Landscapes Forest and Global Change - ESA - Escola Superior ...

A. Migliozzi et al. 2010. Land-use management and changes in Campania Region (Southern Italy)
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The figure shows that LAW is affected by a net decrease of 175,322 ha, corresponding to 15.8%
of the agricultural area used in 1960. This trend is opposed by the increase of 103,874 hectares
of forest and shrub area (+43%), and of71,447 ha of urban areas (+321%).
The overlay operation between land-use dynamics maps and land-systems map allowed to
analyse the geographical distribution of land cover dynamics in relation to: a) differences
between the great systems of land and the general physiographical partitions; b) differences
within the major land systems.
Figure 3 shows a summary of these findings. 40% of LAW decrease is found on mountains,
28% on hills, 10% in the volcanic complexes, 22% on plains.
Figure 3: Result of the intersection between land-systems and land-use dynamics maps
The net loss of LAW accounted 40% for urbanization and the remaining 60% for the
recolonisation of natural vegetation by agricultural areas and grasslands.
Forests State characterization
The Forests State of Campania are distributed in environments with different climate and
vegetation, between the the sea coast and the mountain belt (Figure). The territorial districts fall
within both SCI and SPA areas of Natura 2000 network in the Regional Parks of Picentini,
Partenio and Campi Flegrei and in the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano.
The forest type of the Forests State consist in:
1. coppices mostly exceeding the usual coppice cycle or on the way to conversion into
high forest. They are classified into monospecific coppices of Quercus ilex, Q.
pubescens Q. cerris andCastanea sativa coppices pure or mixed with oak, hornbeam,
maples and ash trees;
2. high stand forests consisting of deciduous trees (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus cerris and
other mesophilous species) and conifers such as Abies alba with groups of deciduous
pioneers such as Betula pendula, Populus tremula and Alnus cordata. ) are introduced
in different periods. Plantations of native woody species (Q cerris, Q. pubescens,
Prunus avium) and alien species (e.g. Eucalyptus spp. Pseudotsuga menziesii.) were
realised during the last 50-60 years ;
3. coastal plain forests with extrazonal broadleaved species and riparian woodlands
dominated by willows and poplars.
Due to the previous intensive forest management and grazing in the forest these stands needs
different sustainable management options. To each forest one or more functions (scientific,
educational, touristic and recreational, protective and productive) can be assigned .
Forest Landscapes and Global Change-New Frontiers in Management, Conservation and Restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology
Working Group International Conference, September 21-27, 2010, Bragança, Portugal. J.C. Azevedo, M. Feliciano, J. Castro & M.A. Pinto (eds.)
2010, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.