Combined forest and soil management after a catastrophic event

At the end of October 2018,a storm of unprecedented strength severely damaged the forests of the eastern sector of the Italian Alps.The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha.The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the University of Padua.After eight months of discussion,the authors of this article wrote a consensus text.The sometimes asper debate brought to light some crucial aspects:1)even experienced specialists may have various opinions based on scientific knowledge that lead to conflicting proposals for action.For some of them there is evidence that to restore a destroyed natural environment it is more judicious to do nothing;2)the soil corresponds to a living structure and every ecosystem’s management should be based on it;3)faced with a catastrophe,people and politicians find themselves unarmed,also because they rarely have the scientific background to understand natural processes.Yet politicians are the only persons who make the key decisions that drive the economy in play and therefore determine the near future of our planet.This article is an attempt to respond directly to the governor of a region who formally and prudently asked a university department called"Land,Environment,Agriculture and Forestry"for help before taking decisions;4)the authors also propose an artistic interpretation of facts(uncontrolled storm)and conclusions(listen to the soil).Briefly,the authors identify the soil as an indispensable source for the renewal of the destroyed forest,give indications on how to prepare a map of the soils of the damaged region,and suggest to anchor on this soil map a series of silvicultural and soil management actions that will promote the soil conservation and the faster recovery of the natural dynamic stability and resilience.

Wild grapevine(Vitis vinifera subsp.sylvestris)in the Hyrcanian relict forests of northern Iran:an overview of current taxonomy,ecology and palaeorecords

Due to severe anthropogenic impacts on lowland and submontane zones of the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran, wild grapevine(Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris), a sporadically distributed woody liana, is currently considered an endangered species. Using data from the literature and 34 studied populations, herbarium assessments and nine palynological sites, we provide an overview of its taxonomy,distribution and ecology in the first part of the investigation.The separation of the two subspecies, namely V. sylvestris subsp. anebophylla and V. sylvestris subsp. trichophylla(sensu Flora Iranica), based on their leaf indumentums, could not be confirmed by our examination of herbarium materials and field observations. Indumentum of the leaves is a result of leaf polymorphism in different Vitis specimens and can be strongly influenced by environmental conditions. Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris grows in a wide range of habitats including wetlands, seasonal stream sides in closed forests,alluvial beds of large rivers, sand dune shrublands and forested wetlands(alder forests). Parrotia persica and Carpinus betulus were the most frequent host species in the studied populations. In the Hyrcanian region, no pollen record of Vitis older than the Mid-or Late-Holocene has yet been established. Despite the intrinsic problem in pollen identification by normal(i.e., light) microscopy of wild from cultivated grapevines, the significant values and persistent occurrence of Vitis pollen since the Mid-Holocene(before the Bronze Age) in the Hyrcanian pollen records may imply the onset of viticulture in low-to mid-elevation sites in the region. This represents an argument to consider the Hyrcanian region as a possible domestication center for V. vinifera.However, the question of wild versus cultivated origin of grapevines in the Hyrcanian pollen records and the possible date of its domestication and/or cultivation will remain open until further palynological studies are undertaken.

Patterns of climber distribution in temperate forests of the Americas

Aims and Methods We propose a standard protocol at the landscape to continental scale for examining to what extent the range of ecological conditions found in temperate latitudes explains the variations in climber species richness and traits.The protocol was tested in forests of the two Americas.The data set included 151 climber species.We selected four categorical traits and grouped these species into six clusters with regard to these traits.Floristic records of American forests were first gathered into alliances,second combined with bioclimatic indices(rainfall,temperature,continentality).We obtained a total of 59 vegetational units in which we calculated values of climber species richness and proportion of clusters.Vegetational units were ultimately gathered into five forest formations(characterized by leaf longevity).Wetlands and uplands were considered separately.Important Findings Our results emphasize clear trends in large-scale patterns of climber distribution,independently of taxonomy.Climber species richness(in particular woody climbers)peaks in moist and warm upland forests with oceanic climates,and where conifers are rare.In flooded areas,climber richness is also very high and peaks in seasonally flooded large floodplains.In ecological conditions of frost,dryness or lack of nutrients,climber species richness,abundance and trait diversity decline,resulting in the dominance of small,twining and deciduous life traits.