Adaptive silviculture to face up to the new challenges: the ManForCBD experience

Sustainable Land Management, Adaptive Silviculture, and New Forest Challenges: Evidence from a Latitudinal Gradient in Italy

“…Conversely, the apparent change in mean diameter and tree height was the outcome of the different layer(s) manipulated by each thinning type. Figure 2 provides a representative example of the values of crown overlapping, crown layer texture (i.e., gap size and shape), spatial arrangement, fragmentation, and connection before and after thinning operation at Cansiglio, evidencing the relevant change driven by innovative thinning within this layer [22]. Crown and gap area distribution at one sample plot, before and after each thinning type at Cansiglio (following Fabbio et al [22], supplemented with figures).…”

“…Figure 2 provides a representative example of the values of crown overlapping, crown layer texture (i.e., gap size and shape), spatial arrangement, fragmentation, and connection before and after thinning operation at Cansiglio, evidencing the relevant change driven by innovative thinning within this layer [22]. Crown and gap area distribution at one sample plot, before and after each thinning type at Cansiglio (following Fabbio et al [22], supplemented with figures). Results of the statistical analysis based on univariate and multivariate comparisons of stand structure variables among the investigated sites are illustrated in Table 6.…”

“…Evidence of higher forest productivity and delayed positive growth trends have been derived from the comparison of current growth rates with those recorded in the yield models produced up to the mid-1980s [6,[17][18][19][20]. Consistently, the planned ages of final harvesting and regeneration cuttings have become a more flexible concept, adaptable to multiple economic factors and socio-environmental tasks [21,22].…”

“…An additional issue is the potential role of forests in the mitigation of climate change through the maintenance and enhancement of carbon sequestration rate. This adds a new target to sustainable forest management, calling for innovative silvicultural practices specifically aimed at promoting the role of forests as carbon sinks [2,22,37]. Monitoring tree growth levels and spatial patterns under different practices contributes to an improved understanding of environmental processes, providing an advanced knowledge base from which to adjust forest management to new socioeconomic conditions and ecological targets [13,38,39].…”