Census and Dynamics of Trees Outside Forests in Central Italy: Changes, Net Balance and Implications on the Landscape

Marco Ottaviano () and Marco Marchetti
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Marco Ottaviano: Forestry Labs, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, C. da Fonte Lappone, I-86090 Pesche, Italy
Marco Marchetti: Forestry Labs, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, C. da Fonte Lappone, I-86090 Pesche, Italy

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: Trees outside forests (TOFs) are important landscape features that provide numerous functions (ecosystem services) that are not valued due to a lack of knowledge about these resources. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes induced by the anthropogenic land use change in relation to their effects on TOFs. The dynamics of TOFs were examined through detailed photointerpretation mapping and characterization by land use/land cover and other environmental variables. The landscape function of TOFs and relative dynamics were analyzed, revealing landscape simplification due to the loss of TOFs, both in number and area, and a relative loss of connectivity. In 2000, TOFs accounted for 2.6% more forest area than mapped in the regional forest map; in fifteen years, about 30% of the total area has been lost, one-third of which has been converted to forest and the remainder permanently lost. The causes of the loss of TOFs are partly due to the abandonment of agricultural land, but also to the actions of farmers who remove these elements for various reasons. In protected areas (Natura 2000 network), the loss is less due to the different characteristics of land use/cover and land management.

Keywords: small wooded land; linear forest formation; forest resources; tree monitoring; landscape metrics; multitemporal analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:5:p:1013-:d:1139642

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