current problems of close-to-nature silviculture in italy

The main problems of Italian forests are critically reviewed, considering the ecological as well the socio-economic factors that have been responsable of the main evolutionary processes, i.e., the secondary succession under artificial conifer stands, the ageing of the coppice forest, the post-cultivation evolution on abandoned fields and the increase of wild ungulates, which currently represents one of the most dramatic problems to be faced in forest management. Concepts as biodiversity, multifunctionality and sustainable management are the foundations, nowadays, of forest management. The main elements traditionally characterizing the close-to-nature silviculture are discussed and critically examined, warning against ideology and rigidity. Two concepts are more carefully discussed: natural vegetation dynamics and mixed uneven aged forest. An analysis of the priorities of silviculture in Italy concludes the paper, namely: the importance to take advantage of the “natural opportunities” in the cheapest way (the cost of the thinnings is a first rate problem, nowadays); to consider forests ecosystems in the context of surrounding natural and cultural landscape; to define proper management strategies for secondary successions on abandoned fields and pastures; to aim at re-naturalizing artificial conifer stands and increasing/maintaining forest biodiversity; to tackle effectively the wild ungulates problem.