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The recent technological development of batteries has allowed the production of powerful tools that are also used in forestry operations. For this reason, this study aimed to compare the performance of two latest chainsaw models in a conifer clear-cut. The examined chainsaws, the battery-powered Stihl MSA 300 and the petrol-powered MS 261 C-M, have comparable power and weight. The overall working times were recorded and then gross, net and felling/processing productivities were quantified. Our findings reported that in a working day (7.4 h gross time), each chainsaw felled and processed an average of 20 trees of 0.64 m3 with an average diameter at breast height of 28 cm. Considering the net productivity, no statistically significant differences were recorded between the two chainsaws. Investigating the productivities on operations conducted using the chainsaws, the battery chainsaw showed a lower average tree-processing productivity than that recorded for the petrol chainsaw. On average, the battery duration was 0.88 h, while the petrol tank duration was 0.97 h. Our study shows that battery chainsaws have great potential in forestry operations; however, considering the actual need for 8 charges per standard workday, optimizing battery management is an important objective for future work.

Forest road planning with the available tools, e.g. PEGGER and GIS, still requires a lot of time of an expert, and the designed roads are not guaranteed to be efficient in terms of the cost or suitability of the road. In this article, we propose a novel Genetic Algorithm (GA) based method for forest road planning. To do so, each road is represented as a sequence of fixed and variable (control) points. A novel objective (fitness) function is defined based on the length, gradient, and suitability of the roads (individuals). The proposed algorithm is applied to the Arasbaran forest area and the resulted roads are compared with PEGGER-designed roads regarding length, Bachmund index, accessibility, and suitability. The results clearly show the power of the proposed GA algorithm in reducing computation time, road construction costs, and environmental impacts compared to the common road planning approaches.

The forestry sector in Italy and throughout Europe is going through a critical period due to ongoing natural and anthropological processes, such as climate change and the abandonment of rural areas. These processes lead to a constant fragmentation of properties in small forest parcels, with direct impacts on management capacity. In this framework, new sustainable forest management methods are being tested and are shown to be good practices to oppose the decline of forest ecosystems. Their innovative aspects concern the introduction of a form of shared and circular economy, where management is built on the process, rather than on the product. Their technical activities are based on precision forestry systems and digitalization. The new approach takes into consideration the fact that the woods are an asset available to the whole community, in terms of benefits and protection. Forest Sharing® is an example of the application of shared forest management systems, due to which the owner user benefits from several services and opportunities, such as the advanced monitoring platform and the access to investment funds. After eighteen months of activity, the first results of the application of the new management systems can already be seen. Many aspects need further development, such as case studies concerning the enhancement due to forest certification and new recreational activities. Shared forest management systems have the potential to increase the level of knowledge and awareness of citizens about environmental and territorial issues.

In recent years, battery technology has been greatly improved and some types of battery chainsaws are currently comparable with light-type petrol machines, suggesting their possible introduction into forest operations. In this context, the aim of this study was to test and compare the performance, in a Douglas-fir thinning, of two chainsaws similar in terms of weight and power, the Stihl MS 220 CB battery-powered saw and the Stihl MS 201 CM petrol-powered saw, measuring the working times and calculating the productivities. The results showed that, within a working day (about 6 h gross time), an average of 15 trees of 0.56 m3 was felled in each area. No statistically significant differences between the two chainsaws were found in terms of gross and net productivity; and the same result was obtained when focusing the analysis only on operations conducted using the chainsaws. Moreover, the average battery charge duration was 1.04 h, while the full tank duration for the petrol model was 1.12 h. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that, on the basis of their performance, battery chainsaws can be introduced into thinning operations, but a solution is needed to manage batteries in the forest, since the actual need is for 7–8 charges per workday.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play a key role for improving the implementation of sustainable forest management at local, regional, and global level. The ICT potential to easily exploit a wider and more up-to-date set of information on the economic, environmental, and so- cial value of forests is of relevant help for the daily work of technicians, land owners, and companies in boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of forest management. The concept of “Precision Forestry” (PF) was developed from the early 2000s, as a branch of precision farming or precision agriculture. PF includes the use of ICT, remote and proximal sensing technologies, and other devices to coordinate and control several processes on a spatial scale (“Precision”) for monitoring, planning, and managing forest resources (“Forestry”). The aim of this monography is to collect and describe some of the most important PF experiences applied or potential- ly useful for the Italian forestry sector. It may represent a reference guide for the stakeholders, such as forest owners, professional technicians, public administrators, and policy makers. The book includes eleven chapters reviewing the main tech- nological tools available in the Italian context and the most recent advances of ICT in forestry, also focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of their practical implementation. The opportunities and challenges of implementing PF meth- ods, practices and technologies are also discussed. In the first two chapters the precision forestry concept and its historical development are introduced. In the third chap- ter some basic elements of ICT, GIS, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), remote/proximal sensing, and related technologies which are essential for a better compre- hension of PF applications are recalled. In chapter 4 recent advances in large scale forest inventories with a focus on mapping and on the spatial estimation of forest variables integrating field surveys and multisource re- motely sensed data are described. Current advancements in the acquisition of field information including Terrestrial La- ser Scanning (TLS), new digital dendrometers, tree-talkers, terrestrial cameras, and APP for portable devices such as smartphones or tablets for dendrometric tree measures and new citizen science applications to support quantitative and qualitative spatial estimation of forest variables over large areas (i.e., forest health, fuel types) are also presented. The chapter ends up with the description of some experiences in the implementation of Forest Information Systems in Italy to provide a simple open-access to such new generation of spatial forest information. In chapter 5 PF tools, instruments, and technologies to sup- port sustainable forest management are illustrated. APPs developed to acquire field plots data to simulate manage- ment operations, the application of photogrammetric tech- nologies from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and TLS data for monitoring with high-spatial scale forest monitoring and for acquiring indicators at single tree level are presented. A de- tailed description of new user-friendly tools for forest roadplanning, design and construction, as well as forest opera- tion planning is also included. Precision forest tree farming (with particular reference to poplar cultivation), useful to promote and increase the prof- itability and sustainability of forest plantations within the Italian context is described in chapter 6. The innovation and enhancement within the supply chain of wood plantations (from planting to harvesting, including monitoring and identification of stress) by soil proximal sensing techniques, Early Warning Systems, and specific software are highlight- ed. Considering the even higher market demands, promoted by the large-scale planting programs for climate changes mit- igation and the demands for propagation material for en- vironmental recovery, innovative techniques and methods supported by ICT in the forest nursery sector are described in chapter 7. In chapter 8 available technologies related to precision har- vesting are analyzed and described taking into consideration the wood chain efficiency, by means of improved commu- nications between the owner/buyer and operators as well as among machineries used in forest operations, health and safety of forest operators, environmental impacts mitigation and recovery, and operators training. Advanced communi- cation systems and sensors for the exchange of data and information between machines, machine-equipments and/or machine-operators, teleoperations and automation are also described. Chapters 9 and 10 are related to wood products traceabil- ity, timber quality assessment as well as the technologies for the optimization of wood transformation processes. The concepts of wood product traceability and tracing, togeth- er with latest digital technologies for the identification and tracking of the logs (i.e., fingerprinting and RFID), are de- tailly reported. Chapter 11 is finally dedicated to the relationship between the EU policy framework and the digitalization process in both agricultural and forestry sectors. The book summarizes, under a proactive and homogeneous framework, PF methods, tools and technologies in relation with the digital transition of the Italian forestry sectors. The authors hope this book will be useful for improving the implementation of sustainable forest management practic- es at all levels in Italy, providing a comprehensive review useful for policy makers, technicians, forestry owners and students.

The chapter is part of the book "Wood in Sport Equipment - heritage, present, perspective". It is focused on the use of wood in two sports included in Olympics program: rowing and flatwater.

Chainsaw operators are exposed to many hazards that can lead to health problems. The two most frequently documented ergonomics threats in the use of chainsaws are noise and vibration exposure. Since the use of battery chainsaws is increasing due to the growing improvements in battery life and power, the study aims to compare the difference in terms of noise emission and vibration levels of the following two new models of chainsaws: the battery-powered Stihl MSA 300 and the petrol-powered Stihl MS 261 C-M. Black pine and European beech logs were cross-cut in order to evaluate both noise and vibration exposure. The results show that the use of battery-powered chainsaws, in comparison to the petrol one, can reduce the daily vibration exposure by more than 51% and the noise dose by 11%. The daily vibration exposure of 1.60 ms−2 and 1.67 ms−2 measured for the battery-powered chainsaw on Black pine and on European beech, respectively, is far from the daily exposure action value set by the EU directives for health and safety requirements (2.5 ms−2). On the contrary, the daily noise exposure for the battery chainsaw was 93 dB(A), exceeding the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A).

Purpose of Review Ground-based mechanized forest operations can cause severe soil disturbances that are often long lasting and detrimental to the health of forested ecosystems. To reduce these soil disturbances, focus is being increasingly directed at identifying and using appropriate mitigation techniques. This systematic review considered 104 scientific articles and reported the main findings according to four core themes: terrain-related factors, operational planning, machine modifications, and types of amendments used to mitigate machine-induced soil impacts. Recent Findings For terrain-related factors, most severe disturbances occur on machine operating trails exceeding 20% slope and that soil bulk density and rut depth show greater increases in fine-textured soils. When considering operational planning, trafficability maps proved to be helpful in reducing the frequency and magnitude of soil damages as well as the length of trails needed within harvest sites, especially if they are regularly updated with weather information. Machine modifications, through high flotation tires, use of extra bogie axle, lower inflation pressure, and use of steel flexibles tracks, are highly researched topics because of the considerable upside in terms of machine ground pressure distribution and increased traction. Two main types of amendments emerged to mitigate soil disturbances: brush mats and mulch cover. Brush mats created from harvesting debris can spread the load of a machine to a greater area thereby lowering peak loads transferred to the soil. Brush mats of 15–20 kg m−2 are being recommended for adequate soil protection from harvesting operations. Summary To conclude, we outline recommendations and strategies on the use of soil mitigation techniques within cut-to-length forest operations. New research opportunities are also identified and discussed. Considering single factors causing machine-induced soil disturbances remains important but there is a pressing need for having a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle the complex problems associated with machine/soil/plant interactions.

Intensive forestry operations may cause soil compaction, plastic soil disturbances and rutting, which are responsible for undesirable effects on soils, vegetation and water bodies. Despite the numerous studies aimed to identify the main factors affecting soil damages, it still remains unclear whether wood extraction methods and driving direction (uphill or downhill) may affect the impacts of forest machines. This research analyses soil compaction and soil penetration resistance as well as rutting from forwarding and skidding using the same farm tractor in up- and downhill wood extraction. Rutting was estimated by 3D soil reconstruction derived by portable laser scanning (PLS) and close-range photogrammetry using structure for motion (SfM). Our findings showed that the direction of extraction did not affect soil damage severity during forwarding on a 25% slope. On the contrary, in order to reduce soil compaction, downhill skidding is preferable to uphill skidding. The results showed that the pressure on the ground caused by vehicles can be distributed horizontally, thus affecting also the soil between the wheel tracks. The soil bulk density inside the tracks after 10 forwarding passes increased by 40% and with 23% between the wheel tracks. The soil displacement in skidding trails (7.36 m3 per 100 m of trail) was significantly higher than in forwarding (1.68 m3 per 100 m of trail). The rutting estimation showed no significant difference between the PLS and SfM methods, even comparing the two digital surface models (DSMs) obtained, even if photogrammetry was preferred for technical and practical reasons.

The use of battery tools is very common in many fields of work. In fact, the electric engine and batteries have several advantages over traditional endothermic engines, including low emissions, in terms of pollutants, vibration and noise. In this context, the chainsaw market started producing electric models powered by batteries. These machines can be useful in forestry, but information on their performance is scarce. The aim of this work was to compare the performance, in terms of cutting times, of three Stihl chainsaw models: the MS 220C-B (battery powered), and the MS 201 C-M and MS 261 C-M (both petrol powered). The study was carried out on five different wood species, also taking into consideration the presence/absence of wood defects in the cutting. More than 800 cuts on 15 m × 15 cm wood beams were video recorded, and the cutting times were later obtained to a resolution of 4/100 of a sec, using video-editing software. The results showed a poorer performance of the battery chainsaw than the petrol chainsaws, especially on certain wood species. However, this difference has been reduced when compared with older models. In conclusion, battery chainsaws need some additional improvements to be introduced into forestry, but their high potential is evident.

Wood has a wide range of applications in the artistic field, most of the time used as a support for works of art, for example, in panel paintings. Compared with stones and metals, wood is by far the material most utilised for sculptures. Through the identification of wood species, a study of timbers used in statuary in Europe, with a deeper exploration of the works of art preserved in Italy, can provide further insights for historical–artistic studies. Indeed, in reality, generic wood does not exist, but there are different timbers. This is a notion that the wood fine carving artists/craftsmen knew well. The initial idea of this study was to verify whether timber features could influence the formal results in figurative carving; therefore, a specific database that had been developed to catalogue the carving works was used for which the identification of wood species was carried out through reliable methodologies. The aim of this research was to analyse the relationship between the timber species used in statuary, the formal results of carving, and the thickness of the preparatory layer, through the data stored in a specific database, called ArISStArt. It contains a sort of registry of artistic carving and inlay works: For each artefact, a record was compiled consisting of different fields, which contains the historical–artistic information available, including the images of the artefact and also types of timber/s used for its creation, with a link to the relative field. The number of the recorded artefacts is, at present, 480. On most of the artefacts, more than one sample was taken; therefore, the total number of identifications carried out corresponds to 691. Based on the results, the vast majority of wooden statuary is carved from hardwoods, more specifically hardwoods, with diffuse porosity and small variations in density within the growth ring. The timber most present is poplar, followed by lime and walnut. With the listed three timbers, almost 80% of the artefacts recorded in ArISStArt were created.

Ergonomic assessment and validation are important in designing sustainable forest operations. Measurement and grading play a central role in the wood supply chain and updated solutions have started to emerge for such activities. Procuring biometric data by mobile scanning platforms has been shown to have a high potential in replacing traditional wood measurement methods, but no assessments were carried out to see if these solutions are sustainable from an ergonomics point of view. Based on more than 63 k still images, this study evaluates the working postures of three measurement options, namely, traditional measurement, scanning by a smartphone, and scanning by a commercial laser scanner. The OWAS method was used as an assessment framework to compute the postural risk indexes. A correspondence analysis was implemented to explore the association between the studied work tasks and severity of exposure, and the postural similarity of tasks was evaluated by the Canberra metric. The use of digital measurement solutions seems to be better from a postural point of view since their risk indexes were well below 200. In contrast, traditional wood measurement tasks produced postural risk indexes that were close to 250. By considering the body components, digital measurement solutions seemed to indicate a distinct postural profile. Moreover, the digital solutions stood well apart in the range of the first two action categories, indicating no urgent need for postural improvement, which was not the case for manual measurements. The main conclusion of the study is that state-of-the-art digital solutions are better from a postural point of view. For full validation, population-level studies should be carried out.

There is a growing amount of evidence suggesting a strong correlation between forests and healthy, diverse diets, as well as an increasing number of studies attesting to the rise of vibrant emerging niche and experiential Non-wood forest product (NWFP) based markets (Rowland et al., 2016, Ickowitz et al., 2016, Powell et al., 2015; Ickowitz et al., 2014; Wong & Prokofieva, 2014). Still, forests in general are rarely considered in food and nutrition policies and programmes, and NWFPs in particular hardly receive adequate attention in land-use planning and rural development strategies. Arguably, there is not enough globally comparable data to “make a case” for their value. This thesis tests the hypothesis that NWFPs indeed play an important role in diets and livelihoods. The study has two main components: the first part looks at the age-old debate of “what is a non-wood forest product”, which is at the basis of quantifying contributions. The second part is divided into two components: (1) assessing the degree to which NWFPs contribute to diets and livelihoods in selected areas, motivations behind gathering (e.g. hunger or emergency, culture, income) and perceptions of their status in the wild and; (2) understanding prospects for improving livelihoods with the main-collected products (in this case insect-based NWFPs). All of this work aims to support official data collection on NWFPs, and better inform policies and decision making related to forests, land-use and healthy food systems more broadly.

The cork oak is one of the most important tree species in the Mediterranean basin, where it covers more than 2 million hectares. Among evergreen oaks, Quercus suber stands out for the variety of cultural systems in which it has been successfully employed, including typical agroforestry systems. Accordingly, a wide range of ecosystem services may be associated to cork oak, including the preservation of biodiversity, carbon sequestration and forage production. In the Mediterranean, the cork oak represents a key species for many natural and seminatural landscapes and habitats, as well as playing a prominent role for the economic and social development of local communities. However, there is increasing concern about the long-term conservation of Quercus suber forests and agroforestry systems throughout the distribution range. In fact, a range contraction of Quercus suber natural distribution is expected in the next decades, especially in the southern edge and at lower altitudes of species’ natural distribution range. Many factors have been invoked to explain the on-going process, among which overgrazing, soil pathogens and land-use changes are prominent. The aim of our work was to assess the variation in time of the area covered by the cork oak in Sicily. Different bibliographic sources were consulted, of course including the available National and Regional forest inventories. Although some discrepancies in inventory and historical data were found, an increasing trend of the area covered by the cork oak in Sicily would seem to have occurred. Notwithstanding this, a parallel worsening of the conservation status of most of these stands has been at the same time observed at a regional level. The frequent wildfires and the progressive abandonment of the cork oak cultivation have been suspected to play a major role in the current situation. It must be kept in mind that in many areas the cork oak has been favoured by man against other tree species, so the cork oak stands are in effect secondary forest stands, which rely on continuous human management. Hence, the clear decline observed is increasingly compromising the ability of the cork oak to provide ecosystem services for the community, although the area has increased. Particularly, the degradation processes may cause the loss of the ecosystem functions proper to the cork oak agroforestry systems as they are very simplified. Thus, the value linked to the production of cork is lost, along with the pasture value, and last but not least the landscape value. In this perspective, the management of cork oak forests in Sicily should be promoted, for instance through the adoption of specific sustainability indicators and fostering quality productions. Active interventions and sound restoration practices are urgently needed if we are to preserve the valuable social, ecological and landscape value of Quercus suber stands occurring in Sicily.

Pruning is an important horticultural practice for the management of olive orchards (Olea europaea L.) that generates a considerable amount of residues every year. Olive orchards are increasingly expanding beyond the Mediterranean Basin to new growing Countries (Australia, California, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay) and this will certainly lead to larger availability of pruning material. Currently, the interest in use of olive tree pruning residues for energy purposes is increasing but unfortunately, the information on the differences among organs of the tree, in terms of calorific value and ash content, is scarce. Another unknown aspect is the effect of cultivar vigour on dry matter partition among different tree organs, these are important traits to establish the energetic quality of pruning residues. The aim of this research was to study energetic aspects of six olive cultivars, largely grown in the Sicilian olive industry and characterized by different vigour. The trees taken into consideration in the study were selected in an experimental orchard to avoid any effect due to differences in environmental conditions and management. The energetic characteristics, calorific value and ash content, were evaluated for the various tree organs particularly shoots, leaves and branches; also root system was evaluated, although the roots can only be used once the trees are uprooted. Significant differences were observed in the calorific values among the different tree organs and the cultivars. Regarding the ash, shoots and leaves showed the highest content with respect to the other organs, thus causing a possible tendency in slagging with fouling and corrosion of boiler components.

With this contribution, an updated picture of the rapid expansion of Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata in Sicily is provided. On the one hand, this is a quite worrying sign, as this woody species figures among the world’s worst invasive alien species. On the other hand, the species shows interesting potential for production purposes (for wood, biomass and for feeding livestock), also considering its nitrogen fixation ability. Consequently, the two opposite options to cope with this species, i.e. cultivation and control/eradication, should accurately take into account the possible uses as well as its invasive behaviou.

The effective implementation of sustainable forest management depends largely on carrying out forest operations in a sustainable manner. Climate change, as well as the increasing demand for forest products, requires a re-thinking of forest operations in terms of sustainability. In this context, it is important to understand the major driving factors for the future development of forest operations that promote economic, environmental and social well-being. The main objective of this paper is to identify important issues concerning forest operations and to propose a new paradigm towards sustainability in a changing climate, work and environmental conditions. Previously developed concepts of forest operations are reviewed, and a newly developed concept - Sustainable Forest Operations (SFO), is presented. Five key performance areas to ensure the sustainability of forest operations include: (i) environment; (ii) ergonomics; (iii) economics; (iv) quality optimization of products and production; and (v) people and society. Practical field examples are presented to demonstrate how these five interconnected principles are relevant to achieving sustainability, namely profit and wood quality maximization, ecological benefits, climate change mitigation, carbon sequestration, and forest workers' health and safety. The new concept of SFO provides integrated perspectives and approaches to effectively address ongoing and foreseeable challenges the global forest communities face, while balancing forest operations performance across economic, environmental and social sustainability. In this new concept, we emphasize the role of wood as a renewable and environmentally friendly material, and forest workers' safety and utilization efficiency and waste management as additional key elements of sustainability.

Logging operations using heavy machinery effect changes in soil characteristics due to compaction; such conditions can negatively influence seedling development. In stands managed on the basis of close-to-nature silviculture or continuous cover forestry, successful establishment of natural regeneration after logging is important to ensure the proper functioning of a forest ecosystem, to promote soil recovery, and to prevent and mitigate land degradation processes (such as soil erosion, mudflow, waterlogging, and landslides) related to soil compaction and rutting. This work aimed to assess the early response of Quercus robur seedlings to soil compaction during the first 1.5months after germination. The study was carried out in a controlled environment using 8 L containers filled with natural alluvial soil. Three levels of soil compaction were applied in a laboratory using a compression-testing machine placed on the top surface of the soil in the containers. The morphological traits of the seedling shoot and root systems were analysed to compare 3 compaction levels. There were significant differences in seedling traits among the treatments, and they indicated that increasing levels of compaction reduced early seedling growth after emergence. Compaction had a larger impact on the root system, particularly the development at depth (root system depth, and main root length), compared with the shoot system. Our results suggest that compaction affects seedling root system growth following the first growth stages after germination; thus, compaction represents an additional critical factor for seedling establishment, particularly in environments where early growth is crucial for overcoming the dry season.

The results of a multidisciplinary survey on the use of wood in Sicily are presented here. This research, based on a thorough review of the information available from numerous sources, mostly related to Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities, sheds light on the lasting, widespread and diversified use of many tens of woody species - native and cultivated - growing on the island. This work represents an initial contribution to a topic largely overlooked the national and regional literature concerning forest sciences and wood technology. Contrariwise, the very precise information available on the specific uses of wood from certain Sicilian woody species clearly testifies to the profound knowledge and high level of skills acquired not only by local craftsmen’s associations (carpenters, cabinet-makers, shipwrights, etc.) but also by local farmers and other woodworking sectors. Moreover, the use of several woody plants points to the probable impact that past use of forest resources had on the distribution of a number of tree species, many of which now rarely occur on a regional level, namely large-leaved lime trees (Tilia platyphyllos), common ashes (Fraxinus excelsior), yews (Taxus baccata) and black alders (Alnus glutinosa).

Urban green infrastructure plays an increasingly significant role in sustainable urban development planning as it provides important regulating and cultural ecosystem services. Monitoring of such dynamic and complex systems requires technological solutions which provide easy data collection, processing, and utilization at affordable costs. To meet these challenges a pilot study was conducted using a network of wireless, low cost, and multiparameter monitoring devices, which operate using Internet of Things (IoT) technology, to provide real-time monitoring of regulatory ecosystem services in the form of meaningful indicators for both human health and environmental policies. The pilot study was set in a green area situated in the center of Moscow, which is exposed to the heat island effect as well as high levels of anthropogenic pressure. Sixteen IoT devices were installed on individual trees to monitor their ecophysiological parameters from 1 July to 31 November 2019 with a time resolution of 1.5 h. These parameters were used as input variables to quantify indicators of ecosystem services related to climate, air quality, and water regulation. Our results showed that the average tree in the study area during the investigated period reduced extreme heat by 2 &deg, C via shading, cooled the surrounding area by transferring 2167 &plusmn, 181 KWh of incoming solar energy into latent heat, transpired 137 &plusmn, 49 mm of water, sequestered 8.61 &plusmn, 1.25 kg of atmospheric carbon, and removed 5.3 &plusmn, 0.8 kg of particulate matter (PM10). The values of the monitored processes varied spatially and temporally when considering different tree species (up to five to ten times), local environmental conditions, and seasonal weather. Thus, it is important to use real-time monitoring data to deepen understandings of the processes of urban forests. There is a new opportunity of applying IoT technology not only to measure trees functionality through fluxes of water and carbon, but also to establish a smart urban green infrastructure operational system for management.

It is very important for managers to plan a road network that meets all the requirements for tourism development and management. The aim of this study was to evaluate and modify an existing road network for tourism purposes in the Arasbaran protected area. First, the map layers of effective criteria were prepared in GIS and were standardized by a fuzzy logic approach and finally combined considering their relative importance weights obtained through pair-wise comparison technique. A suitability map was then acquired. After that, 14 different scenarios of road network were designed to access the recreational area using PEGGER extension in ArcView. Then, they were evaluated in terms of technical, environmental, and socio-economic criteria to achieve the optimal-designed road network. Moreover, the existing road network was modified according to the optimal-designed road scenario. Finally, a modified version of the existing road network was proposed for tourism development and management in the Arasbaran region. Regarding the results, the slope criterion with a value of 0.289 was identified as the most important factor in providing a suitability map for road planning. The seventh scenario, with a road density of 3.34 m ha−1 and accessibility (hard) of 64.68%, was chosen as the optimal option to modify the existing road network due to the best performances in terms of minimum costs and environmental impacts on the basis of the highest value per unit length (72.26). According to the assessments and chi-square test comparison, the optimal-designed road network and the proposed road network were identified as better alternatives compared to the existing road. Based on this work, it can be concluded that the combination of GIS-MCDM approaches can properly assist in tourism planning and management.

In 1999, the European Union proclaimed hardwood dust carcinogenic based on the classification of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued in 1995. The operational exposure limit (OEL) for inhalable wood dust has been set to 5 mg m-3 by EU directives, though in different countries the OEL ranges from 1 to 5 mg m-3. The objective of this study was to determine the exposure to wood dust of forest workers in chainsaw cutting and processing and suggest possible countermeasures. The study took into consideration different silvicultural treatments (coppice clear cut, conifer thinning, conifer pruning, and sanitary cut) and chainsaw fuel (normal two-stroke gasoline mix and two alkylate fuels). All the forest operations were carried out in forests located in Central Italy, on the Apennine mountain range. During the tests, 100 samples were collected by means of personal SKC Button Sampler (one sample per worker per day). The results showed that exposure to wood dust varied widely with forest operation type, while no significant difference were found for different type of chainsaw fuel. The average wood dust concentration was about 1.5 mg m-3 for all operations except coppicing, which showed a mean level of about 2.1 mg m-3. About 93% of the samples showed a concentration lower than 3 mg m-3, and in only two samples (one in conifer pruning and one in clear cut in coppice), the concentration was slightly higher than 5 mg m-3.

In a sustainable perspective, where wood harvesting and use perfectly respond to environmental needs, social sustainability and related health and safety of forest workers cannot be disregarded. The aim of this study was the analysis of the accidents records in public companies in the Province of Trento, in Northern Italy, regarding forest operations in the period 1995–2013. Several information were available thanks to the up-to-date accident books compiled by each company. With an average Frequency index in the examined period of 88 injuries per million hours worked, forest operations were confirmed as one of the most dangerous works along all productive sectors. Monday had a significant higher frequency of accidents comparing to the other weekdays. The age of the workers seemed influencing the recovery period after injuries, which exponentially increase at rising age. Felling and processing definitely resulted as the most dangerous activity in forest operations covering the 31% of total accidents happened. ‘He puts a foot wrong…’, ‘He was hit by…’ were the most common phrases used in describing the studied accidents; these were the action cause of the accident and contribute explaining why body extremities, first of all the hands, were the body parts most injured. Finally, a new concept in accident analysis was proposed introducing the analysis of ‘recidivism’, which analysed the eventual recurrence of accidents to the same worker in a given period. Results have underlined that some workers had more than one injury during the analysed period, up to seven accidents for one of them.

Wood is a renewable resource and it actively contributes to enhance energy production under a sustainable perspective. However, harvesting, transport and use of wood imply several consequences and impacts on environment. There are different ways for managing forests dedicated to wood production and a sustainable approach is fundamental to preserve the resource. In this context, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a useful tool for estimating the environmental impacts related to renewable resources. Traditional coppice is a common approach for forest management in several areas, including southern Europe and, specifically, Italy, Spain and the Balkans. Due to different terrain conditions, different types of forest operations are considered for wood extraction from coppices, where the main product is firewood used in domestic heating. The aim of this work was to compare the main common systems for firewood production in two different terrain conditions (‘flat/low steep’ and ‘steep/very steep’ terrains), in a representative environment for Mediterranean area, located in central Italy, by means of LCA. Seven different impact categories were evaluated in a cradle-to-gate perspective taking into account all the operations carried out from the trees felling to the firewood storage at factory. Results showed that the extraction phase was the most important in terms of environmental burdens in firewood production and the use of heavy and high-power machines negatively influenced the emissions compared with manual operations. Finally, considering the general low-inputs involved in wood production in coppice, the transport of workers by car to the work site resulted on consistent contributions into environmental burdens. An additional analysis about the modifications of CH4 and N2O exchanges between soil and atmosphere, due to soil compaction in the extraction phase, was made and based on bibliographic information. Results showed a sensible difference between disturbed and undisturbed soil.

Several studies investigated soil disturbances caused on skid trails by forest logging. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about the severity and the distance of disturbances along both sides from the trails. The aims of this study were: i) to investigate the changes in physical and chemical properties of soil along the sides of skidding trails, ii) to measure the effects of soil compaction on of maple seedlings growth. Two levels of trail gradient (&lt, 20% and &gt, 20 %), four levels of traffic frequency (3, 8, 15, and 30 passes) and four distance buffer strip zones (0.5 m intervals from 0 to 2 m in distance) on both sides of skid trail edges were analyzed. Each treatment included three replicate plots. In order to investigate the effect of compaction on seedlings emergence and growth, maple seeds were sown after logging. The results highlighted significant changes in physical and chemical properties of soil for each traffic frequency in the closest buffer strip (from 0 to 0.5 m from the skid trail edges). The largest changes in soil properties were identified at 0.5 m distance zones for a slope gradient &gt, 20% after 3, 8, 15, and 30 skidding cycles. The highest changes were recorded on slope category &gt, 20%. The higher the soil compaction the lower the germination rate, root length, and stem height of seedlings.

La certificazione PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) è un sistema di valutazione della sostenibilità della gestitone forestale. Il sistema PEFC opera lungo tutta la catena di approvvigionamento forestale promuovendo le buone pratiche forestali e garantendo che il legname e i prodotti forestali non legnosi siano prodotti nel rispetto dei criteri degli standard ambientali e sociali. Numerosi studi dimostrano che la certificazione forestale, attraverso una maggiore consapevolezza di gestitone ambientale, determina una maggiore richiesta dei prodotti sul mercato. Nell'area mediterranea sono presenti circa 2,3 milioni di ettari di sughereta strettamente legati alla presenza dell’uomo. La produzione tradizionale di sughero se adeguatamente gestita risulta un processo di gestitone sostenibile permettendo la conservazione della biodiversità mediterranea e il mantenimento delle tradizioni culturali locali in rapida scomparsa. Nell’area mediterranea i boschi di sughera certificati PEFC al dicembre 2018 sono circa 132.000 ha distribuiti principalmente in Portogallo e in Spagna. Nel presente lavoro vengono mostrate tute le foreste certificate nell’area mediterranea e i loro risvolti in termini di benefici a livello locale. Inoltre viene presentato il primo caso di certificazione di una sughereta in Sicilia (sarebbe la seconda in Italia) con le raccomandazioni tecniche per l'implementazione di tale processo, con un approfondimento sulla successiva certificazione di catena di custodia, indispensabile per trasferire l’informazione della sostenibilità nella gestitone della sughereta al consumatore di sughero.

In accordo con le moderne esigenze di sostenibilità e multifunzitonalità, è oggi utile prendere in considerazitone la possibilità di riattivare processi legati ad antichi usi del bosco, la cui memtoria rischia di essere persa per sempre insieme alle tradizioni e ai costumi di comunità nate e sviluppatesi proprio grazie a tali attività. Partendo da tali presupposti, si è condotto uno studio sulla attività di resinazione condotta in Sicilia, a carico del pino laricio, nella pineta di Linguaglossa ricadente nel comune omonimo (prtovincia di Catania) sino agli anni ‘50 del secolo scorso in Sicilia. L’indagine ha inoltre avuto lo scopo di vagliare l’opportunità di ripristinare l’attività resinazione nel comune di Linguaglossa a fronte di un rinnovato interesse per questo prodotto ma prendendo in considerazione aspetti che tengano conto tanto della conservazione della pineta quanto della valorizzazione dei servizi ecosistemici come la prevenzione da incendi nonché la conservazione di valori storici e culturali. Sono state recuperate informazioni storiche riguardo le tecniche di resinazione utilizzate durante le diverse campagne resinifere condotte nel passato e, in particolar modo, ci si è concentrati sulla ricerca di informazioni storiografiche risalenti all’ultimo periodo di resinazione (prima metà del secolo scorso). La valutazione di un eventuale ripristino della resinazione in Sicilia non ha ptotuto prescindere dall’analisi della situazione europea e mondiale riguardo alla produzione di resina evidenziando difficoltà legate sopratutto alla limitata competizione del prodotto europeo. Tali difficoltà vengonto confermate dalla stessa ditta che operò a Linguaglossa, la ditta Lombardi, che ancora opera nel settore e che ha rappresentato un punto di riferimento fondamentale per la attività di resinazione nel territorio italiano. Le atuali tendenze e le previsitoni future del mercato evidenziano, tuttavia, una maggiore predisposizione del consumatore nei riguardi di prodotti derivati da risorse naturali rinnovabili e a chilometro zero. Come appare evidente dalle recenti esperienze condotte in diversi paesi europei, la resina europea presenta caratteri del tutto favorevoli al suo rilancio.

The economic importance of cork oak forests is mainly attributable to the role of provisioning non-timber forest products. The history of human management of these cork oaks stands make them a perfect example of agroforestry system, which surface is totally included in the Mediterranean-climate zones with more than 2.3 million hectares. In Sicily, the surface covered by cork forests amounts to about 15,000 ha but the most of this area is not affected by cultural practices. The cultural abandonment of many cork oak stands threatens their survival because of the close link between the conservation of cork stands and its use for productive purposes. The abandonment reasons are related to poor enhancement of cork raw material. However, in recent years some surveys have verified the high quality of cork obtained in Sicily. It is therefore possible to revive the sector through the validation of the product but also the certification of the management processes of the cork, if it is coming from a certified sustainable management. Certification of sustainable management of the cork stands owned by a Sicilian cork company called Syfar, with the certification of the chain of custody for the manufacture of articles of cork, such as coarse grained cork sheets for thermal and sound insulation, allows the Italian company to sell its product at national level and abroad, for the market of “green building” that is looking for certified material from the ethical and the quality point of views.

Forest roads play a key-role in fire fighting activities. In fact, all ground-based activities are strictly related to the presence of forest roads as access to fire edge. In spite of this important role, forest roads are often planned and built without considering their use in fire fighting, and this also occurs in literature, where few studies are dedicated to the importance of forest roads in fire fighting. A well-developed and well-maintained forest road network is the answer to different needs in fire management. The objective of this review is to clarify basic principles for obtaining efficient road network also for fire fighting, collecting, defining and resuming the main roles, the most important aspects and the reported experiences to be taken into account in forest road network planning and maintenance in fire-prone areas. The most important themes treated are related to: i) the analysis of the functions of forest roads in fire prevention and suppression; ii) the importance of forest road planning and building also considering their importance for protecting forests against fires: iii) the construction and maintenance characteristics to be considered for building and maintaining an efficient forest road network against fires; iv) the importance of fire prevention and the related role of forest roads. Special attention has been dedicated to maintenance activities, because a not well-maintained forest road is a not efficient forest road, and it represents a useless economic and environmental cost.

Olive tree (Olea europaea L) represents one of the most important evergreen tree species. In Sicily agroforestry systems based on the olive tree, named traditional olive orchard, are common and often are grown together to other tree crops, such as vineyards, or with cereals or forages. This last are usually grown in the interspace between rows and particularly in olive groves were planting density is rather low (less than 200 trees/ha). To increase crop efficiency and to reduce costs of harvesting, by using proper machines, in the last 20 years in the olive industry have been developed new planting systems: Intensive (up to 400 trees/ha), and the Superintensive (up to 2000 trees/ha). Within the project LIFE15 OLIVE4CLIMATE has been evaluated the balance, in terms of biomass and of carbon sequestration, for the above olive orchard systems. The biomass of orchard was evaluated both in the above- and in the below-ground tree components. The dry matter of the vegetation removed by pruning was evaluated as well. The enlargement of trunk cross sectional area, the dry matter accumulated in the cover crop and the root biomass were measured as well. By the data currently collected resulted that carbon sequestration efficiency in the Traditional olive orchards is greater than in the Superintensive ones and this, affects the carbon sequestration efficiency in the two orchard systems studied.

In many activities, chainsaw users are exposed to the risk of injuries and several other hazard factors that may cause health problems. In fact, environmental and working conditions when using chainsaws result in workers&rsquo, exposure to hazards such as noise, vibration, exhaust gases, and wood dust. Repeated or continuous exposure to these unfavourable conditions can lead to occupational diseases that become apparent after a certain period of time has elapsed. Since the use of electric tools is increasing in forestry, the present research aims to evaluate the noise and vibration exposure caused by four models of electric chainsaws (Stihl MSA160T, Stihl MSA200C Li-Ion battery powered and Stihl MSE180C, Stihl MSE220C wired) during cross-cutting. Values measured on the Stihl MSA160T chainsaw (Li-Ion battery) showed similar vibration levels on both right and left handles (0.9&ndash, 1.0 m s&minus, 2, respectively) and so did the other battery-powered chainsaw, the Stihl MSA200C (2.2&ndash, 2.3 m s&minus, 2 for right and left handles, respectively). Results showed a range of noise included between 81 and 90 dB(A) for the analysed chainsaws. In conclusion, the vibrations and noise were lower for the battery chainsaws than the wired ones, but, in general, all the values were lower than those measured in previous studies of endothermic chainsaws.

Originally published in Forests: Picchio R, Venanzi R, Latterini F, Marchi E, Laschi A, Lo Monaco A (2018). Corsican pine (Pinus laricio Poiret) stand management: medium and long lasting effects of thinning on biomass growth. Forests 9 (5), article number 257, p. 1-17 (open access) DOI:10.3390/f9050257 This article can be downloaded at:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/9/5/257 Abstract With the aim of acquiring better comprehension of the ecological and productive aspects of the management of pine forests, we monitored logging damage and evaluated the effects of thinning on stand growth 20 years after the treatment in a Pinus laricio Poiret stand in central Italy. The objectives of the present study were to estimate the injury levels to the remaining trees after thinning; to assess logging damage in the long-term by monitoring residual trees at the end of thinning; to evaluate the effect of damage on the radial growth of trees; to assess the stand dynamics in relation to injury levels and the treatment applied in a twenty-year range; to understand a possible treatment return time; and to evaluate the existence of the “thinning shock”. The results were that 20 years after treatment, the stand dynamics showed a complete recovery; logging damage did not affect the radial growth of P. laricio over time; a second treatment seem to be sustainable starting from the fifteenth year after the previous treatment; and the thinning shock can be clearly evaluated in the first six to seven years after the treatment. Keywords: stand growing; thinning shock; forest logging; tree wounds; tree ring width.

Damage to forest soil caused by vehicle traffic mainly consists of soil compaction, displacement, and rut formation. Severity of the damage depends on vehicle mass, weight of the carried loads, ground morphology, and soil properties, such as moisture. This paper investigates the impacts of two types of vehicles (tracked or wheeled tractor), traffic intensities (one or five skidding cycles) and soil moisture (24% or 13% by weight) on compaction of a loam textured soil in a mixed conifer stand of central Italy. Changes in porosity, bulk density, shear and penetration resistances were analyzed. The latter three parameters were significantly higher in the trafficked soil portions than in the undisturbed ones in all treatments, while the opposite was true for porosity. The impact on soil bulk density and porosity was stronger for the wheeled tractor working on moist soil, while no significant effect of soil moisture was recorded for the tracked tractor. Shear and penetration resistances increased as a consequence of traffic, depending on both tractor type and soil moisture. The largest impact on shear resistance was recorded for the wheeled tractor on moist soil, while significant differences in penetration resistance were observed only between tracked and wheeled tractors in dry soil conditions. In order to preserve soil quality during logging activities, we recommend to operate under dry soil conditions and to limit vehicle movement on existing or new planned trails.

International audience; AbstractKey messageIndustrial computed tomography scanning of logs provides detailed information on timber quality prior to sawing. A sawing simulation—considering log rotation angle and knot size accuracy—revealed an average value increase of up to 20% for the best angle compared to the conventional horns-up position.ContextComputed tomography (CT) scanning has the potential to improve the value of products sawn from logs and meets the increasing demands of the wood industry for detailed information on log quality prior to processing.AimsIn a validation step, automated measurements of knot cluster variable DAB (DIN 4074-1:2012-06) using CT were compared with manual measurements. In a second optimization step, the hypothesis that the value of the sawn products is increased by sawing at the best rotation angle as opposed to the horns-up position was tested.MethodsA sample of 36 Douglas-fir logs were scanned in an industrial CT scanner, and sawn into boards. Knots on the boards were manually measured, and compared with the corresponding knots on virtual boards created from the CT data. The error of the DAB was measured by comparing CT data to manual measurements. An optimized sawing simulation was performed, using the measured DAB error to account for CT measurement errors, as well as a rotational error to account for errors in the log turning equipment. Using the results of the sawing simulation, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to show the potential and benefit of an industrial CT scanner.ResultsThe three largest DABs measured by the CT showed good correlation to the measurements on the manual boards. The simulation revealed an average increase of value from 4 to 20% compared to the conventional horns-up position depending on the relative price differences between the strength grades.ConclusionBy using a CT scanner to optimize sawing, sawmill owners can process logs in a better way to produce final products with increased added value.

The objective of this study was to investigate the inhalation exposure of forest operators to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and total xylenes) contained in the exhaust fumes released from chainsaws and to suggest possible countermeasures. The study was carried out in four silvicultural treatments (coppice clearcut, conifer thinning, conifer pruning, and sanitary cut), using three types of chainsaw fuel (normal two-stroke petrol mix and two alkylate fuels). Eighty personal air samples were collected; IOM samplers combined with Amberlite XAD-2 sorbent tubes were used for collecting PAHs and Radiello® samplers were used for BTEX. Results indicate that none of the four silvicultural treatments significantly affected the PAHs and BTEX inhalation exposure of forest workers. On the other hand, statistically significant differences were recorded in the inhalation exposure to PAHs and BTEX when using different fuel types. In particular, the inhalation exposure to PAHs and BTEX was generally one order of magnitude lower when using modern alkylate fuels as compared to the traditional oil and lead-free petrol mixture. The small, non-statistically significant differences in inhalation exposure recorded between the two alkylate fuels suggests that the two fuels might be equivalent in terms of quality. Our study indicates that while forest workers are exposed to PAHs and BTEX, the maximum values are generally well below accepted occupational exposure limits.

The use of wood for energy has grown in the last years as an alternative to fossil fuels. National and international laws promote the use of wood in the policies for the mitigation of climate change, based on the assumption that wood has a neutral carbon balance because the combustion emissions are offset by the absorption in forest (assumption of carbon neutrality). However, this assumption does not take into account the emissions associated with the life cycle of the product, e.g. related to processing and transporting biomass. In addition there is a time lag between the release of CO2 during combustion and its absorption in forest and this could have an impact on global warming. The objectives of this research project are: 1) to assess the environmental impacts of wood products through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA); 2) to include the dynamics of forest carbon sequestration and natural decomposition of woody biomass in LCA. The research is conducted by means of two case studies: the first is the LCA of firewood in the Northern East Italy; the second concerns the production of wood chips in the Pacific Northwest in the United States. This dissertation consists in eight chapters. Chapter 1 describes the legislative framework and the state of the art of the international experiences and research projects on the subject. A review of literature studies was conducted highlighting the main limitations and defining the research objectives. Chapters 2 and 3 analyze the supply chain of wood products for bioenergy, providing reference data for the biomass extraction and production processes, the physico-chemical properties of wood and the LCA methodology, in terms of standards, databases, softwares and methodologies. Chapters 4 and 5 present the results of the two case studies which identify the transportation to be the critical phase of LCA, in the case of firewood related to the importation of raw materials from abroad, in the case of chips related to the transportation on forest road. Chapter 6 deals with the assessment of carbon sinks and stocks in the study areas previously analyzed. In Chapter 7 we face the problem of how to include forest carbon sequestration within the LCA. This led to the development of a methodology to perform a "dynamic LCA", which, in Chapter 8, is applied to a case study in the Pacific Northwest. The methodology is based on the use of radiative forcing to evaluate the impact of emissions and absorption sources on climate change. The results show that, in the case study considered, a "Radiative Forcing Turning Point" exists, i.e. a point located approximately in the middle of the forest rotation period (from 17 to 21 years old), where the life cycle impacts are compensated by carbon dioxide absorption and beyond which the biomass produces a net benefit in the carbon balance. The development of a dynamic LCA is very innovative in the context of LCA and allowed to discuss the veracity of the assumption of carbon neutrality.

Gli autori sintetizzano tutte le informazioni bibliografiche e inedite sulle specie che sino al 30 agosto 2015 sono state contattate almeno una volta nelle 14 isole circumsiciliane (Eolie, Ustica, Egadi, Pantelleria e Pelagie), confrontando alla fine la lista complessiva con quella delle isole Maltesi. In totale sono ad oggi note 434 specie (isole Maltesi incluse); molte di esse hanno mostrato nel corso dei secoli una notevole capacità di colonizzazione, fluttuando nel tempo o addirittura estinguendosi e ricolonizzando alcune isole. Questi piccoli territori in mezzo al mare rappresentano ottimi siti di controllo dell’andamento delle migrazioni nel corso dei decenni; alcune specie hanno chiaramente cambiato il loro status rispetto al passato, aumentando o diminuendo. Nel corso di circa 15 anni in alcune di queste isole (Ustica, Marettimo, Lampedusa e Linosa) sono stati condotti dei campi di inanellamento sia primaverili sia autunnali che hanno permesso di inanellare 102.208 uccelli, in gran parte Passeriformes; ciò ha consentito di raccogliere una notevole mole di dati sulle strategie migratorie, che vengono qui brevemente presentati. Le piccole isole sono davvero importanti per gli uccelli migratori transahariani, che devono sostare durante i loro lunghi viaggi per recuperare energie; la disponibilità di risorse sotto forma di frutti selvatici o di insetti (a seconda delle specie) consente a queste masse di migratori di continuare il loro viaggio. La conservazione degli uccelli è dettata dalla Direttiva Uccelli e l’istituzione delle Zone di Protezione Speciale ha proprio lo scopo di salvaguardare alcune specie in determinati territori. Questo è un impegno preso da parte di tutti i Paesi dell’Unione Europea, proprio perché le popolazioni di uccelli non conoscono confini amministrativi e la loro tutela va al di là delle competenze e degli interessi di un singolo Paese. Per quanto riguarda le specie nidificanti, è risultata un’elevata correlazione negativa (r=-0,746), altamente significativa (P=0,002) tra la capacità dispersiva media delle specie e la superficie in km2 delle isole. Le specie con minore capacità dispersiva hanno colonizzato le isole di maggiori dimensioni, ma non quelle più piccole; questo con molta probabilità dipende dalla eterogeneità ambientale, a sua volta legata alla dimensione delle isole ed alla loro posizione geografica. Nel caso delle isole circumsiciliane, sembra che non sia tanto la distanza dalla costa a determinare il numero di specie, quanto le condizioni ambientali e la posizione geografica; indubbiamente la posizione tirrenica delle isole settentrionali rappresenta un vantaggio per la presenza di habitat differenziati e la conseguente colonizzazione di specie ad essi legate, mentre la posizione meridionale, influenzata dall’aridità africana, riduce alcune possibilità colonizzatrici da parte di alcune specie di uccelli e rende altresì problematica la stessa esistenza di habitat diversificati. Il numero delle specie nidificanti in un’isola è variabile nel tempo, essendovi specie che vi nidificano in modo irregolare. La correlazione area/N° specie nelle isole circumsiciliane è pari a 0,58, ma se si esclude l’isola di Pantelleria, sale a 0,86; essa è pari a 0,92 per le sole isole settentrionali (Eolie, Ustica ed Egadi), mentre risulta 0,99 per le sole tre isole meridionali del Canale di Sicilia. Authors summarize all bibliographic and unpublished information on bird species that have been detected at least one time up to 30th August 2015 in the 14 circum-sicilian islands (Eolian, Ustica, Egadi, Pantelleria and Pelagian Is.). The Appendix 1 compares overall lists with that of the Maltese Is., also lying in the Sicilian waters. On the whole, 434 species are known till now (Maltese Is. included); many of them showed a high colonizing capacity along the centuries, fluctuating or even becoming extinct and re-colonising some islands. These small territories in the middle of the Mediterranean sea are very good check-control sites of long-term migration trend; compared to the past, some species changed their status, increasing or declining. Additionally, during the last 15 years in some of these islands (Ustica, Marettimo, Lampedusa and Linosa) bird ringing activity has been carried out, both in spring and in autumn; it allowed to ring 102,208 birds, mainly Passeriformes; this opportunity allowed to collect a remarkable amount of data on migration strategy, here presented. The small islands are very important stop-over sites for transsaharan migratory birds, that must rest during their long journey to recover fuel in the form of fat; the availability of natural resources, such as wild fruits or insects, allows these masses of migrant birds to continue their trip. The conservation of birds has been established by the Bird Directive and the institution of Zones of Special Protection has the aim to safeguard some species in some territories. This agreement was signed by all countries of the EU, because bird populations do not know administrative borders and their conservation lies beyond the interests and authorities of a single country. Concerning breeding birds, a high negative correlation (r=-0.746, P=0.002) has been found between the average dispersal power of species and the area in km2 of islands. Species with minor dispersal power colonized the biggest but not the smallest islands; this, very probably depended on habitat heterogeneity of islands, in turn linked to the size of them and to the geographical position, more than to the distance from the continental land. Tyrrhenian position of northern islands is certainly an advantage for the presence of diversified habitats and birds inhabiting them, whereas southern position of Pantelleria and Pelagian Is., as well as Maltese Is., affected by African dryness, decreases colonizing probabilities of some bird species and the same existence of diversified habitats. The number of breeding species in each island varied along the time and some species bred irregularly. The correlation area/No. species in the islands surrounding Sicily resulted to be 0.58, but if we exclude Pantelleria Is., it grows to 0.86; besides, it grows to 0.92 if we consider only northern islands (Eolian, Ustica and Egadi Is.), and to 0.99 if we consider only southern islands.

This research aims to define a GIS tool for the accessibility evaluation of mountainous areas through the assessment of secondary transportation network, forest roads together with mountain trails. Such a network of unpaved trails guarantees the passage through less urbanized and natural environments which touristic value is increasing in recent times. Mountains and hilly areas are increasing in popularity and as a consequence their road and trail network is becoming more important and much more used by tourists which are even more involved in lot of different activities. Due to these new interests the secondary network could also assume an important role in emergency intervention. So that in recent times, the growing number of people involved in nature-based tourism and recreation activities has led to an increase in Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in mountainous areas. A retrospective review of search and rescue incident reports for the study area is presented over a period of twenty years. Once obtain a picture of the situation of mountain accidents the study considered the access time of rescue crews to intervene in relation to the secondary road network characteristics. The final goal of the study is the definition of a GIS model that underlines accumulative travel time for rescuers in ground interventions. So as the access time depends on how teams can move on the territory the study at first evaluates environmental characteristics that mainly affect the progression on the ground whether it is motorized or pedestrian. The GIS model evaluates step by step these situations relating them together. The creation of the final model requires the knowledge of the area and the methods of conducting rescue operations in order to identify the environmental characteristics that mostly affect the speed. So the study presents at first a description of the mountain territory under study with a focus on secondary transportation network, then a detailed analysis on vehicle and walking speeds of SAR ground crews is presented. Speed analyses are carried out to evaluate motorized and walking SAR intervention both along trails and on off-trail areas like forests and grasslands. Statistical models derived from speed analysis are then integrated into a GIS model. These models have been developed to generate maps of the total accumulative travel time as the sum of time travelled by the SAR crews with the support of vehicles and the travelling time of the same SAR crew on foot along trails and in off-trail situations. The outputs are used also to evaluate the use of small All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) as an alternative to 4WD cars. As conclusion it can be stated that the secondary transportation network should be assessed today not only for its touristic value but also for the role it can play in emergency operations. These considerations acquire further importance considering the increased responsibility of mountain rescue teams whose interventions in recent decades has increasingly demanded.

A well-developed road network allows all forest activities, including wood harvesting, firefighting and recreational activities. However, forest road construction and maintenance involve economic and environmental costs. For these reasons, forest road network planning is a fundamental phase of forest management, maximising the benefits and reducing costs and impacts. Thanks to modern technologies in data collection both for terrestrial and forest characteristics, new methods and tools have been developed to improve and facilitate road planning. The aim of this study was the development of a Decision Support System for helping managers during forest road network planning, exploiting Multi-Criteria Analysis, an Analytic Hierarchy Process and Geographic Information Systems. Three steps characterised the study: Þ an in-depth survey of the existing forest road network Þ an accessibility evaluation, based on a commonly applied Italian definition, taking into account the morphological characteristics of the land Þ an estimation of the accessibility requirements through the analysis of experts’ opinions, defined as Road Needs Index, based on different factors These phases were applied to a forest property located in northern Italy, and some improvements were proposed simulating a manager’s approach during planning. The results showed interesting features in accessibility evaluation, which identified three different classes of accessibility, represented in a map. The estimation of Road Needs Index assigned a class regarding road requirements to each forest management unit: »low«, »medium«, »high« and »very high«. This information was merged, becoming a useful tool to identify the forest areas with the highest problems in relation to the forest road network.

La pubblicazione affronta varie tematiche inerenti l'impiego di macchine e attrezzature altamente meccanizzate per l'esbosco dei prodotti legnosi e analizza in dettaglio le buone prassi raccomandate per ridurre gli impatti al suolo di macchine che sono sempre più potenti e pesanti. Risultati conclusivi del progetto SKIDDFORW