Papers by Fabio Salbitano
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), May 19, 2023
Indicatori per il monitoraggio della performance delle foreste urbane nell'ottica dell'ottimizzaz... more Indicatori per il monitoraggio della performance delle foreste urbane nell'ottica dell'ottimizzazione dei servizi ecosistemici e della minimizzazione dei disservizi Establishing Urban FORest based solutions In Changing Cities CNR IRET Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri INDICATORI CNR-IRET (coordinamento EUFORICC) Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri Coordinatore: Carlo Calfapietra Silvano fareS (CNR-IBE; CNR-ISAFOM) roCCo paCe (EURAC) GreGorio SGriGna (Project manager
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
Unasylva: revista internacional de silvicultura e industrias forestales, 2018
Obbiettivo di questa indagine e lo studio dei processi successionali in soprassuoli forestali sem... more Obbiettivo di questa indagine e lo studio dei processi successionali in soprassuoli forestali semplificati, sottratti da tempo all’attivita colturale. A tale scopo sono stati condotti rilievi in aree sperimentali, ricavate nelle abetine appenniniche di origine artificiale di Vallombrosa (Toscana) e di Sasso Fratino (Romagna), per le quali sono disponibili serie storiche di dati. La disponibilita di dati storici e di dati attuali permette di valutare l’evoluzione del processo successionale nel corso di vari decenni. Per esprimere sinteticamente il fenomeno sono stati impiegati indici di diversita floristica e strutturale. Per quanto riguarda le applicazioni gestionali, sulla base dei risultati appare evidente che la riduzione della copertura arborea costituisce il presupposto di una selvicoltura finalizzata all’aumento di diversita del sistema. Aperture graduali, come quelle che potrebbero crearsi in seguito a tagli su piccole superfici, possono essere efficaci nel favorire la rinatu...
Vegetatio, 1992
Vegetative regeneration after coppicing of Quercus ilex, Phillyrea latifolia, and Fraxinus ornus ... more 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. Observations during the first three years after the cut showed that horizontal space occupation by shoots is rapid (95 ~"o of the available space being reoccupied within 3 yrs.) and stool mortality very low. We observed differences among species in resprouting, growth pattern and shoot differentiation. Q. ilex and P. lat(folia had a longer budburst period than F. ornus. There were no considerable differences in height growth among the three species in the first year. During the second and third years the height increments decreased. F. ornus average height increments were higher than those of Q. ilex and P. latifolia. These two species produced proleptic flushes from the first year on, while F. ornus only showed spring flush. The examination of proleptic shoots and of summer and autumn rainfall seem to show that the latter control Q. ilex growth and shoot differentiation more than that of other species. Differentiation among shoots of the same stool occurs from the first year onwards and the initial vigour differences amongst shoots remain during the following years. Resprouting, space occupation and shoot differentiation have been discussed in relation to rainfall and temperature. The high stool survival and the strong link between stool vigour parameters before and after coppicing confirm a certain stability in successional dynamics following a single coppicing event.
Ecology and Society
The attention given to nature-based solutions (NBS) in urban governance is often hindered by the ... more The attention given to nature-based solutions (NBS) in urban governance is often hindered by the fragmentation of responsibilities in technical and administrative services and by rigid structural conditions within urban regimes. This drastically harms NBS implementation and their co-benefits. There is limited information regarding NBS integration across levels and scales of urban governance, in particular a lack of studies that access such integration in urban policy and planning. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the integration of NBS in urban policy and planning in Barcelona, Lisbon, and Turin, the three European municipalities participating in the H2020 project CONEXUS. The objectives are: (1) to understand the state of top-down and bottom-up integration of NBS in urban policy and planning in the three cities; (2) to understand barriers in integration that might hinder the evolution of the NBS agenda in said instruments; (3) to identify policy and planning entry points that can catalyze forms of cross-sectoral, multilevel, and interdisciplinary governance of NBS toward transformative change. The methods used include an in-depth analysis of official municipal, metropolitan, regional, and national documents and expert interviews. The results show that NBS integration in urban policy and planning is novel in all cities but advancing considerably with initial dialogues among the public sector, academia, and local actors of various provenances. Planning in silos persists, negatively impacting any possible confluence of actions toward NBS integration and implementation. However, a constellation of national and international plans including NBS, combined with the development of cross-cutting policies and plans, and an increasing interest from the municipalities and citizens, reveal an enabling environment for NBS integration in urban policies. Our findings are translated into insights that can support policy and decision makers to operationalize NBS integration in their municipal agendas, policies, and plans.
iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry
Tropical forests are being destroyed to make space for agricultural activities with the assumptio... more Tropical forests are being destroyed to make space for agricultural activities with the assumption that they are required to feed the growing global population. Consequently, more sustainable practices are needed to guarantee food security and environmental protection of highly threatened natural biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon rainforest. Cattle ranching and soybean cultivation are by far the greater drivers of land use change and deforestation in the Amazon region. We performed a systematic review of papers related to these two main drivers and a meta-analysis on the effects of sustainable practices on different ecosystem services. The results of the review highlight a large concern about the negative impacts of cattle ranching and soybean crops on the ecosystem dynamics and functionality of the Amazon biome, in addition to the clear relationship with deforestation. Another relevant finding is the large gap in empirical research concerning the effects of sustainable practices on different ecosystem services. Such a gap is evident since only 13 studies from the initial database met the requirements for a meta-analysis. Of the 171 comparisons between the ecosystem services provided in conventional land-uses and those adopting sustainable practices, the overall model indicated a non-significant effect, although the results were heterogeneous. Crop yield and herbage biomass were negatively affected, while livestock productivity, soil organic carbon, soil fertility and woody biomass were positively affected. Also, the six sustainable practices evaluated showed different outcomes, from a predominance of positive effects in silvopastoral systems, to a predominance of negative effects on agrosilvicultural systems. Our systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that cattle ranching and soybean cultivation can indeed be conducted in a more sustainable way, enhancing the provision of ecosystem services while avoiding deforestation. In turn, our results also highlight the lack of empirical data and the need to standardize the methodologies used to deeply assess the effects of such practices. In conclusion, we suggest a way to advance research into the real effects of sustainable practices aimed at reducing the negative impacts of cattle ranching and soybean crops in the Amazon.
Sustainability
The concept and application of nature-based solutions (NBS) have been rapidly progressing in Euro... more The concept and application of nature-based solutions (NBS) have been rapidly progressing in Europe and Latin America, reflecting a transition in the way that urban governance is perceived. There is a large call for the collaborative, polycentric, and interdisciplinary governance of NBS. However, research on options for operationalising these governance processes in different contexts is still insufficient. This study explores and analyses the operationalisation of NBS adaptive governance in Europe and Latin America. Seven cities that are part of the project EU-H2020 CONEXUS have been selected as case studies: Barcelona, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Santiago de Chile, São Paulo, and Turin. This contribution aims to (i) understand how NBS governance processes are managed; (ii) identify the main positive and negative factors that influence NBS adaptive governance; and (iii) understand common factors and relationships that can hinder or drive forward adaptive governance for NBS in the...
Forest@ - Rivista di Selvicoltura ed Ecologia Forestale
La vivaistica forestale in Italia al bivio: sfide e strategie Barbara Mariotti (1-13) , Giustino ... more La vivaistica forestale in Italia al bivio: sfide e strategie Barbara Mariotti (1-13) , Giustino Mezzalira (2-13) , Enrico Allasia (3-13) , Francesco Fazio (4-13) , Roberto Fiorentin (2-13) , Alberto Maltoni (1-13) , Marco Marchetti (5-13) , Giorgio Matteucci (6-13) , Paolo Mori (7-13) , Renzo Motta (8-13) , Andrea Piotti (9-13) , Angela Rositi (10-13) , Maurizio Sabatti (11-13) , Roberto Tognetti (12-13) , Fabio Salbitano (1-13) The Italian forest nursery sector at the crossroads: challenges and strategies The recognition of the key role of forests in contrasting the dramatic effects of climate change and biodiversity crisis is the pillar of many initiatives on a global, European, and national scale calling for afforestation campaigns. The Italian forest nursery sector is currently inadequate to meet the demand for tree seedlings for the national campaigns. Forest nursery production is characterized by regional or local companies that are remarkably different from each other in organization and efficiency. It is therefore urgent to develop a comprehensive restructuring of the entire sector to be able to respond to the specific needs of forestry projects in Italy and Europe. In this paper, we present a series of key principles and criteria aimed at guiding the renaissance of the sector. Strategic actions are proposed by integrating research, governance, public/private partnership, training, and communication. The strategic approach presented is based on a collaborative structure integrating various skills and responsibilities. The first step is an expert review of the Basic Materials (BM) included in the National Register thanks to the development of the genetic studies of forest stands and the inclusion of shrub and herbaceous species, essentials for ecosystem restoration projects counteracting the biodiversity crisis. A series of actions concerns the aspects of certification, voluntary or prescriptive, of the quality of BM, and the ultimate harmonization of national production to European standards. Particular importance needs to be devoted to the collection, evaluation, and conservation of seeds to develop innovative solutions both for the production of BM and for specific implementation phases of afforestation projects and ecosystem restoration. The governance phase might be implemented through the creation of interregional centers with the duty of collecting and conserving seeds, thus enhancing the existing experiences of outstanding regional and provincial tree nurseries with the support of the National Centers for the study and conservation of Forest Biodiversity. Furthermore, the promotion of partnerships between public and private companies and the creation of a shared and accessible national platform represent strategic actions of primary importance. A fundamental role is then assigned to the implementation of training programs and the construction of an open and incremental communication plan. Thanks to these actions it will be possible to place forest nurseries at the center of the relationships between tree planting and afforestation plans and programs, integrated forest design, implementation of new forests, and their adaptive management.
Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
The increased frequency and severity of drought events due to climate warming is negatively affec... more The increased frequency and severity of drought events due to climate warming is negatively affecting tree radial growth, particularly in drought-prone regions, such as, e.g., the Mediterranean. In this climate change hotspot, populations of the same tree species may show different growth responses to climate, due to the great variety of microclimates and environments that characterise this biogeographic region. In this study, we analysed growthclimate relationships and growth responses to drought events (i.e., resistance, recovery, and resilience) in 13 forest stands of black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold), encompassing the whole and peculiar distribution range of the ssp. laricio (Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica). Analysis focussed on the 1981-2010 period, which is commonly covered at all sites. Stem radial growth of trees increased under a positive spring/summer water balance. However, abundant winter precipitation had a negative impact on stem radial growth. Populations in Corsica were more sensitive to drought, showing lower resistance and resilience than those in Sicily and Sardinia. Older trees were more resistant to drought events than younger trees. Our results highlight that populationspecific responses to drought events are mainly explained by tree age and local environment, suggesting geographically related patterns in tree growth and forest productivity correspond to different populations. Intraspecific variability in sensitivity to drought events should be included in species distribution models to predict the range of forest productivity responses to climate change.
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Papers by Fabio Salbitano