Effetti dei diradamenti sulle caratteristiche ecologiche e selvicolturali dei rimboschimenti di pino d’Aleppo nei Monti Sicani (Sicilia occidentale)

The reforestations of Mediterranean conifers are, in Sicily, one of the most representative forest types, both for their extension and for the environmental heterogeneity of their local contexts.The main purpose of this survey was to make an assessment of the impacts of forest biomass production in the context of renaturalization operations within Aleppo pine reforestations.The survey was conducted in three different sites located in the Sicani Mountains characterized by the same forest type (Aleppo pine stand) and similar environmental features. In addition, all three sites were affected by thinning interventions in a decade. The approach adopted has allowed to evaluate the effects of the forest operations on the main ecological components of the ecosystem in the short, medium and long term through the evaluation of quantitative and qualitative indicators. The assessment of impact indicators showed that the operations, performed with a low rate of mechanization, produced negligible negative impacts, while positive effects of the operations have been evidenced on most indicators in the medium and long term, especially against the successional layer.The results of this study demonstrate that biomass production for energy purposes, obtained by thinning interventions, is compatible with the realization of small cogeneration plants at municipal level and can significantly contribute to cover the costs of forestry operations.