Mappatura delle aie carbonili con immagini derivate da dati LiDAR: il caso di Raggiolo in Casentino

In the medieval period the Casentino was an important center for iron working and for the production of charcoal necessary for this activity. Between XIII and XIV centuries the Guidi family owned various ironworks in the localities of Cetica and Raggiolo. In this area companies of charcoal burners were active and used local forest resources for the production of charcoal. In this study we mapped the old charcoal kiln sites over an area of 1841 hectares located west of the center of Raggiolo. The charcoal kiln sites were mapped by photointerpretation of LiDAR-derived images. The results are discussed on the basis of the historical events that occurred in the study area between the end of the XIII and the first decades of the XIV century.

Giganti d'Ogliastra: grandi alberi relitti di Sardegna

n Sardegna, nonostante l’attività antropica abbia determinato un forte impatto nei confronti delle foreste, ancora sopravvivono grandi alberi, alcuni dei quali veri e propri relitti viventi delle più antiche foreste mediterranee. Per i molteplici ruoli che svolgono è necessario un impegno particolarmente efficace per la loro conservazione. La breve nota riferisce le caratteristiche di alcuni di questi maestosi patriarchi presenti oggi in Ogliastra (Sardegna centro-orientale).

Foreste per il futuro

Forests are an essential resource for life on our planet and to provide the welfare for the whole human population living on it. Forest ecosystems are nevertheless hampered by the growing human pressure and by an unsustainable use of natural resources leading to concerning world phenomena, first of all global climatic change, biodiversity loss and soil, ecosystems and habitats degradation. Such issues impact on the structure, composition and balance of forests, so reducing their own capacity to contribute to the solution of the same problems. The situation is so serious to require now a serious rethinking of forest policies and measures to be implemented into the forest sector, in order to imagine, at the 2050 year horizon, more resilient forests adapted to the new climatic conditions and able to provide at their best also the requested vital ecologic, economic and social functions. In such global framework it has to be considered the activity carried out by the Arma dei Carabinieri - Command of Forest Environment and Agrifood Units (CUFA), whose present role is analyzed here, trying to design also future commitments and developments.

Le abetine di Vallombrosa nel 1791. I monaci vallombrosani e l'assestamento forestale nel XVIII secolo: un patrimonio culturale da salvaguardare

The study of microtoponomastics, the examination of sources and the use of new technologies for the creation of geographic information systems capable of gathering various layers of information, allows the extraction of extremely interesting materials for land planning. The case study of the Vallombrosa Forest, probably the best-known forest area in Italy, is indicative of how the exploration of the world of historical archives is important still today. From the evidence that the Vallombrosan Benedictine monks, in the last years of the eighteenth century, had already drawn up a forest regulation plan, we can see the need and urgency to preserve a real scientific and cultural heritage. The creation of a Silvomuseum in Vallombrosa is confirmed as a brilliant intuition and its careful and punctual realization represents the challenge that awaits the current managers of the millenary forest, the cradle of Italian forestry sciences.

Soil functions and the role of biological activities

Despite soil is a thin layer covering terrestrial Earth surface, it carries out functions that are essential for the terrestrial life forms and these functions are mainly conducted by soil icroorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria. They live in a complex, structured and peculiar nvironment. Microbial diversity is huge and soil is considered the most biodiverse ecosystem on arth because a handful of soil can contain thousands of millions microbial cells. Despite the high microbial biomass only less than 1% of the available space is occupied by soil microorganisms because most of the available microenvironments show conditions hostile to microbial life. The application of molecular techniques has markedly improved the knowledge of the microbial life and activity in soil. In particular, the microbial species inhabiting soil can be detected whereas the expression of genes is still a technical challenge. Gross rates of nutrient transformations can be determined by using labelled compounds with positive implications on the evaluation of soil nutrient dynamics, including availability for plants.

Verso la nuova Direzione generale economia montana e foreste: il percorso e le nuove sfide

The former “Direzione generale foreste”, established in 2017 under the scope of theMinistry of Agricultural, food and forestry policies is about to become “Direzione generaleeconomia montana e foreste”. With this transformation, new important duties dedicated to themountain ecosystem are about to unfold. As this moment comes, we take the opportunity tolook back at the activities of the Direzione generale foreste, how these developed and the firstresults achieved. Most importantly, though, we address those results that are lying ahead of usand still need our best efforts. Those goals need to be analysed bearing in mind the focal pointsemerged in the report of the IV Italian National Congress of Silviculture (Turin, November2018). The new National Forestry Strategy along with other initiatives will be a turning point forthis sector. Sustainable forest management and careful planning will ensure higher biodiversityin our forests, contribute to the national natural capital along with the economic developmentof mountain and rural areas, where there is the majority of Italian forests.

Gestione assicurativa dei rischi in pioppicoltura

The specialized cultivation of poplar trees is exposed during its multi-year cycle of cultivation to numerous risks of meteoric and biotic origin, such as wind, frost and plant diseases that cause losses and negatively affect the profitability of the plantation. The risks associated with the instability of the wood market are also important. The aim of the research is to examine the insurance system in poplar cultivation with an assessment of farmers’ propensity towards insurance policies for the protection from the many risks involved in the cultivation. Based on the information received from poplar growers and insurance companies, the current system of income support guarantees is examined. Fundamental are the tools concerning risk management through insurance policies. Public financial support makes the insurance system more attractive by lowering the costs for the growers, but unfortunately there are still limits and restrictive conditions. The new Common Agricultural Policy post-2020 bodes well for building a greater risk management capacity.

Foreste a tavola:i consumi alimentari inducono la crescente deforestazione tropicale e sub-tropicale anche in Italia

L’agricoltura costituisce da sempre una grande minaccia per gli ecosistemi naturali del nostro pianeta,e non solo in quanto attività umana essenziale per la produzione di cibo. Attualmente, in particolarenella regione tropicale e sub-tropicale, le attività agricole sono fattori di pressione cruciali per il mantenimentodei cicli di vita di ecosistemi essenziali per la biosfera, complessi e resilienti, come le foreste. Lesocietà contemporanee, essenzialmente urbane e sempre più disconnesse dai processi naturali ed ecologici,tendono a dimenticare, o semplicemente non considerare, le responsabilità di queste pressioni insostenibili.Tra le maggiori cause di deforestazione, quattro commodities rivestono un ruolo centrale:allevamento di bovini da carne, coltivazione della soia, produzione di olio di palma ed estrazione dilegname. I processi di produzione, trasformazione, trasporto e consumo di questi prodotti sono causa didegrado forestale e deforestazione come conseguenza diretta dell’espansione della frontiera agricola. Laletteratura scientifica recente dà sempre maggiore importanza al ruolo della deforestazione come unodei principali drivers del superamento dei planetary boundaries e alle connessioni economico-commercialie geo-ecologiche esistenti tra luoghi distanti del pianeta rispetto alla produzione, al consumoalimentare e al loro impatto ambientale e sociale. Il presente lavoro, basato su una ricerca bibliograficacondotta attraverso parole chiave inerenti i lavori scientifici sviluppati sull’argomento nell’ultimo ventennio,vuole contribuire all’approfondimento di tali connessioni e delle loro conseguenze, per far crescere laconsapevolezza dei cittadini e della stessa comunità scientifica. La revisione sistematica della letteraturarealizzata contribuisce a inquadrare le responsabilità “nascoste” nel consumo di molti prodotti alimentariche sono causa di scomparsa o degrado di ecosistemi naturali importantissimi per il pianeta, rafforzandola necessità di un cambiamento di paradigma per interrompere il circolo vizioso delle dinamicheurbano-rurale e nord-sud, ormai consolidate a livello globale.