The Nature Restoration Law and the renaturalization of planted forest

Abstract

ince the late 19th century, Italy’s forested area has doubled, from approximately 5.6 million hectares to over 12 million hectares. This increase was facilitated by publicly funded reforestation campaigns, which continued until the 1980s. The objectives were to protect the land for hydrogeological purposes, create jobs, and increase timber production. To ensure successful establishment even on degraded land, pioneering and fast-growing tree species were used. Despite initial success, post-planting cultivation care was lacking, resulting in excessively dense and unstable stands. Active stand management is necessary, with the primary objective of renaturalization: facilitating self-organization and accelerating the introduction of native species to increase their ecological functionality, through thinning and the creation of gaps to increase light under the tree canopy and promote natural regeneration. The NRL’s objectives are also guided by this vision: active management is essential to meet European commitments, which require increased biodiversity and organic carbon fixation, the presence of deadwood, forest connectivity, and the prevalence of native species. Given the considerable diversity of local situations, management cannot be univocal. Furthermore, a balance must be found between renaturalization and the maintenance, locally, of non-native species cultivation where productive.