CREA Journals (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria)
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Repeated mapped tree inventory in an oak-hornbeam planted forest in Po Valley (Foresta Carpaneta, Italy)
Full text linkStand structure and tree spatial patterns are key elements to understand natural dynamics and competition processes in forest ecosystems. We performed repeated, mapped tree inventory measures (x, y, height, diameter, vitality, etc.) to allow analysis of the spatial and temporal structure and diversity in 1 ha oak-hornbeam planted forest with pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), established in 2003 also for the conservation of a variety of oak genotypes. Two inventories were carried out in 2009 and 2019. The use of repeated and mapped tree measures allows to investigate the changes in spatial pattern processes through time in this forest
Relating wildfire seasonality to remotely sensed fuel phenology: a tool for a new pyrogeography?
Full text linkIn the Mediterranean region, notwithstanding the high human pressure, fire activity is essentially drought-driven, such that fuel moisture represents the main determinant for sustaining fire ignition and spread. Seasonal variations in remotely sensed vegetation indices, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), proved to be indicative of variations in fuel amount and moisture content and associated fire risk. This study aims to propose a general method to represent the combined pattern of remotely sensed vegetation indices and fire ignitions throughout the year, as potential tool to classify terrestrial ecosystems at local to global scale. To jointly visualize the temporal dynamics of remotely sensed vegetation indices and annual fire density, we propose to log-transform the ‘annual fire density’ (AFD) values, thus expressing the temporal dynamics of fire ignitions in orders of magnitude and producing a pyrophenological diagram in which both quantities vary approximately in the same range. The methodological approach proposed in this study proved to be independent of the local characteristics and applicable with any available remotely sensed vegetation index. The combined NDVI-fire diagrams may contribute to the global pyrophenological classification and mapping of terrestrial ecosystems based on the integrated monitoring of remotely sensed vegetation phenology and fuel seasonality
Assessing the state of forest health in Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) dominated forests in Iran
Full text linkWe assessed landscape-scale forest health in northern Iran based on the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) method. Using five plot clusters, we collected, analyzed, and reported information on the four key selected indicators (i.e., tree biodiversity, crown condition, natural regeneration, and deadwood) in FHM. To obtain a numerical value of forest health to make the indicators operational we used an analytical networking process to assess the contribution of each indicator to forest health. The results demonstrated that tree species diversity and species evenness were high (Shannon–Wiener index= 2.11; Simpson index= 0.8; Pielou index= 0.76), but species richness was at an intermediate level in the forest (Margalef index= 2.81). In terms of crown condition, with an average crown diameter of 7.1 m, the results of crown dieback classification showed that the most-healthy class had the highest frequency with 65.2% in the study area. The mean density of natural regeneration was 273 individuals ha-1 and 80% of which were represented by healthy seedlings. Total deadwood was 44.12 m3 ha-1 and was formed by 168 individuals per ha-1. A great contribution to the total deadwood in number (89%) falling in the lower DBH class (<50 cm), representing 51% by volume. From the point of wood decay, Class 1 (least decomposed) had the most numerous and the most significant volume of deadwood. The assessment results of FHM show that the major indicator influencing forest health is tree diversity which contributes 61%. The remaining three indicators include crown condition, natural regeneration, and deadwood contributing 21.7%, 13%, and 4.4%, respectively. It must be highlighted that forest health monitoring information in temperate Hyrcanian forests is currently not available, and therefore, this paper presents the first experimental study carried out. The findings of this study are required to assess the state of current health and identify trends that will be used in the decision-making process for better management of the forests
Ten-years dataset of poplar inventory in northern Italy
Full text linkThe data refer to several poplar plantations located in the plains of northern Italy. The information was collected during the vegetative rest of each year from 1987 to 1996. Dendrometric data were recorded, such as the diameter at breast height, the diameter at five meters height and the planting density, as well as damage caused by biotic and abiotic adversities using a three-level intensity scale. All data is raw, with only total volume and the volume of the first log (up to 5 meters height) calculated using dendrometric equations based on tree diameter and height. The availability of a continuous inventory with annual measurements for 10 years on the same trees in the permanent sample plots has allowed the creation of a particularly important database for the study of growth models and the influence of biotic and abiotic adversities on wood production. This dataset could be used to perform further investigations, such as CO2 sequestration, to assess the environmental sustainability of the poplar plantations. Furthermore, thanks to this database, it is possible to identify which areas of the northern Italian plains are more suitable for poplar cultivation based on wood biomass production, or to evaluate the impact of pests and diseases with respect to clone and land characteristics
Differential intensity of rehabilitation silviculture in mismanaged high-graded forest
Full text linkThere are an estimated two billion hectares of degraded forest worldwide. A high-graded forest is one from which the highest-quality individuals of commercial tree species have been selectively harvested. Successive high-grading results in degradation. Without proper management, these forests are unlikely to recover in the short term and will be unable to fulfil their potential capacity to provide goods and services to society. Human-led rehabilitation is required to restart essential processes such as regeneration. This concept note provides criteria for determining levels of degradation in high-graded old forests, citing implications for rehabilitation silviculture and proposing general strategies for their recovery
Checking the stability of correlation of chronologies over time: an example on Pinus pinea L. rings widths
Full text linkAn exploratory study concerning the variation over time of multidimensional time series allows to check to what extent factors and dendrograms issued by ordination and classification methods, keep stable over time or change – even dramatically. In this paper, using five chronologies of Pinus pinea L. growth rings from literature, principal components analysis and hierarchical factor classification are applied on a ten years window, moving along time-series. These may be resumed through graphics showing the variation of the eigenvalues issued by the principal component analyses and of the correlations between time-series and principal components, through their corresponding time series, as well as through an animation and a compact representation of the time series of dendrograms. The results show that the studied period could be partitioned in seven intervals different in both correlations and groups structure, some of them highly stable: this suggests a second study, where two time intervals, identified as more homogeneous, showed really different structures
Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) bioclimatic suitability in Central Italy: future potential scenarios under climate change
Full text linkThe ecological and economic relevance of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) has long been related to its wide geographical distribution and multipurpose products potential. In Central Italy and especially in Latium, sweet chestnut finds optimal environmental conditions for growth, supported by the application of traditional silvicultural practices. Thus, its distribution has been radically modified and controlled by man in order to manage it in profitable and diversified ways (e.g., by coppices or orchards) to produce a wide range of ecosystem services, marketable (wood, fruits) and not marketable (landscape, water regulation, etc.) products. Over the years, due to climate change, some productivity changes have been observed and new challenges are expected to manage and cultivate this species. Based on this background, this work aims at investigating the possible impacts of climate change on sweet chestnut in Central Italy in medium (2041-2060) and long term (2081-2100). Adopting a standard protocol for reporting species distribution model (ODMAP - Overview, Data, Model, Assessment, Prediction), four Earth System Models have been combined into two Shared Socio-economic Paths and two Time Horizons, to produce potential chestnut bioclimatic suitability maps. The outlined scenarios represent valuable information for future chestnut policy and management for defining specific strategies, considering the adaptive capacity of the species in terms of resilience from pathogenic attacks and response to innovative silvicultural treatments
Knowledge gaps and research opportunities in the light of the European Union Regulation on deforestation-free products
Full text linkIn recent decades the need for new legislative and technical tools to counter the main threats to the world's forests has been increasingly felt. Currently, the European Union (EU) has moved towards the implementation of the new deforestation-free products Regulation (EUDR) which builds on the experience gained by Member States and EU institutions with the Regulation on timber trade. The objective of this note is to identify the contribution of scientific research to tackling deforestation and forest degradation in the context of the EUDR which extends due diligence obligations from wood and paper products to agri-food, bio-energy and other major manufacturing sector
Artificial intelligence, blockchain, and extended reality: emerging digital technologies to turn the tide on illegal logging and illegal wood trade
Full text linkIllegal logging which often results in forest degradation and sometimes in deforestation remains ubiquitous in many places around the globe. Managing illegal logging and illegal wood trade constitutes a global priority over the next few decades. Scientific, technological, and research communities are committed to respond rapidly, evaluating the opportunities to capitalize on emerging digital technologies for treating this formidable challenge. The innovative potentials of these emerging digital technologies at tackling illegal logging-related challenges are here investigated. We propose a novel system, WoodchAInX, combining explainable artificial intelligence (X-AI), next-generation blockchain, and extended reality (XR). Our findings on the most effective means of leveraging each technology’s potential and the convergence of the three technologies infer a vast promise for digital technology in this field. Yet, we argue that, overall, digital transformations will not deliver fundamental, responsible, and sustainable benefits without revolutionary realignment
Provenance variation in seedling growth of Tetrapleura tetraptera (SCHUM. AND THONN.) TAUB.
Full text linkConservation and sustainable use of genetic resources depend on understanding the pattern of genetic variations. Four populations of Tetrapleura tetraptera (SCHUM. AND THONN.) TAUB., a multipurpose tree, were evaluated in a completely randomized design for variation in seedling growth traits; height, collar diameter, number of leaves, biomass, relative growth rate (RGR), actual growth rate (AGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) at nursery stage to identify suitable seed source for improved productivity. Analysis of variance showed significant differences in all growth traits except biomass. Genotypic variance and genotypic coefficient of variance for seedlings’ height and the number of leaves were greater than their corresponding environment variance and environmental coefficient of variation. Genotypic variance and broad sense heritability for height and leaves were higher than other evaluated traits. Seedling’s height showed a significant positive correlation with altitude and a negative correlation with the relative humidity of seed origin. A significant strong correlation was found between number of leaves and longitude of seed origin. Among the four provenances, the final RGR ranged from 0.71 g/month to 0.86g/month while the final AGR ranged from 2.68 g/month to 3.48 g/month. The observed variation among provenances of Tetrapleura tetraptera implies there is potential for its improvement and conservation of genetic resources