Close-to-nature forestry in the trentino/North Italy
2001
Wolynski, A.
The paper deals with the introduction of close-to-nature silviculture since the end of the second world war in the autonomous province of the Trentino, situated in the Alps of North Italy. The starting point was the constatation, that the Trentino forest showed at the end of world war two, heavy impacts of over-exploitation, devastation and erosion. Annual cuttings regularly exceeded the sustainable possibility, and so average stand volumes had decreased to only 143 cbm per ha. -Since 50 years, new management plans tried to stop over-exploitation, clear-cuttings, and to create more stable stand structures, mixed stands, continous regeneration without clearcuts, higher stand volumes, and to convert poor coppice forest into closeto nature forest. These objectives were much sustained by the catastrophic event of severer erosion damage in the town of Trento and the adjacent valleys in 1966. Demographic degression of valley populations by migration to bigger towns also helped to diminue over-exploitation, and the increasing common sense for nature protection issues promoted close to nature silviculture in Europe. The standing volume increased from 143 to now 200 cbm/ha, and strong timber can be found on more than 50 % of the whole surface. The rate of increment rose from 1,5 % in 1950 to about 2.1 % actually. Broadleaves are progressing, and with many mixed stands the natural forest composition is coming back. The lack of clearcuts and various stand structures prevent effectively erosion hazards. Finally, the paper is discussing some actual problems, resulting from surrounding economic conditions, social changements, nature protection and legislation.
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