Reviewing climatic traits for the main forest tree species in Italy
The future dynamics of forest species and ecosystems depend on the effects of climate change and are related to forest management strategies. The expected impacts of climate change are linked to forest growth and productivity. An increase in the length of the growing season and greater productivity...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)
2019-04-01
|
| Series: | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor2835-012 |
| _version_ | 1819171249097539584 |
|---|---|
| author | Pecchi M Marchi M Giannetti F Bernetti I Bindi M Moriondo M Maselli F Fibbi L Corona P Travaglini D Chirici G |
| author_facet | Pecchi M Marchi M Giannetti F Bernetti I Bindi M Moriondo M Maselli F Fibbi L Corona P Travaglini D Chirici G |
| author_sort | Pecchi M |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The future dynamics of forest species and ecosystems depend on the effects of climate change and are related to forest management strategies. The expected impacts of climate change are linked to forest growth and productivity. An increase in the length of the growing season and greater productivity are likely as well as shifts in average climatic values and more variable frequencies, intensities, durations and timings of extreme events. The main aim of this work is to assess and describe the climatic requirements for Italian forest tree species. We used 7,272 field observations from Italian National Forest Inventory plots and average annual temperatures and precipitation as interpolated from raster maps with 1 km spatial resolution. On this basis we evaluated the current observed distributions of the 19 most important tree species in Italy with respect to potential climatic limits based on expert knowledge and the available literature. We found that only 46% of the observations fall within the potential joint temperature and precipitation limits as defined by expert knowledge. For precipitation alone, 70% of observations were within the potential limits, and for temperature alone, 80% of observations were within the potential limits. Similarity between current observed and potential limits differ from species-to-species with broadleaves in general more frequently distributed within the potential climatic limits than conifers. We found that ecological requirements and potential information should be revised for some species, particularly for the Pinus genus and more frequently for precipitation. The results of the study are particularly relevant given the threat of climate change effects for Italian forests which are broadly acknowledged to be a biodiversity hotspot. Further investigations should be aimed at modelling the effects of climate changes on Italian forests as a basis for development of mitigation and adaptation forest management strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T19:48:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-975858bbd7ca4a7382439661c966409d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1971-7458 1971-7458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T19:48:17Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| spelling | doaj.art-975858bbd7ca4a7382439661c966409d2022-12-21T18:14:37ZengItalian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry1971-74581971-74582019-04-0112117318010.3832/ifor2835-0122835Reviewing climatic traits for the main forest tree species in ItalyPecchi M0Marchi M1Giannetti F2Bernetti I3Bindi M4Moriondo M5Maselli F6Fibbi L7Corona P8Travaglini D9Chirici G10geoLAB - Laboratory of Forest Geomatics, Department of Science and Technology in Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Firenze (Italy)CREA - Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Arezzo (Italy)geoLAB - Laboratory of Forest Geomatics, Department of Science and Technology in Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Firenze (Italy)geoLAB - Laboratory of Forest Geomatics, Department of Science and Technology in Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Firenze (Italy)Department of Science and Technology in Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence (Italy)CNR-IBIMET, via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy)CNR-IBIMET, via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy)CNR-IBIMET, via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy)CREA - Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Arezzo (Italy)geoLAB - Laboratory of Forest Geomatics, Department of Science and Technology in Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Firenze (Italy)geoLAB - Laboratory of Forest Geomatics, Department of Science and Technology in Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Firenze (Italy)The future dynamics of forest species and ecosystems depend on the effects of climate change and are related to forest management strategies. The expected impacts of climate change are linked to forest growth and productivity. An increase in the length of the growing season and greater productivity are likely as well as shifts in average climatic values and more variable frequencies, intensities, durations and timings of extreme events. The main aim of this work is to assess and describe the climatic requirements for Italian forest tree species. We used 7,272 field observations from Italian National Forest Inventory plots and average annual temperatures and precipitation as interpolated from raster maps with 1 km spatial resolution. On this basis we evaluated the current observed distributions of the 19 most important tree species in Italy with respect to potential climatic limits based on expert knowledge and the available literature. We found that only 46% of the observations fall within the potential joint temperature and precipitation limits as defined by expert knowledge. For precipitation alone, 70% of observations were within the potential limits, and for temperature alone, 80% of observations were within the potential limits. Similarity between current observed and potential limits differ from species-to-species with broadleaves in general more frequently distributed within the potential climatic limits than conifers. We found that ecological requirements and potential information should be revised for some species, particularly for the Pinus genus and more frequently for precipitation. The results of the study are particularly relevant given the threat of climate change effects for Italian forests which are broadly acknowledged to be a biodiversity hotspot. Further investigations should be aimed at modelling the effects of climate changes on Italian forests as a basis for development of mitigation and adaptation forest management strategies.https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor2835-012National Forest InventorySustainable Forest ManagementSpatial AnalysisForest MonitoringClimatic Drivers |
| spellingShingle | Pecchi M Marchi M Giannetti F Bernetti I Bindi M Moriondo M Maselli F Fibbi L Corona P Travaglini D Chirici G Reviewing climatic traits for the main forest tree species in Italy iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry National Forest Inventory Sustainable Forest Management Spatial Analysis Forest Monitoring Climatic Drivers |
| title | Reviewing climatic traits for the main forest tree species in Italy |
| title_full | Reviewing climatic traits for the main forest tree species in Italy |
| title_fullStr | Reviewing climatic traits for the main forest tree species in Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reviewing climatic traits for the main forest tree species in Italy |
| title_short | Reviewing climatic traits for the main forest tree species in Italy |
| title_sort | reviewing climatic traits for the main forest tree species in italy |
| topic | National Forest Inventory Sustainable Forest Management Spatial Analysis Forest Monitoring Climatic Drivers |
| url | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor2835-012 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pecchim reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT marchim reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT giannettif reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT bernettii reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT bindim reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT moriondom reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT masellif reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT fibbil reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT coronap reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT travaglinid reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly AT chiricig reviewingclimatictraitsforthemainforesttreespeciesinitaly |