Enhancement of chestnut stands wood production

Abstract

In Italy chestnut stands evolution has been historically and strictly linked to both ecological and socioeconomic factors and the changes over the centuries have nowadays led to three main stands types: cultivated orchards, abandoned orchards and stands managed for wood production, mainly coppices. This last type is spread on 593,242 hectares and the importance of these forests consists of the high production potential in quantitative and qualitative terms and of the variety of timber assortments they can provide. Suitable silvicultural systems, based on diversified rotation length, can be adopted to improve wood production both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view.