INNOVATIVE METHODS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF OLD-GROWTH FORESTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT
Funded In 2007 by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (grant 2007TFREJ9) the project was coordinated by Prof. G. Chirici at the University of Molise. The consortium was created trough four Italian Universities:
- Università degli Studi del Molise
- Università degli Studi della Tuscia
- Università degli Studi di Firenze
- Università della Calabria
The project was based on a standard survey in 12 potential old-growth forests located in Italian Mediterranean areas and selected on the basis of prior studies. The survey was conducted in spring-summer 2009 and 2010 in study sites 1 ha wide (100 m x 100 m). The field protocol was based on the georeferenced census of all aboveground living and dead trees. Information on bushes, lichens, tree regeneration, and tree age was also acquired with a sampling approach. LOMBARDI et al. (2010) presented the first results from the deadwood survey in all the investigated sites. CIANCIO et al. (2010) analyzed a Calabrian pine old-growth forest in relation to forest landscape conservation and possible lessons for silviculture. In some of the investigated sites special studies were carried out: RAVERA et al. (2010) report on epyphitic lichens, while DI PAOLO et al. (2010) discuss the combination between high resolution remotely sensed data with forest structure indicators.
CHIRICI and NOCENTINI (2010) introduced to the results of a national conference held in Prati di Tivo (TR, Italy) the 25 and 26 of June 2010 where the results of the project were presented together with a number of other research projects dealing with old growth forests in Italy.
On the basis of the experieces we had during this project, the field protocol is now replicated in other potential old growth forests. The analysis of the data acquired is still on-going and new results will be presented in future publications.
One of the test sites in Molise (Montedimezzo). The 1 ha plot with living standing trees and different components of deadwood mapped.