Management of Mediterranean Forests to Improve Its Resilience to Climate Change
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Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 LIFE11 ENV/IT/000215 RESILienza al cambiamento climatico nelle FOReste MEDiterranee Resilience of Mediterranean forests to Climate change Management of Mediterranean forests to improve its resilience to Climate Change Marcello Miozzo (1), Gabriele Mugnai (1), Donato S. La Mela Veca (2), Sebastiano Cullotta (2), Federico G. Maetzke (2), Sebastiano Sferlazza (2), Luciano Saporito (3) (1) DREAM Italia (2) University of Palermo (3) Sicily Region Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Background Climatic conditions of Mediterranean region, characterized by frequent dry years, contribute to the weakening of forest ecosystems. As result, forests reduce their production capacity and are more vulnerable to risks, such as pest attacks. In addition, the economic and social conditions may exacerbate the degradation with the spread of the improper use of resources (improper forest cutting, over grazing) and the higher incidence of forest fires. Sicily with its 258,502 hectares of high forests is one of the Italian regions with a lower coefficient of woodiness; it is known that historically forested areas were wider, with a lost of forest areas that continued until the beginning of the last century, when this trend stopped and huge investments were done to reafforestate wide cleared surfaces. However, the regional forests are at risk of degradation for the growing phenomenon of forest fires and even more for its exposure to climate change. Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Climate change - Scenarios in Europe Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Forecast Current status Forest vegetation in view of some scenarios of climate change in Italy (Pignatti G. , 2011) Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Forest Landscape in Sicily CFRS, 2007) Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Surface Forest category Forest category (IFRS, 2010) ha % Maquis and shrublands 139304 29.00 Reforestation stands 105460 21.96 Pubescent oak forests 84753 17.64 Holm oak forests 28649 5.96 Turkey oak forests 25289 5.26 Other broadleaved forests 20180 4.20 Riparian forests 19177 3.99 Cork oak forests 18831 3.92 Beech forests 15964 3.32 Chestnut forests 11520 2.40 Wood plantations 4642 0.97 Corsican pine forests 4316 0.90 Mediterranean pine forests 2245 0.47 Total 480330 100.00 Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Reforestation stands (CFRS, 2010) Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Madonie Protected areas in Sicily Nebrodi Madonie Alkantara Protected area Area (ha) Etna Natural reserves (n. 72) 78403 Sicani Sicani Natural Park 44020 Madoonie Natural Park 40237 Nebrodi Natural Park 84259 12% of the regional area Etna Natural Park 58370 Alkantara River Natural Park 1801 Total 307090 Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Natura 2000 Network in Sicily 238 sites Natura2000 639,135 ha 24,7% of regional surface Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 LIFE11 ENV/IT/000215 RESILienza al cambiamento climatico nelle FOReste MEDiterranee Resilience of Mediterranean forests to Climate change Details of ResilForMED Approval date by European Commission: 14th June 2012 Starting date: 1th June 2012 Closing date: 30th June 2016 Lifetime: 49 momths Total cost: 1.557.743 Euro EU contribution: 778.871 Euro % EU confunding 50% Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 The partnership COORDINATING BENEFICIARY Regione Siciliana, Assessorato regionale delle risorse agricole e alimentari, Dipartimento Regionale Sviluppo Rurale e Territoriale Referent: Luciano Saporito - [email protected] University of Palermo Comando Corpo D.R.E.Am. Italia soc. coop. Depatrtment of Agricultural and Forestale, Regione Agricolo-Forestale Forest Science, Siciliana Referent: Marcello Miozzo Referent: Federico G. [email protected] Maetzke [email protected] Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Project objectives The project stems from the need to identify new forest practices in order to promote the ecological resilience of forest communities in Sicily threatened by risk of desertification. The overall objective of ResilForMed is to preserve Mediterranean forest ecosystems from the risks due to climate change. The specific objective is to implement a regional forest policy able to increase the resilience of forests in Sicily, improving ecosystem efficiency and promoting forest biodiversity conservation. Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 The ResilForMed strategy Identify key factors and attributes positively correlated to the resilience of the forest ecosystems. Define and implement in a demonstrative way good forest management practices with the aim to increase resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change. Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Project actions Preparatory actions A1 Identification and mapping of areas at greatest risk to climate change at regional and landscape scale; A2 Analysis of the value of the forest practices according to tradition and local custom; A3 Analysis, evaluation and quantification of the effects of climate change in Sicilian forests; A4 Define, through indicators, the role of forest ecosystems in adaptation measures to climate change. Demonstration actions and implementation B1 Definition of optimal management models for improving the resilience of forests; B2 Implementation of the main silvicultural techniques in favor of the evolutionary dynamics of forest ecosystems (120 hectares of interventions); B3 Implementation of management plans to address patterns of agroforestry through a participatory table with local communities; B4 Updating of the Regional Forest Plan. Communication and Dissemination Actions D1 Realization of the guidelines for the protection of biodiversity and the resilience of forest; D2 Training of technicians and forestry workers; D3 Videoclips of project actions; D4 Website; D5 information panels; D6 Publication of the Layman's report; D7 Final conference of the project and networking. Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Forest landscape scale and Natura 2000 Network scale application Territorial Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 From forest landscape scale to planning and intervention scale Forest landscape scale scale Demonstration area of application intervention scale Territorial Demostration area of planning scale Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest management and Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 Sensitivity map to the risk of desertification of forests in Sicily (Action A1) Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process – Mediterranean Region Workshop on Mediterranean forest managementLIFE11 andENV/IT/000215 Natura 2000 Parc naturel regional du Luberon, Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 May 2016 RESILienza al cambiamento climatico nelle FOReste MEDiterranee Main indicators of the forest resilience 1) Tree density 2) Trees composition 3) Structural complexity 4) Presence/absence of Old-growth trees 5) Presence/absence of natural regeneration 6) Presence/absence of exotic/alien species Natura