BioMatNet Item: AIR2-CT94-0905 - Improvement of Coppice Forests in the Mediterranean Region (MEDCOP)

AIR2-CT94-0905
Improvement of Coppice Forests in the Mediterranean Region (MEDCOP)

Contacts
Further Information

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AIR Cluster IX - Forestry : Forestry : Wood (Lignocellulose)

	Contract No	AIR2-CT94-0905
	Total Cost	1 673 800
	EC Contribution	1 198 800
	Start Date	01/09/1994
	Duration	36 months

OBJECTIVE:

Coppice forests of indigenous species cover in the five EC countries of the Mediterranean area (PT, ES, FR, IT, GR) a surface of 8 million hectares, representing a significant part of the total forest cover in these countries. They nowadays show serious problems of forest and environmental policy. In fact, the past intensive exploitation of the coppices (short rotation period, grazing activity and wildfires) greatly modified the original biocenosis leading often to their degradation and sometimes to their destruction. In the last twenty years the exploitation of coppice forests was strongly reduced in many regions because of economic, social and environmental changes; this trend continues and gradually involves almost all the Mediterranean coppices in addition to traditional silvicultural practices; abandonment (no silviculture), longer rotation periods, conversion into high forest for a multipurpose management or for a high quality wood production (especially in chestnut).

The general objective of the project is the definition of new management systems for coppice forests in the Mediterranean region, in order to rationalise and to improve the traditional management techniques and to ensure the gradual functional restoration of these ecosystems, largely simplified by past human action. Special attention will be paid to the two main guidelines for the future which nowadays demand to be adequately investigated in order to support the managers and politicians actions:

-maintain the traditional silvicultural system only where the exploitation responds to sustainable criteria;
-support and promote, step by step, the evolution towards the previous, original forests.

The project which deals with all the main coppice typologies in each country (Quercus faginea, Q. pyrenaica, Q. ilex, Q. pubescens, Q. cerris, Q. conferta, Castanea sativa stands), has a multidisciplinary character with five main tasks. Each task includes more detailed topics.

Task 1 - Eco-physiology and stand dynamics

1.1 Ecological niches of some Mediterranean oak species and their relationships with productivity; autoecology, stand/site relation and species richness.
1.2 Coppice stand dynamics: canopy efficiency and properties, root systems, stool physiology and biogeochemical cycles.
1.3 Photosynthetic activity and limiting factors.
1.4 Demography of damaging insects

Task 2 - Silvicultural practices

2.1 Dynamics of shoots population; stool resprouting, evolutive patterns of stand structure and competition processes.
2.2 Spacing and thinning regime in coppice system and conversion area.
2.3 Natural regeneration from seed in coppices converted into high forest.

Task 3 - Growth and yield

3.1 Biometric characterisation of the stand under different regimes (managed coppice, undisturbed ageing coppice and coppice in conversion into high forest).
3.2 Allometric relations, growth pattern and yield capacity.

Task 4 - Harvesting techniques

4.1 Analysis and comparison of different harvesting techniques, from the point of view of work productivity, financial efficiency and environmental consequences.
4.2 Harvestable area and volume according to silvicultural practice and stand characteristics.

Task 5 - Evaluation of multiple use potentialities in the coppice area

Contacts

Coordinator

Prof. Riccardo Morandini / Istituto Sperimentale per la Selvicoltura / ITALY

EC Scientific Officer

Alexandros ARABATZIS / European Commission DG Research Theme 1 Key Action 5.3 / BELGIUM

Participant