Qualitative and Quantitative Characterization of Deadwood Related to the Accessibility of Managed Beech Forests of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park

oleh: Angela Lo Monaco, Bianca Sipala, Francesco Latterini, Rodolfo Picchio

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-10-01

Deskripsi

Deadwood is a basic component in forest ecosystems since it supports many ecological and functional roles. Despite the importance of deadwood for assessing the sustainability of forest management, information on this fundamental parameter of forest ecosystems is documented mainly for protected areas, while for managed forests it is much scarcer. The study aims to assess the deadwood in managed beech forests of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. These forests have an important socio-economic function for the local population, who collect the deadwood as allowed by the park regulation. The presence of deadwood found from inside the forest to logging roads was investigated. Three accessibility classes were established, and data analysis was performed according to this classification. The result showed that the accessibility to the forest affects the quantity and the decay class of the deadwood. In conclusion, the deadwood removal influences the quantity of deadwood in the forest and the removal is affected by the distance from the road.