Forest@ (Jun 2022)
Taking care of the Italian forests, we will talk about it at the next SISEF congress
Abstract
Italian forests have expanded considerably in recent decades and accumulated much woody biomass. It opens up new horizons in silviculture and forest management. Recently, we heard some calls for an increase in harvests in Italian forests. However, there are some cautions to be considered. In many cases (large areas in the centre-south of the Italian peninsula, for example), Italian forests start from conditions in which the woody biomass stock was very low due to over-exploitation, which lasted many centuries. This makes the path towards ecosystem functionality and safety long and uncertain. The climate crisis also advises against considering the current dynamics of growth and carbon uptake as granted. We recognize that the Italian furniture industry needs wood and that currently almost 80% of this wood is imported from abroad, involving environmental and ethical issues. However, for various reasons (composition, structure, cultivation methods, etc.), the type of wood asked for by furniture manufacturers is scarcely present in Italian forests, and it is unlikely that this will change in the next few years. Therefore, the forecasted increase in harvesting to replace the wood that industries import today from abroad is by no means sure it will be effective. In general, it is necessary to avoid the most simple solutions, which in Italy are often coppice cutting and coppice wood for energy purposes. The recovery from a condition of past degradation and the accumulation of biomass in Italian forests is an opportunity and opens up a vast horizon for innovative forest management and silviculture. Provided we know how to orient ourselves within this horizon and implement a true culture and care of the forest (extensive closeR-to-nature silviculture towards continuity in forest cover, above all), in full respect of the “rights” of the forest, the safeguarding of which guarantees the major benefits that the forest provides to the society.
Keywords
