Soil Biological Communities and Aboveground Resilience 22eP LIFE14 CCM/IT/000905 “Recovery of degraded coniferous Forests for environmental sustainability Restoration and climate change Mitigation” Lagomarsino Alessandra1, Chiavetta Ugo2, De Meo Isabella1, Cantiani Paolo2, Paletto Alessandro3, Radoglou Kalliopi4 1Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (CREA), research centre for agrobiology and pedology (CREA-ABP); 2 CREA, forestry research centre (CREA-SEL); 3 CREA, research unit for forest planning and monitoring (CREA-MPF); 4 Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) Degraded pine forests loss of biomass or reduced production  Decrease in canopy cover and regeneration, forest fragmentation, unstable structural conditions. Larger emission no more balanced by the C storage capacity in woody biomass and soil: reduced potential of these forests to act as a sink or even source of GHGs High fires risk   Objectives Mitigation options: Increase the net primary production Increase C accumulation in soil Contain green-house gas emissions from deadwood decomposition Fossil fuel substitution with bio-energy production 2. Forest sustainability To restore the ecological stability and enhance resistance and resilience of the target ecosystems To provide a list of “good practices” on forest management options for the conversion of degraded coniferous forests To reduce fire risk, through deadwood removal 3. Ecosystem services Maintain/improve ecosystem services including biodiversity, soil protection, recreational and touristic activities. To enter the C credit market. BENEFICIARIES Project coordinator alessandra.lagomarsino@entecra.it www.lifeforesmit.com Soil Biological Communities and Aboveground Resilience The 3rd annual meeting of FP1305 Biolink Cost Action - Rome, 17-19 November 2015

Implementation actions 22eP Lagomarsino et al. LIFE14 CCM/IT/000905 Implementation actions Implementation sites: Italy & Greece The stands are characterized by a dominant crop layer of Pinus nigra. The understory layer is mainly occupied by Cupressus spp. (with many decaying trees) and both younger individuals and regeneration of broadleaves. Application of silvicultural treatments : Control plot Traditional thinning Innovative selective thinning Traditional thinning It’s a low thinning that removes trees primarly from the lower canopy (about 30% of the trees). The aim is to concentrate the cut only on the trees not beloging to the main crop layer. Innovative selective thinning It is a selective thinning that considers the merits of individual trees. Best trees (according to vigour and stability) and are identified and their growth and development are actively promoted by removing all directs competitors.

LIFE14 CCM/IT/000905 Monitoring actions 22eP Lagomarsino et al. LIFE14 CCM/IT/000905 Monitoring actions C and N pools in above and belowground biomass, litter, dead wood and soil (IPCC 2003) Net primary productivity and C accumulation in soil after thinning treatments. Greenhouse gas fluxes from soil and dead-wood material. C sequestration potential and global warming potential in the short and medium-term. Harvested biomass for energy co-generation and C and N content C pools (IPCC, 2003) GHG emissions CO2 CH4 N2O bioenergy Organic matter degradation and transformation processes driven by soil biological communities will be crucial for the success of the proposed intervention. In particular, biological activity will determine the fate of dead organic matter and its role as C pool, sink, or source. The magnitude and direction of decomposition processes leading to C loss through microbial respiration and/or to C accumulation through microbial immobilization and storage in soil pools will be assessed.

LIFE14 CCM/IT/000905 Expected results 22eP Lagomarsino et al. Demonstration of the three mitigation options: reduction/prevention of emissions ii) sequestration – enhancing uptake of C and iii) substitution of fossil fuels for energy production with biological products. Increase of net primary production up to 40 – 60 %, due to the removal of non-growing or dead trees and the higher growth rates of remained vegetation. Increase of C accumulation in the soil up to 0.5 Mg ha-1 yr-1 An initial increase of greenhouse gas emissions is expected, followed by a stabilization and a reduction of heterotrophic respiration from deadwood material in the range of 5-15 % per year in the medium-long term Energy cogeneration of wood material as fossil fuels substitution option (2400 kWh m-3), with a neutral balance from living plants and a positive balance from dead trees. To use the resulted biomass from conversion in co-generators, reducing electricity production from fossil fuels. To enter the C credit market and to use the sold and received credits to produce benefits at local and regional level. 2. Provide “guidelines of good silvicultural practices” for degraded coniferous forests restoration integrating GHGs reduction objective in the frame of European mitigation targets. Creation of silvicultural guidelines for the conversion of pine plantations to mixed pine – broadleaved forests and broadleaved forests. Restoring natural functioning processes (e.g. natural regeneration, or more generally, self-organization), increasing their stability, resilience and self-perpetuating capacity. Development of management practices for the reduction of fire risk. Management planning guidelines for the best response of vegetation against future disturbances. This planning will be based in the sprouting ability of native broadleaved species and will target to fast vegetation cover and protection of soil from erosion. Promote recreational and touristic activities (peri-urban forests)