Vol. 81 No. 2s (2026): Conference Proceedings Old-Growth Forests and Ancient Trees: A Treasure of Nature, Life and Culture, Firenze 1 October 2025 / Vallombrosa 2-3 October 2025
Articles

Th e role of strict nature reserves in mitigating the eff ects of climate change

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  • Francesco Solano,
  • Giovanni Quilghini,
  • Giuseppe Modica
Francesco Solano
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE), Università degli Studi della Tuscia; via San Camillo de Lellis snc - 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
Giovanni Quilghini
Reparto Carabinieri Biodiversità Follonica; via Bicocchi 2 - 58022 Follonica, Italia.
Giuseppe Modica
Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Messina; viale G. Palatucci s/n - 98168 Messina, Italy.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ifm-1215

Published 2026-10-06

Keywords

  • strict nature reserve,
  • forest microclimate,
  • forest management,
  • climate change mitigation,
  • Mediterranean forest,
  • remote sensing
    • ...More
    Less

How to Cite

Solano, F., Quilghini, G., & Modica, G. (2026). Th e role of strict nature reserves in mitigating the eff ects of climate change. L’Italia Forestale E Montana, 81(2s), 140–157. https://doi.org/10.36253/ifm-1215

Copyright (c) 2026 Francesco Solano, Giovanni Quilghini, Giuseppe Modica

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Forests play a crucial role in climate change mitigation and adaptation by regulating microclimatic conditions, reducing temperature extremes and enhancing ecosystem resilience. In this context, strict nature reserves represent high-value reference systems, as they allow the observation of long-term forest maturation processes in the absence of direct human disturbance. However, their functional contribution to climate mitigation is still rarely considered in forest planning and conservation policies. This study investigates the role of the Poggio Tre Cancelli Strict Nature Reserve (central Italy) in mitigating summer forest surface temperatures, by comparing it with areas subject to different management regimes, including a natural park and productive coppice forests. The analysis integrates satellite-derived temperature data, forest structural attributes and topographic variables to assess differences in maximum forest surface temperature and to identify the main drivers of thermal regulation. Results show that the strict reserve exhibits significantly lower summer temperatures than managed forests, with an average reduction of up to approximately 2 °C compared to productive coppices, as well as lower interannual variability. Canopy height, vegetation water content and distance from forest edges emerge as key factors driving the cooling effect. This thermal reduction is particularly relevant in Mediterranean ecosystems, where it may help buffer heat extremes, reduce climate-related stress and enhance forest resilience under increasing warming conditions. These findings highlight that strict nature reserves are not only biodiversity conservation tools, but also effective ecological infrastructures providing measurable climate mitigation services relevant for forest management and planning.

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