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In Italy 67% of forestlands belong to private, usually small-scale, owners. Understanding landowners’ motivations is a crucial element to promote better and more active forest stewardship. This paper describes private forest owners’ managerial motivations. After a literature review on the issue, motivations are analyzed through a case study in the municipality of Recoaro Terme, located in the outer Alps range, Veneto Region, north-east Italy. Stated reasons for forest management are empirically identified by means of structured interviews to a statistically representative sample of local forest owners. Results show that forests are much more important for their intangible values and firewood self-consumption than for timber selling or other financial benefits. Different classifications of family forest owners are presented. The more helpful one is based on a cluster analysis and leads to the identification of three owners types with different motivations: a group of owners characterized by “Intangible Values”, a cluster of the “Multiobjective” owners and a group of “Un-interested” owners. These types show different socio-demographic features, various management, aims and information-seeking behaviour. Communication strategies, and management and assistance programs that might appeal to each type are discussed.

This paper is considering the area of exploitation of Campu Doinanicoro settlement (Municipalities of Dorgali and Orgosolo, NU) in the Supramonte region. From its environmental characteristics it is possible, through a territorial analysis with GIS software, to simulate the different ways of using land in antiquity. On the basis of the cereal consumption of a family group, in relation with the data collected by experimental archaeology on the cereals productivity (wheat and barley) and on ethnographic and archeozoological analyses on breeding (sheep and goats, pigs and cattle), the territory of the site is exploited in its various ecological areas: it allows to built some hypotheses on demography estimated by the capacity of food production. The result of the simulation of exploitation around the settlement and the carrying capacity can be useful elements for the reconstruction of land use and for the analysis of relationships among different settlements.

During the last decades, in the previously coppiced beechwoods of "Dolomiti Bellunesi" National Park, an unprecedented diffusion of Norway spruce occurred; possible silvicultural options to cope with this new condition are outlined here.

An internship period spent in the north of Morocco kingdom (Tetouan) gave a contribute to the organization activity in promoting sustainable development in the rural areas under the Kyoto Protocol. The multitasking project will increase biodiversity planting trees for wood, forage and fruits productions. The paper show a first step study to evaluate the possibility to reach an agreement with the propriety and the manager of these areas in a multifunctional reforestation project. The eligible site suitable for reforestation in accordance with the CDM international scheme is a large plateau (more than 5000 hectares) 600 meters high on the sea level far from the Cannabis crops area. The evaluation of the project costs and of the social benefits for the population consider (using different species) the indigenous communities necessity. The evaluation of carbon sequestration show the small scale of the reforestation project on behalf of the Kyoto Protocol, but give also an idea about the people rights and necessities. The normal afforestation and reforestation projects, under the Kyoto Protocol, try to maximize the CO2 sequestration in a short time, than business laws usually require. A small scale project could be self-managing, less expensive (international certification costs) and more interesting for local communities.

Equilum was one of the settlements in the Venetian lagoons where refugees coming from the roman towns of the mainland and fleeing from barbarians settled in the Dark Ages . Archeological finds teli us that the site of Equilum had already been inhabited in the Late Bronze, Iron and Roman Age. In the Middle Ages it became a bishop's see and a wealthy trading town. Its inhabitants were among the founders of Venice. The site of Equilum lies nowadays north of Jesolo Paese, in the area of the "Antiche Mura". Recent discoveries from remote sensing reveal for the first time a kind of forma urbis of the ancient Equilum, showing a town composed by several little islands very dose to one another, with streets, bridges, watercourses and branch canals and evidences which could be related to the castellum of Equilum mentioned in the Chronicon Altinate. Aerial photography of the territory of Jesolo shows traces, maybe of old saltwarks and fish ponds, which give useful evidences fora landscape archaeology of Equilum. Equilum fu uno degli insediamenti delle lagune venete in cui si stanziarono nei secoli bui i profughi delle città romane dell'entroterra in fuga dai barbari. I ritrovamenti archeologici ci dicono che il sito di Equilum fu abitato già durante il Bronzo tardo, l'età del ferro ed in epoca romana. Nel Medioevo divenne sede vescovile e fu una prospera città dedita al commercio. I suoi abitanti furono tra i fondatori di Venezia. Oggi il sito di Equilum si trova a Nord di Jesolo Paese, nell'area delle "Antiche Mura". Recenti scoperte effettuate grazie al telerilevamento rivelano per la prima volta una sorta diforma urbis dell'antica Equilum, con una struttura urbana disposta su più isole contigue e con vie, ponti, corsi d'acqua e canali derivati artificialmente, ed inoltre evidenze che potrebbero essere riferite al castellum equilense menzionato nel Chronicon Altinate. Le foto aeree del territorio jesolano mostrano altre evidenze probabilmente pertinenti a saline e peschiere, offrendo elementi interessanti per una archeologia dei paesaggi jesolani.

The recent human impact has determined a strongly alteration of the Quercus pubescens forest on the Gennargentu Mountains in Sardinia. At the present, in this area the oak is represented by ancient single trees which can be considered relict and monumental individuals of the ancient forest. In this study, the space/time succession of oaks stands were analized in 1977 and 1997 years by GIS software and by multitemporal cartographic analyses. Some data about the stand structure are also reported.

Different thinning intensities were compared in a 50-years-old plantation of Pinus nigra sp. located in the “Foreste Casentinesi Monte Falterona e Campigna” National Park (northern Apennine - Italy). Six experimental square plots (900 m2) were set up for comparison of two thinning intensities: heavy thinning (F: approximately 30% of basal area removed), light thinning (d: approximately 15% of basal area removed) and control (Co). The comparison concerned: (1) the periodic increment of the trees in terms of volume (Ipv), average dbh (Ipd), height (Iph) and the variation of height/diameter ratio (S) in time; (2) forest canopy cover, indirectly expressed in term of relative irradiance (I.R.). Eight years after the felling, the results highlight that F thinning: (a) increases the homogeneity of timber, as the stand volume is concentrated in dominant trees; (b) favours tree diameter increment: Ipd values increase significantly according to the thinning intensity; (c) reduces tree height increment (lower values of Iph were recorded in the F plots); (d) promotes stand stability: lower value of S are highlighted in F plots, and no significant increase of this parameter in time has been recorded. As regards canopy cover, a significant negative correlation was recorded between stand basal area after the thinning and I.R. at ground level. After harvesting, a significant difference in terms of average I.R. between thinning intensities (F, d and Co) was also recorded: nowadays, significant differences of average I.R. are observed between Co and d, whereas F shows intermediate values: the canopy gap originated from the felling has been quickly filled. Our results highlight the growth potential of Black European pine in the studied area; however, only heavy thinning shows interesting results in terms of both tree growth and stand stability.

In the last decade, Ravenna historical pinewoods, whose history is older than eight centuries, have undergone deep changes in the structure and specific composition, dramatically altering the original aspect of the biocoenosis, and leading more and more to a mixed and multi-layered forest formation. To conserve and maintain the forest, the landscapes, and the historical and cultural values characterizing the whole territory over centuries, we suggest to establish a “silvo-museum” (a “forest museum”) in the Ravenna historical pinewoods. Possible ways and activities aimed at the achievement of this goal are discussed. Moreover, divulgation and environmental education initiatives, along with suitable scientific and technical activities, are requested to bring to proper importance the silvo-museum.

Italian National Committee for Food Safety (CNSA) opinion of 24 FEBUARY 2021 on Non-regulated mycotoxins: Metabolites of aflatoxin B1 (aflatoxin M1 and aflatoxicol) and sterigmatocystin in dairy products Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and sterigmatocystin are produced by Aspergillus spp. fungi. AFB1, once ingested, is mainly metabolised in the liver; aflatoxin M1 and aflatoxicol are its main metabolites. Sterigmatocystin, produced in over 55 genera of fungi, is structurally similar to AFB1, and some authors consider it a direct or indirect precursor of AFB1. Both AFB1 metabolites and sterigmatocystin are considered as genotoxic carcinogens, although less potent than AFB1. Therefore, it is important to assess possible health risks of exposition through specific food chains. Based on current knowledge and available data, a risk assessment of consumer exposure to aflatoxin M1, aflatoxicol and sterigmatocystin through milk and dairy products consumption was performed. Aflatoxin M1 is the main metabolite of AFB1 in mammalian milk, in ruminant and non-ruminant species: the extensive data available for Italian milk do not show any particular problem, whereas data on dairy products vary greatly and are linked to the concentration factor and the distribution between serum proteins and caseins. As regards aflatoxicol and sterigmatocystin in milk and milk products, available data are very limited. Their presence in milk products can originate from AFB1-contamined feed (predominant aspect for AFM1) or from uncontrolled fungal infestations during the maturing process. In view of the concerns raised by the characteristics of the mycotoxins under consideration, CNSA recommends maintaining and strengthening control and prevention measures already in place for dairy supply chains, and conducting specific studies for AFB1 metabolites and sterigmatocystin in milk from all species and in milk products, for a more accurate assessment of exposition through the consumption of these foods and of potential health risks, also in order to consider a possible extension of the existing control measures. IT; it; pdf; o.pinto@sanita.it