Fabio Salbitano

Ecology of vegetative regeneration after coppicing in macchia stands in central Italy

Vegetative regeneration after coppicing of Quercus ilex, Phillyrea latifolia,and Fraxinus ornus in two macchia stands in the Maremma Nature Park (Grosseto, Italy) has been studied.

Urban Forest Resources in European Cities

In order to protect, manage and develop urban forests, it is essential to know their condition and understand the challenges they face. This chapter aims to give a broad overview of the state of the urban forest resource in Europe’s towns and cities in order to identify both common and particular features and challenges. For this purpose, the urban forest will be defined broadly as comprising all the trees and woods within an urban area (see Chap. 1). The characterization of the urban forest and the assessment of its condition in European cities and towns is a challenging task, as few data exist or have been published. A comprehensive European inventory of the urban forest resource is not currently available. For this book chapter, data on the whole green-space resource, and more specifically, on urban woodlands was obtained from a few existing surveys of selected cities and towns (Galzer 1987; EEA 1999a,b; Konijnendijk 1999; Pauleit et al. 2002). Therefore, case studies have been chosen with which the authors are familiar through their own work in order to characterize the urban forest in more detail for a range of large urban areas. The case studies chosen are Oslo (Norway), the Black Country, north of Birmingham (United Kingdom), Munich (Germany), Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Florence (Italy). These case studies represent a geographical crosssection from Scandinavia (Oslo) to southern Europe (Florence). They also comprise different urban situations, with an economically booming city region (Munich), an urban area undergoing a process of economic restructuring (Black Country), a city in a transition economy (Ljubljana) and a prospering city in the south with a famous historical heritage (Florence). Parameters such as woodland cover and their age and species composition serve as indicators of urban forest provision, structure and quality. Where available, further information is used to assess the health status of the urban forest. Each case study highlights some of the major impacts on urban forests, such as the loss and fragmentation of ancient woodland through urbanization, as well as the threat to street trees. The conclusions of the chapter include general as well as particular challenges for the sustainable preservation and development of European urban forests. Urban Forest Resources in European Cities

A different way to stay in touch with 'Urban Nature': The perceived restorative qualities of botanical gardens

Botanical gardens represent interesting arenas for research in environmental psychology and environment-behavior relations. They can be considered a very particular type of restorative environment and also have a relevant social function for the promotion of a more sustainable lifestyle in current societies. In this paper, we present a study assessing the relationship between the perceived restorativeness, the psychological and physical benefits experienced, and the subjective well-being reported by visitors of botanical gardens in four different cities in Italy (N = 127). As expected, a bootstrapping mediation model supported the idea that perceived restorativeness of botanical gardens significantly predicts visitors’ subjective well-being, both directly and indirectly through perceived physical and psychological benefits of the visit. A moderation model also revealed that the relationship between restorativeness and well-being varies across respondents with different socio-demographic characteristics, being stronger for singles as compared to couples with and without children, respectively. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Fog Collection and Participatory Approach for Water Management and Local Development: Practical Reflections from Case Studies in the Atacama Drylands

The Atacama drylands are characterized by a high level of aridity and water scarcity, abandonment of rural areas by the population and loss of biodiversity, where some areas never get any rainfall. The advection fog is a daily phenomenon and a local resource that can be used by means of a simple low-technology called “Atrapaniebla” (Fog Collector), providing water for human consumption and irrigation. Some case studies offer different scenarios in terms of this technology’s purpose: to fulfil the water needs of small isolated communities; allows activities like proximity agriculture and reforestation for the rural population; to support biodiversity’s preservation and scientific research. The effectiveness of these projects depends on important factors that are not to be taken for granted, like the communities involvement, the presence in the territory of an active institution and the role of the planned management. This paper analyses different case studies in the Atacama drylands, showing the need of stakeholder involvement and participatory approach. A participatory framework is proposed for project implementation and funding for successful and reliable fog collection and water management.

BIOMASSA E GESTIONE DELLA VEGETAZIONE DI SPONDA: IL CASO DEL TORRENTE RIPOPOLO (LI) ( 1 )

L’obiettivo del lavoro e la valutazione delle potenzialita produttive, in termini di biomassa legnosa, della gestione di vegetazione ripariale attraverso un approccio essenzialmente colturale. Il caso di studio e stato individuato nel bacino del Torrente Ripopolo, nel comune di Suvereto (LI), all’interno del Parco Interprovinciale di Montioni. Sono state valutate le interazioni tra il soprassuolo e i deflussi idrici, proponendo interventi in accordo coi parametri morfologici, idraulici e vegetazionali. I risultati hanno consentito di valutare quantita e caratteristiche del materiale legnoso utilizzabile, nonche la periodicita degli interventi. Lo studio riflette le nuove concezioni in materia di difesa del territorio e gestione sostenibile delle risorse forestali attraverso una revisione critica delle metodologie tradizionali e giunge ad una visione multi-obbiettivo che, per sua definizione, non puo prescindere dalla componente idraulica.

A tree from waste: Decontaminated dredged sediments for growing forest tree seedlings

The sediments dredged from a waterway and decontaminated through a phytoremediation process have been used as substrates alternatively to the traditional forest nursery substrate for pot productions of holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) planting stocks. The substrates, made by mixing decontaminated sediments to agricultural soil at different degrees, were tested in order to evaluate their suitability as growth substrates. The experiment was carried out at the nursery of the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Systems of the University of Florence (Italy). The experimental design consisted of four randomized blocks with six pots as replicates for each of the following treatments: 100% sediments, 66% sediments, 33% sediments, 100% agronomic soil and 100% traditional peat based substrate. In each pot, one holm oak acorn was seeded. Germination and both physiological and morphological traits of the seedlings were analysed during and at the end of the first growing season. Holm oak grown in phytoremediated sediments at higher concentrations showed germination levels comparable to those in the traditional substrate, and survival capacity (especially in 66% sediments) slightly higher than in 100% soil. Physiological performance of seedlings resembled that on the traditional substrate which required the addition of fertilizer, at least for the first growing season. Seedlings grown in mixed substrates with higher sediment concentrations occasionally showed better photosynthetic capacity with improved connectivity between the units of the photosystem II. At the end of the first growing season, height as well as the number of growth flushes of the seedlings grown in sole sediment or soil-sediment substrates were similar to what generally is observed for forest nursery stock of Quercus spp.. Regarding the root-system articulation and growth in depth, results in the mixed substrates were comparable to those for seedlings grown in the traditional forest nursery media, and higher than seedlings grown in 100% agronomic soil. According to our results, the reclamation of dredged sediments can provide appropriate nursery substrate for germination beds for forestry species.

Urban and Peri-urban Agroforestry as Multifunctional Land Use

In this era of global changes, rapid urbanization rates, climate change impacts and growing socio-environmental concerns are negatively impacting on various aspects of urban life, such as human health and well-being, urban economy stability, biodiversity levels, land productivity and natural resources availability.

Selvicoltura: paeaggio, funzioni culturali e sociali della foresta

In questa nota si riportano alcune considerazioni circa il ruolo emergente della Selvicoltura urbana nel panorama europeo e nazionale, con particolare riferimento agli aspetti culturali e sociali. Nell’ambito del sistema nazionale, i boschi urbani e periurbani e le risorse forestali sono da considerarsi luoghi di particolare interesse dal punto di vista sociale. In questi luoghi il selvicoltore deve agire utilizzando sia strumenti che fanno riferimento alle competenze tradizionali della disciplina forestale sia mezzi tipici di altri campi favorendo, in considerazione degli aspetti sociali e culturali, le basi per la comunicazione, informazione ed il coinvolgimento dei fruitori. In questo nuovo approccio e necessario che si sviluppi e sia favorita una collaborazione organica con altre discipline e la ricerca di metodi e di lessici condivisi.

Toward a synthetic biomass evaluation method in reforestations of semi-arid zones. Limits and outlooks for algometric models at Keita, Niger.

Nel Sahel, a fronte del progressivo degrado delle risorse forestali dovuto al fenomeno dei cambiamenti climatici e alla crescente pressione antropica, sono stati realizzati negli ultimi 30 anni importanti interventi di rimboschimento. La quantificazione della biomassa legnosa e il sistema piu opportuno per valutarne l’efficacia. In questo lavoro viene proposto un approccio a basso impatto ambientale per stime correnti di biomassa. Sono stati sviluppati e analizzati modelli allometrici in piantagioni di Acacia spp. nella valle di Keita, in Niger e si e valutata la possibilita di utilizzare un modello generalizzato per le specie dominati: Acacia seyal Del., A. raddiana Savi (syn. A. tortilis Hayne), A. nilotica (Guill. et Perrott.). Le funzioni sono state costruite adottando come variabili esplicative il diametro a 0,80 m e l’altezza totale delle piante modello. L’analisi della regressione e stata realizzata con il metodo dei minimi quadrati ordinari dopo aver eseguito la trasformazione logaritmica delle osservazioni. In seguito e stata confrontata l’efficacia perequativa del modello multi-specifico con quella dei modelli specie-specifici. L’analisi dell’entita degli scostamenti tra valori osservati e attesi ha mostrato un’ottima capacita interpretativa in entrambi gli approcci (R2>0,98, P<0,001). Diversi test statistici, parametrici e non, hanno permesso di affermare che le tre specie di Acacia possono essere considerate come appartenenti alla stessa popolazione statistica e quindi che nelle condizioni specifiche e possibile avvalersi di un unico modello «multi-specifico». Cio consente di semplificare in modo sostanziale la procedura estimativa, senza un’eccessiva perdita di accuratezza. I risultati ottenuti in questo lavoro vogliono rappresentare un contributo metodologico/operativo alle stime di biomassa in ambienti semi-aridi ai fini della loro sostenibilita tecnica ed economica ovvero, della loro riproducibilita ed efficacia.

Growth Pattern and Architecture in Quercus Ilex L. and Fraxinus Ornus L. Vegetative Regeneration After Coppicing in Maremma Nature Park (Central Italy)

Growth pattern and architecture have been studied in Quercus ilex L. and Fraxinus ornus L. stools as main phenomena, testing the space occupation dynamics by the new population of shoots after coppicing. In the early years after coppicing, Fraxinus ornus L. rapidly occupies the vertical space by long spring flushes, while Quercus ilex L. occupies both the vertical and horizontal available space by a complex network of primary meristems.