The dataset reports data collected in 38 square (50 x 50m) 0.25 ha plots representative of poplar plantations in Lombardy Region (Northern Italy), which were used to calibrate optical information derived from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and satellite (Sentinel-2) sensors. In each plot, the diameter at breast height was measured using a caliper; height, stem and crown volume of each tree were then derived from diameter using allometric equations developed in an independent study. Additional canopy attributes (foliage and crown cover, crown porosity, leaf area index) were derived in each plot from 12-20 optical images collected using digital cover photography (DCP). The collected data allows characterizing the assessment of structure of these plantations, along with their variation over the rotation time. Canopy and crown data also enable the evaluation of optimal rotation and tree spacing, as well as the relationship between stand and canopy structure. The raw datasets consist of 2,591 records (trees) associated with inventory measurements and 616 records (images) associated with optical canopy measurements. An R code was also provided to calculate plot-level attributes from raw data. Dataset and associated metadata are freely available at http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/ycr7w5pvkt.1.

230 temporary plots located in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) stands in the Aures (Algeria) were used for modeling its structure with three theoretical distributions, i.e., the Weibull; the normal and the Beta one. Parameters of the Weibull distribution were estimated using two methods: the maximum likelihood and the method of moments. Diameter distribution models were obtained by estimation of each distribution parameters and by their prediction using stand variables. Results revealed the efficiency of the Weibull distribution estimated with the method of moments. The parameter estimation method is more accurate compared to parameter recovery method despite the existence of strong correlations between parameters of the theoretical distributions and some population variables such as arithmetic or quadratic mean diameter and dominant height. Plot characteristics revealed the existence of several distribution shapes: symmetrical; dissymmetrical with left asymmetry and reverse I or J-shaped distributions.

The paper provides a summary regarding the current state of silviculture and the use of sweet chestnut wood (Castanea sativa Mill.) in Italy. Existing opportunities for chestnut silviculture are very promising because sweet chestnut covers nearly 800,000 hectares in Italy, representing almost 2.6% of the total area of the country, including 7.5% of national forest areas. In some geographic areas, especially in central-southern Italy, sweet chestnut is the only driver of the sawmill economy. In Italy, this species is typically harvested to produce solid beams and poles. In the field of load-bearing structures, research and innovation in silviculture have provided solutions to the growing use of industrial technologies, and sweet chestnut has become integrated into European standards with the same relevanceas the most commonly most used wood species, such as Norway spruce. However, diversification in wood products is lacking in regions that produce sweet chestnut, as the sawmills tend to be very chestnut-centric, and in terms of the types of final products sweet chestnut is applied to. The typical end uses for sweet chestnut represents a major weakness associated with the massive exploitation of chestnut wood. In addition, the production of sawmills in Italy has decreased recently due to the crisis-driven reductions inactivity. This transition has affected the traditional building sector. The most common wood quality defects associated with sweet chestnut, which limit the use of this species for other wood products, are well known by producers. To boost the demand for this wood, efforts must be made to identify more versatile uses for this wood, promoting differential forest management systems to obtain stems that can be utilised in other types of final products. A list of possible actions is considered to increase the applications for this species, which represents one of the best opportunities to develop a short supply chain.

Traditionally, taper equations are developed from measurements collected through a destructive sampling of trees. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) enables high levels of accuracy of individual tree parameters measurement avoiding tree felling. With this study, we wanted to assess the performance of two approaches to calibrate a taper function: using stem diameters extracted from TLS point clouds and measured at different tree heights with the traditional and usual forest instruments. We compared the performance of four taper equations built with data collected by TLS and traditional survey in a European beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) forests of mount Amiata (Tuscany Region, Italy). We computed the volume of stem sections 1.00 m long by integrating the most performing TLS-based taper equation and by the Huber, Smalian and cone formulas applied on the diameter and height values measured with the traditional field surveys. We conducted the analysis of error distribution in volume estimates computed integrating the most performing TLS-based taper function along the stem. We tested if the differences in the volume estimate of the two methods were significant. Schumacher and Hall (1933) equation was the most performing taper function both in case of using TLS and traditional surveyed data , being the TLS-based function more performant (rRMSE = 9.17% vs 6.90%). Its performance did not increase when diameter values were extracted from TLS point clouds with a higher frequency (i.e. 25.0 cm vs 1.00 m). By integrating the TLS-based Schumacher and Hall (1933) function, the sections with the highest error resulted from 5.00 to 7.00 m of stem height (i.e. RMSE from 14.72 to 19.14 dm 3 and rRMSE from 13.00 to 17.76%). This study case represents the first attempts to develop a taper equation for European beech of mount Amiata using values of stem diameter and height extracted from the TLS point cloud. The results demonstrated that TLS produces the same stem volume estimates as traditional method avoiding falling trees.

Calabria (Italy) is a particularly interesting region of the Mediterranean basin from the perspective of forest management due to the extension of reforestation activities aimed at soil conservation. According to international agreements, these reforestation activities fulfill other functions as well, including carbon storage. Thus, Calabria was selected as a representative area for a study on the different typologies of forest plantations to verify the effects of these functions. Results showed a significant increment in carbon stock compared to the previous land use (i.e. arable land and pastures) and how the average carbon stock per hectare varies in relation to the species considered at the above- and below-ground levels. Carbon stock was higher in conifers (Calabrian pine, Douglas fir) and lower in broad-leaved trees (Turkey oak, European chestnut). The study analyses demonstrate how, based on different intensities of thinning, the carbon eliminated by trees is reconstituted over time in quantities larger than those eliminated by cutting. This latter aspect is relevant, as forest management allows the partial removal of biomass produced without negatively affecting carbon stock. Consequently, reforestation and sustainable forms of forest management are powerful strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change.

The concept of “eco-innovation” has been increasingly used in environmental policy to analyze an innovation system taking into account social, ecological and economic pillars of sustainability. The aim of this study is to develop a set of eco-innovation indicators suitable to analyze the forest-wood chain at local level. The study was structured in three steps: literature review on eco-innovation indicators; defining a set of eco-innovation indicators suitable for the forestry sector; testing of eco-innovation indicators in a pilot area (Province of Trento, Italy). Eight indicators and sixteen sub-indicators suitable for the forestry sector were identified. The eco-innovation indicators were quantified using official statistics and new data collected by administering a questionnaire to 114 forest-wood chain actors. The results show an average efficiency of the timber processing and a medium-high level of enhancement of the wood residues generated by production process. Conversely, the level of collaboration between actors of forest-wood chain and institutional actors (universities, research institutes, R&D agencies) could be improved with the aim of increasing the diffusion of eco-innovation knowledge and information. The eco-innovation indicators developed by this study emphasize environmental impacts and negative externalities of innovation process in the forestry sector.

Most Italian research concerning the conversion of coppices analyse growth response at the stand level and adopt absolute growth as reference metric. Nonetheless, inter-individual interactions are lost when averaging tree level information at the stand level. Moreover, absolute growth ignores the initial size of individuals under comparison, the growth of large trees will thus always outperform that of small trees, and nothing can be inferred about tree-to-tree competition. We modelled the growth response after conversion thinning at the tree level using relative growth rate as a function of the initial diameter of individuals, stand density and time. Twenty years later, thinned treatments still yielded larger growth than the reference unthinned aged coppice. In the first 10-year period, the relative growth rate in all treatments decreased with increasing tree size. In the second 10-year period, the relative growth rate still decreased with increasing tree size in thinned treatments, whereas in the unthinned aged coppice, it increased with increasing tree size. The model we applied shows to what extent released individuals have grown in relation to their size and, at same time, provides information on their competitive state in relation to the overall density of stands over time.

The tropical rainforest has a high level of biodiversity and plays an important role as a stable ecosystem. However, an anthropogenic disturbance took place in some parts of the tropical rainforest. The recovery of the disturbed forest is less scientifically understood. Therefore, this study aims to examine the recuperation process of vegetation in Fef, Tambrauw Regency, and West Papua, in Indonesia by comparing the composition of primary forest life forms as control of the natural, five-year disturbed, and seven-year disturbed forest. The results showed that the species diversity in the primary forest was not significantly different from the seven-year disturbed forest while the five-year disturbed forest was significantly different from the two types mentioned earlier. Moreover, the similarity index showed that the primary and seven-year disturbed forest were identical and both were different from the five-year disturbed forest. In addition, eight life forms were enumerated, viz. bamboo, climber, fern, herb, rattan, shrub, small tree, and large tree in which they were dynamic during the post-disturbance compared to primary forest. The residual forests should therefore be part of the intention of local people and government, in other not to exploit the forests by allowing the disturbed forests to recuperate naturally.

Within the activity of the H2020 ‘WOODnat’ project (“ Second generation of planted hardwood forests in the European Union ”) the growth parameters, yield and sanitary conditions of the most important walnut ( Juglans spp.) plantations, established in Italy in the 1990s and in Spain starting from 1996, were recorded. One of the objectives of the project was to evaluate tree growth and stem quality to derive insight on the main environmental factors affecting the production of this valuable specie. An inventory of walnut plantations in the area of interest was necessary due to the relevance of this tree species in the EU timber market. In this paper the final dataset is presented and available with DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3769940. The database is finalized to narrow the knowledge gap between growers and processing industry with the aim to relaunching the market for this valuable species. Data were collected in the spring 2017 and winter 2017-2018 on 27 stands established in Northern Italy (Piemonte and Lombardia), on 51 stands in Central Italy (Toscana and Marche) and on 17 stands in Spain for a total of 95 plantations. In each plantation, general information was collected such as the planting layout, spacing, age, environment conditions as well as tree-level dendrometric data and phytosanitary information. The sampled stands have been georeferenced in WGS84 reference system (EPSG 4326). These data can be exploited to assess potential wood volume obtainable and quality of raw material, and to identify the weaknesses and errors, strengths and opportunities of the experiences conducted to plan future plantings with greater awareness.

Shorea robusta (Sal) Gaertn. F. a commercially and ecologically important forestry species of south Asia, is facing serious regeneration problem since last century. The continuously diminishing natural regeneration is associated with numerous abiotic and biotic factors, like edaphic, micro-climatic, physiological, genetic, anthropogenic, pathogens, insect-pests, etc. Following a good seed year and timely commencement of monsoon, Sal seeds germinate readily, and thousands of seedlings cover the forest floor. Subsequently, these get afflicted with die-back syndrome impeding shoot growth. Regular fire incidences during hot and dry season further aggravates the problem. Among biotic factors, Hoplocerambyx spinicornis , Cylindrocladium floridanum and Inonotus shoreae causes severe heartwood decay, blight and dieback leading to mortality. Moreover, over-exploitation, illegal felling, grazing, etc., have severely depleted the Sal forest. This review systematically explores the factors contributing to regeneration problem in S. robusta and opines appropriate silvicultural operations and management strategies for the conservation of Sal forests through SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. We emphasized on the ecological aspects, soil characteristics, micro-climatic factors and importance of associated species to develop sustainable management regimes. Highlighting all facets of Sal regeneration problem and SWOT assessment, we suggest comprehensive weaknesses and threat perceptions to formulate strategies to seal the gaps.