A new approach for an adaptive forest management planning to improve resilience of beech forests in relation to climate change: the LIFE AForClimate project

Le variazioni delle superfici a faggio nel Parco delle Madonie (Sicilia): effetto del cambiamento climatico o della diversa pressione antropica?

Le faggete siciliane sono di rilevante interesse fitogeografico ed ecologico perché vegetano al limite meridionale dell’intero areale di distribuzione europeo della specie. Il faggio in Sicilia caratterizza nettamente il paesaggio montano dell’Isola, raggiungendo il limite superiore della vegetazione arborea. L’areale siciliano ricopre una superficie di circa 16.000 ha, legato alle principali vette e alle alte pendici dei Monti Madonie, Monti Nebrodi ed Etna. Recenti studi hanno evidenziato che il 40% circa delle faggete siciliane sono potenzialmente a rischio a causa delle condizioni climatiche estreme. Contestualmente, alcune ricerche hanno avanzato l’ipotesi di un incremento delle superf…

ForBioEnergy - Forest Bioenergy in the Protected Mediterranean Areas

The ForBioEnergy project, funded within the INTERREG MED Programme 2014-2020, involved a Lead Partner (Regional Department for the Rural and Territorial Development, Sicily Region), 8 project partners from 4 Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Slovenia and Croatia) and 4 Associate Partners from Italy (Ente Parco delle Madonie, AIEL, Enviland, Petralia Sottana) and Croatia. It is an innovative project which bets on the chance to favor the sustainable development of the rural areas through the exploitation of the forest biomass for the production of bioenergy. However, most of the Mediterranean forests are within protected areas, where the current regulatory restrictions and the lack of ma…

SOFIA: a decision support System for the Optimization of the biomass supply chain and Forest Integrated management in protected areas

A decision support System for the Optimization of the biomass supply chain and Forest Integrated Management in protected areas (SOFIA) is presented. All functionalities have been developed in Python language embedded in the open-source QGIS 3.6 software. Two models were implemented with an approach and methodology based on free and open source software (QGIS, GRASS, SAGA, GDAL). The main aim of SOFIA is to support the Madonie Regional Natural Park authority and forest managers in decision-making processes to assess the costs and benefits in the energy production from residual agro-forestry biomass, as well as for determining the optimum plant size (and power) for energy and heat production …

Climate variability in forest management planning: The LIFE AForClimate project.

Previous research experiences have shown that climate variability can play a relevant role in forest planning and management within a climate change scenario. In forest planning and management, yield tables, site quality indices, age classes, and rates of growth are some of the most frequently used parameters and tools. However, these ‘traditional’ methods do not include the influence of climate variability on forest growth over time, although it is one of the main influencing factors in tree growth. Changes in climate determine changes in thermo-pluviometric regimes that often have a marked influence on forest growth trends. Forest biomass, resilience, and carbon sequestration may be damag…