and promoting sustainable development goals\ud in the Mediterranean area
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