Le foreste e il sistema foresta-legno in Italia: verso una nuova strategia per rispondere alle sfide interne e globali

Abstract: Forest cover in Italy has increased three-fold in slightly more than a century. In 2018 the area covered by forest will be, for the first time since long, larger than that covered by active cultivation. In the same time, the stewardship of forest ecosystem servicessuch as biodiversity provision, hydrogeological protection, and landscape conservation has increased. More than 27% of Italian forests are included in protected areas; 86% of forests is subject to limitation of use connected to soil protection and water cycleregulation, and 100% is under the landscape conservation law. Italy is also home of one of the largest economies of wood transformation, but 80% of the raw material is imported, which implies several environmental, socio-economic, and ethical issues, both domestically and abroad. The conditions are ripe to plan for a responsible management of the natural capitalin the country’s forests. A forest management that is active, shared, and conscious of domestic and global implications will be the best chance to maintain and improve the ecosystem servicesprovided by forests in Italy.