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Work Productivity, Costs and Environmental Impacts of Two Thinning Methods in Italian Beech High Forests

Author

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  • Francesco Latterini

    (Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland)

  • Rachele Venanzi

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Walter Stefanoni

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Giulio Sperandio

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Alessandro Suardi

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Vincenzo Civitarese

    (Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Rodolfo Picchio

    (Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

Abstract

In the Mediterranean area, the most common management of beech forests relies on the shelterwood system. However, more effort has been put into developing alternative silvicultural treatments to enhance the forests’ capacity to provide the higher ecosystem services. The crop-tree management system seems to perform well, particularly under the economic point of view. Moreover, it can provide higher quality timber from thinning interventions which are carried out before the end of the rotation period. However, very few articles have been found in the literature dealing with evaluation of the economic and environmental performance of the alternative thinning method based on crop-tree management (AT) in comparison to the traditional thinning from below typical of the shelterwood system (TT). Therefore, three study areas in Italy were selected to assess working productivity, costs and GHG emissions associated with the two methods. In the study areas with the application of mechanized extraction systems, AT showed higher work productivity and lower costs than TT, whereas GHG emissions reduction by AT was observed only in one of the three study areas. There was not significant improvement related to AT application when using animals for extraction operations. AT was more economically sustainable for thinning interventions in beech high forests, but the reduction of GHG emissions was not as effective as in TT. Crop-tree management proved to be a suitable option to be applied in beech forest stands, although further studies should focus on the overall rotation cycle and include the evaluation of impacts on productivity of a higher presence of saplings expected after crop-tree intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesco Latterini & Rachele Venanzi & Walter Stefanoni & Giulio Sperandio & Alessandro Suardi & Vincenzo Civitarese & Rodolfo Picchio, 2022. "Work Productivity, Costs and Environmental Impacts of Two Thinning Methods in Italian Beech High Forests," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-14, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:18:p:11414-:d:912602
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Janine Schweier & Boško Blagojević & Rachele Venanzi & Francesco Latterini & Rodolfo Picchio, 2019. "Sustainability Assessment of Alternative Strip Clear Cutting Operations for Wood Chip Production in Renaturalization Management of Pine Stands," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-26, August.
    2. Rachele Venanzi & Francesco Latterini & Walter Stefanoni & Damiano Tocci & Rodolfo Picchio, 2022. "Variations of Soil Physico-Chemical and Biological Features after Logging Using Two Different Ground-Based Extraction Methods in a Beech High Forest—A Case Study," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-14, March.
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    Cited by:

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