Evolutionary dynamics of birch (Betula aetnensis Rafin) coppices on the Mount Etna (Sicily)
| Autor: | Francesco Scarfò, V. la Piana, Francesco Solano, G. Spampinato, N. Sciascia, Angelo Merlino, Silvio Bagnato, Roberto Mercurio |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | italština |
| Rok vydání: | 2014 |
| Předmět: |
biology
Ecology Context (language use) Forestry Vegetation biology.organism_classification Forest restoration Forest Restoration Coppicing Geography Betula Aetnensis Vegetation Dynamics lcsh:SD1-669.5 Mount Etna lcsh:Forestry Evolutionary dynamics Coppice Selection System Beech Restoration ecology Silviculture |
| Zdroj: | Forest@, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 52-65 (2014) |
| ISSN: | 1824-0119 |
| Popis: | Evolutionary dynamics of birch (Betula aetnensis Rafin) coppices on the Mount Etna (Sicily). The aim of this paper is to evaluate the dynamics of Etna birch stands (Betula aetnensis Rafin) following the cessation of silvicultural activities in the Etna Regional Park (Sicily). We investigated forest structure, natural regeneration, vegetation and deadwood in different forest types. Our findings highlighted three different dynamics for birch populations: stable birch stands in the high mountain area which might represent an edapho-climax forest; progressive dynamic birch stands in the intermediate mountain area, showing a gradual depletion of birch and a concomitant replacement with monospecific stands (calabrian pine, beech, oaks) or mixed ones (with birch); pure birch stands (typical) that tend to be regressive - especially under stressful conditions - and to be replaced by xerophilous grasslands. Following the cessation of coppicing and with stand ageing, the stumps transformation into more homogeneous stand structures have been increasing. Within the context of protected areas the restoration of coppice selection system (with appropriate adaptations) could help to maintain the traditional forest landscape, acting as a silvicultural technique with low environmental and landscape impact. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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