Driving forces affecting the adoption of certifications in the forest-based industry: a systematic literature review

Several forest certification schemes have become increasingly popular over the last few decades as voluntary mechanisms to tack sustainability in the forest-based industry to an environmental, social, and economic paradigm. This study aims to systematically review the economic literature on the main motivational factors affecting the adoption of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certifications in order to perform a broadly theoretical assessment of this research field and identify the most relevant driving forces affecting the adoption of third-party certification in the forest-based industry. Results reveal that the most relev…

APPLICAZIONE DI CRITERI E INDICATORI DELLA CERTIFICAZIONE PEFC DI GESTIONE FORESTALE SOSTENIBILE: DUE CASI STUDIO A CONFRONTO NEL TERRITORIO SICILIANO

Sicily currently has no forest areas with certification of sustainable forest management. This work analyzes the possibility of applying the criteria and indicators of PEFC certification of sustainable forest management in two study-cases: the municipal forest of Bivona (AG) and a forest area in the Madonie Mountains (PA). Both are representative of different and important Sicilian forest ecosystems. This analysis highlights the main weaknesses related to current forest management practices and the inadequate consultation with stakeholders.

OVERVIEW OF SOME TECHNIQUES ON DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI (A CASE STUDY IN ITALY)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are mutualistic symbionts widespread among both cultivated and wild plants. They have different beneficial roles including stimulating plant growth and tolerance to wide varieties of biotic as well as abiotic stresses. So,the exact and optimize methods for quantification and detection of these fungi in roots and soils are necessary.These techniques are based on fungal sporesmorphological characterization as well as molecular characterization of fungi in soil or root samples.The work was carried out at the Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) in Turin. For this purpose, the AM fungal root colonization p…

Evaluation, Analysis and Perception of Sustainable Forest Management Through the Lens of the PEFC Forest Certification Using Two Case Studies in Sicily

Sustainable forest management has reached a common understanding between scientific and technical definitions. A series of criteria and indicators have been implemented for monitoring the effectiveness of the management in functional and structural terms, and to evaluate its effects on ecosystem services of forests. Currently, Sicily has no forest areas with certification of sustainable forest management and in order to evaluate the diffusion of knowledge of certification schemes and their importance in SFM, a questionnaire survey was carried out during a foresters' workshop on the island. The possibility of applying the criteria and indicators of PEFC certification of sustainable forest ma…

Distribution and ecological role of selected shrubby species in the Mediterranean basin

In many natural and semi-natural habitats trees and shrubs represent two major growth forms (1). In particular shrublands, which can be considered a mixture of several sclerophyllous shrubs and tree species, represent a Mediterranean type of vegetation rarely found in other ecosystems. The distribution of shrubs in an ecosystem is connected to complex ecological processes. Indeed, shrubs provide substrate, food and shelter for organisms, play an important role in the nutrient cycle providing organic matter input to soils and they protect watersheds from erosion. Moreover shrubs are very important for many associated species such as mammals, birds, invertebrates, other plants (that favour th…

First morphological and molecular investigation of the mycobiota associated with Astragalus nebrodensis in its natural environment (Madonie mountains, Sicily)

Although Astragalus nebrodensis plays a fundamental ecological role, mycorrhizal fungi associated with this species have never been investigated in natural habitats. Our aim was to check the presence and occurrence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in roots of A. nebrodensis in a natural habitat and to screen the fungal diversity in the surrounding soil, considering the positive influence of mycotrophic shrub species on soil microbiota. A morphological analysis was performed on A. nebrodensis roots samples from the Madonie mountains (Sicily, Italy), while high-throughput-sequencing was carried out in A. nebrodensis roots and in the associated soil. Observations of A. nebrodensis roots r…

ANALISI DELLA PROPENSIONE DEI PROPRIETARI E GESTORI FORESTALI ITALIANI E TEDESCHI VERSO L’ADOZIONE DELLE CERTIFICAZIONI FORESTALI E PER I SERVIZI ECOSISTEMICI

APPLICAZIONE DI CRITERI E INDICATORI DELLA CERTIFICAZIONE PEFC DI GESTIONE FORESTALE SOSTENIBILE: DUE CASI STUDIO A CONFRONTO NEL TERRITORIO SICILIANO

La Sicilia non ha ancora complessi forestali la cui gestione sostenibile sia stata certificata. Questo lavoro è volto a analizzare la possibilità di applicare i criteri e indicatori di certificazione di GFS secondo lo schema PEFC a due casi studio: i boschi del comune di Bivona (AG) e una foresta situata sulle Madonie (PA). Entrambi sono rappresentativi di ambienti ecologici diversi e importanti dell’isola. L’analisi pone in luce le criticità più significative della gestione attualmente adottata e la mancanza di comunicazione con i portatori d’interesse. Application of Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management PEFC Certification: two case studies in Sicily Sicily currently ha…

Distribution, ecological role and symbioses of selected shrubby species in the Mediterranean Basin: a review

Among the Mediterranean ecosystems, shrublands are a characteristic type of vegetation, widespread in different habitats. Owing to different factors such as the physiological, morphological, reproductive, phenological and regenerative properties, as well as the inter-intraspecific interactions, each shrubby species represents an important element within the plant community and plays a specific ecological role. In this review, attention was focused on the ecological functions and type of plant-microsymbiont interactions in respect of selected shrubby species within the Mediterranean Basin: Amelanchier ovalis, Astragalus nebrodensis, Crataegus laciniata, Lycium intricatum, Prunus spinosa and …

First morphological and molecular investigation of the mycobiota associated with Astragalus nebrodensis in its natural environment (Madonie mountains, Sicily)

Although Astragalus nebrodensis plays a fundamental ecological role, mycorrhizal fungi associated with this species have never been investigated in natural habitats. Our aim was to check the presence and occurrence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in roots of A. nebrodensis in a natural habitat and to screen the fungal diversity in the surrounding soil, considering the positive influence of mycotrophic shrub species on soil microbiota. A morphological analysis was performed on A. nebrodensis roots samples from the Madonie mountains (Sicily, Italy), while high-throughput-sequencing was carried out in A. nebrodensis roots and in the associated soil. Observations of A. nebrodensis roots r…