DEGRADED PINE FORESTS loss of biomass or reduced production Decrease in canopy cover and regeneration, forest fragmentation, unstable structural conditions. Larger emission no more balanced by the C storage capacity in woody biomass and soil: reduced potential of these forests to act as a sink or even source of GHGs High fires risk OBJECTIVES 1. Mitigation options: Increase the net primary production Increase C accumulation in soil Contain green-house gas emissions from deadwood decomposition Fossil fuel substitution with bio-energy production 2. Forest sustainability To restore the ecological stability and enhance resistance and resilience of the target ecosystems To provide a list of “good practices” on forest management options for the conversion of degraded coniferous forests To reduce fire risk, through deadwood removal 3. Ecosystem services Maintain/improve ecosystem services including biodiversity, soil protection, recreational and touristic activities. To enter the C credit market. LIFE14 CCM/IT/ Project coordinator : *Alessandra Lagomarsino (a), Ugo Chiavetta (b), Paolo Cantiani (b), Isabella De Meo (a), Alessandro Paletto (c), Edoardo A.C. Costantini (a) (a) Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA), Centro di ricerca per l’Agrobiologia e la Pedologia (CREA-ABP) Piazza M. D'Azeglio 30 – Firenze. (b) Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA), Centro di ricerca per la Selvicoltura (CREA-SEL) Viale S. Margherita, Arezzo (c) Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA), Unità di ricerca per il Monitoraggio e la Pianificazione forestale (CREA-MPF) “Recovery of degraded coniferous Forests for environmental sustainability Restoration and climate change Mitigation” “Recovery of degraded coniferous Forests for environmental sustainability Restoration and climate change Mitigation” Implementation sites: Italy & Greece APPLICATION OF SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTS: 1)Control plot 2)Traditional thinning 3)Innovative selective thinning The stands are characterized by a dominant crop layer of Pinus nigra. The understory layer is mainly occupied by Cupressus spp. (with many decaying trees) and both younger individuals and regeneration of broadleaves. Traditional thinning It’s a low thinning that removes trees primarly from the lower canopy (about 30% of the trees). The aim is to concentrate the cut only on the trees not beloging to the main crop layer. Innovative selective thinning It is a selective thinning that considers the merits of individual trees. Best trees (according to vigour and stability) and are identified and their growth and development are actively promoted by removing all directs competitors. MONITORING ACTIONS -C and N pools in above and belowground biomass, litter, dead wood and soil (IPCC 2003) - Net primary productivity and C accumulation in soil after thinning treatments. - Greenhouse gas fluxes from soil and dead-wood material. - C sequestration potential and global warming potential in the short and medium-term. - Harvested biomass for energy co-generation and C and N content C pools (IPCC, 2003) GHG emissions CO 2 CH 4 N 2 O GHG emissions CO 2 CH 4 N 2 O bioenergy