{"id":{"repo_id":"milano","oai_identifier":"oai:air.unimi.it:2434/1076832"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/milano/oai:air.unimi.it:2434/1076832","repository":{"repo_id":"milano","name":"Università degli Studi di Milano","base_url":"https://air.unimi.it/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"SILVER FIR AND ITS PROVENANCES IN A CLIMATE CHANGE PERSPECTIVE","abstract":"CHAPTER 2: Drought responses of Italian silver fir provenances in a climate change perspective. In a climate change perspective, the resilience of Mediterranean forest ecosystems is closely linked to their ability to cope with drought and rising temperatures. This ability can be influenced by genetic differences between and within species or provenances. In a changing environment, management guidelines should weight the risks associated both to local and/or non-local provenances, to promote the effective conservation and sustainable management of resilient forest genetic resources. In this study, we analyzed the growth responses to drought of silver fir (Abies alba) in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park in natural and planted forests, comparing the growth performance of three provenances of this species in Italy: (a) Western Alpine - (b) Northern Apennine (local) - (c) Southern Apennine. Drought severity was defined by the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We carried out dendrochronological analyses by assessing climate-growth relationships and applying drought 'resilience indices' (RRR) based on tree-ring width. Planted forests showed faster mean growth than highly fragmented natural forests, higher resilience to severe drought and significantly higher recovery to severe drought. Fir provenances do not differ in mean growth rate, while the Southern Apennine provenance showed significantly better recovery (rec) and resilience (resl) especially compared to the Western Alpine provenance during moderate (rec +5-15 %, resl +13-15%) and extreme (rec +20% %, resl +22%) drought years. The local provenance showed an intermediate behavior. Southern and local provenances showed higher resilience to drought compared to the Western Alpine one, proving to be very important forest genetic resources in the context of climate change response strategies. Finally, the RRR indices trends calculated on the years identified by SPEI6 generally showed greater differences between provenances and regeneration modes than on the years identified by SPEI12, possibly due to the increase in recurrent short-duration droughts in mountainous contexts during the growing season. These results provide important information on the drought response of different silver fir provenances under climate change, highlighting the importance of taking into account the genetic background of forest reproductive materials in forest management and planning. Thanks to the close collaboration with the National Park and local forest managers, these results may find concrete application, e.g., by properly evaluating the usefulness of provenance assisted migration in the National Park forests and providing better management of remnant silver fir natural forests.","abstract_html":"CHAPTER 2: Drought responses of Italian silver fir provenances in a climate change perspective. In a climate change perspective, the resilience of Mediterranean forest ecosystems is closely linked to their ability to cope with drought and rising temperatures. This ability can be influenced by genetic differences between and within species or provenances. In a changing environment, management guidelines should weight the risks associated both to local and/or non-local provenances, to promote the effective conservation and sustainable management of resilient forest genetic resources. In this study, we analyzed the growth responses to drought of silver fir (Abies alba) in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park in natural and planted forests, comparing the growth performance of three provenances of this species in Italy: (a) Western Alpine - (b) Northern Apennine (local) - (c) Southern Apennine. Drought severity was defined by the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We carried out dendrochronological analyses by assessing climate-growth relationships and applying drought 'resilience indices' (RRR) based on tree-ring width. Planted forests showed faster mean growth than highly fragmented natural forests, higher resilience to severe drought and significantly higher recovery to severe drought. Fir provenances do not differ in mean growth rate, while the Southern Apennine provenance showed significantly better recovery (rec) and resilience (resl) especially compared to the Western Alpine provenance during moderate (rec +5-15 %, resl +13-15%) and extreme (rec +20% %, resl +22%) drought years. The local provenance showed an intermediate behavior. Southern and local provenances showed higher resilience to drought compared to the Western Alpine one, proving to be very important forest genetic resources in the context of climate change response strategies. Finally, the RRR indices trends calculated on the years identified by SPEI6 generally showed greater differences between provenances and regeneration modes than on the years identified by SPEI12, possibly due to the increase in recurrent short-duration droughts in mountainous contexts during the growing season. These results provide important information on the drought response of different silver fir provenances under climate change, highlighting the importance of taking into account the genetic background of forest reproductive materials in forest management and planning. Thanks to the close collaboration with the National Park and local forest managers, these results may find concrete application, e.g., by properly evaluating the usefulness of provenance assisted migration in the National Park forests and providing better management of remnant silver fir natural forests.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["OGGIONI, SILVIO DANIELE"],"institution":"Università degli Studi di Milano","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["tutor: G. Vacchiano ; co-tutor: A. Piotti ; coordinatore: M. Guarino ; thesis committee: M. Maugeri","M. Caccianiga","G. Battipaglia","S.D. Oggioni","VACCHIANO, GIORGIO","GUARINO, MARCELLA PATRIZIA MARIA"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-07-11","date_published":"2024-07-11","updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:18:48Z","subjects":["Settore AGR/05 - Assestamento Forestale e Selvicoltura"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://dx.doi.org/10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11","10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11"],"render_values":[{"text":"http://dx.doi.org/10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11","href":"http://dx.doi.org/10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11","code":true},{"text":"10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11","href":"https://doi.org/10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2434/1076832","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["tutor: G. Vacchiano ; co-tutor: A. Piotti ; coordinatore: M. Guarino ; thesis committee: M. Maugeri","M. Caccianiga","G. Battipaglia","S.D. Oggioni","VACCHIANO, GIORGIO","GUARINO, MARCELLA PATRIZIA MARIA"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["OGGIONI, SILVIO DANIELE"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2024-07-11"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Università degli Studi di Milano","place:Milano"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["numberofpages:150"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Settore AGR/05 - Assestamento Forestale e Selvicoltura"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2434/1076832","http://dx.doi.org/10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11","10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["CHAPTER 2: Drought responses of Italian silver fir provenances in a climate change perspective. In a climate change perspective, the resilience of Mediterranean forest ecosystems is closely linked to their ability to cope with drought and rising temperatures. This ability can be influenced by genetic differences between and within species or provenances. In a changing environment, management guidelines should weight the risks associated both to local and/or non-local provenances, to promote the effective conservation and sustainable management of resilient forest genetic resources. In this study, we analyzed the growth responses to drought of silver fir (Abies alba) in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park in natural and planted forests, comparing the growth performance of three provenances of this species in Italy: (a) Western Alpine - (b) Northern Apennine (local) - (c) Southern Apennine. Drought severity was defined by the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We carried out dendrochronological analyses by assessing climate-growth relationships and applying drought 'resilience indices' (RRR) based on tree-ring width. Planted forests showed faster mean growth than highly fragmented natural forests, higher resilience to severe drought and significantly higher recovery to severe drought. Fir provenances do not differ in mean growth rate, while the Southern Apennine provenance showed significantly better recovery (rec) and resilience (resl) especially compared to the Western Alpine provenance during moderate (rec +5-15 %, resl +13-15%) and extreme (rec +20% %, resl +22%) drought years. The local provenance showed an intermediate behavior. Southern and local provenances showed higher resilience to drought compared to the Western Alpine one, proving to be very important forest genetic resources in the context of climate change response strategies. Finally, the RRR indices trends calculated on the years identified by SPEI6 generally showed greater differences between provenances and regeneration modes than on the years identified by SPEI12, possibly due to the increase in recurrent short-duration droughts in mountainous contexts during the growing season. These results provide important information on the drought response of different silver fir provenances under climate change, highlighting the importance of taking into account the genetic background of forest reproductive materials in forest management and planning. Thanks to the close collaboration with the National Park and local forest managers, these results may find concrete application, e.g., by properly evaluating the usefulness of provenance assisted migration in the National Park forests and providing better management of remnant silver fir natural forests.","CHAPTER 3: Modelling the growth of three silver fir provenances in the Northern Apennines. This study models the dynamics of Italian silver fir (Abies alba) forests under varying climate change scenarios using the forest gap model FORMIND. Focusing on three distinct silver fir provenances (Western Alps, Northern Apennines, and Southern Apennines), the study simulates forest growth in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park under different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP). The individual-based model FORMIND was parameterised and validated with field data for each of the provenances, demonstrating its ability to accurately reproduce key forest metrics and dynamics. Our results reveal significant differences in expected growth patterns, productivity, metabolism, and carbon storage capacity among the silver fir provenances in pure and mixed stands. In the simulations, the Northern Apennines provenance showed higher biomass production (biomass > 10 ± 1%) and carbon uptake (NPP > 8 ± 1%) at the end of the century compared to the Western Alps provenance in the pure provenance and no regeneration scenario. Conversely, the Southern Apennines provenance showed higher biomass (biomass > 5-10%) and net primary productivity (NPP > 15-18%) in mixed provenance and regeneration scenarios. These variations highlight the importance of considering genetic diversity in forest modelling, as it significantly influences forest growth and resilience to environmental changes. The study also demonstrates the resilience of silver fir to climatic stressors, emphasizing its potential as a robust species in multiple forest contexts. The integration of forest provenance data into the FORMIND model represents a significant advancement in forest modelling, enabling more accurate and reliable predictions under climate change scenarios. The study's findings advocate for a greater understanding and consideration of genetic diversity into forest management and conservation strategies, in support of assisted migration strategies aiming to enhance the resilience of forest ecosystems in a changing climate.","CHAPTER 4: Interplay of Species Mixture, Climate Change, and Management Regimes on Carbon Stocks and Sinks in a Mediterranean Beech Forest. Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is the most widespread species in the Apennines, but at the same time it is susceptible to climatic stress. Therefore, forestry should strive to increase the adaptability of beech forests to climate variations, and thus maintain or improve the ecosystem services they provide. Here we analyzed the role of forest management and climate on the potential of beech forests for climate change mitigation. In the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park (PNATE), we compared five different management types (coppice, stored coppice, high forest, mix with broadleaves, mix with silver fir) in their ability to store carbon under different climate change scenarios and management intensities. We collected tree and stand data in 57 forest plots, estimated the current carbon stocks and sinks, assessed expected changes in the species distribution under climate change scenarios by environmental niche modelling, and projected the future growth of forests using the 3-PGmix forest growth model. Carbon sinks are higher in beech forests mixed with broadleaves than in pure beech coppice or stored coppice (+25% and +40%, respectively), suggesting a positive effect of biodiversity on the forest’s ability to mitigate climate change. Distribution models showed a drastic reduction in the species' distribution range in the future, highlighting PNATE as a possible site for climate refugia. Growth simulations revealed that species complementarity (mix with broadleaf or fir) greatly increases carbon stocks and sinks, as long as harvest stays at intermediate intensities. Beech in mix with fir showed higher average delta carbon stocks (> 98 - 317%) and carbon sink (> 38 - 330%) compared to pure beech managements in the different climate scenarios simulations. Climate change scenario SSP 1 - 2.6 results in an average increase of carbon stocks and sink across management and intensities, while SSP 3- 7.0 implies a decrease for all treatments, except for the mix with silver fir that shows a remarkable increase. Active coppice is the management that is less sensitive to an increase of management intensity on biomass carbon sink (-0.5% and 7.8%). Our findings underline the crucial role of beech forest management in locally optimizing carbon uptake, underlying the positive effect of mix with fir and other broadleaves. We therefore recommend an informed and adaptive forest management approach that considers harvest intensity, species mixture, and ongoing climate change to effectively maintain resilient and functional forests through a mosaic of different forest management approaches.","CHAPTER 5: Calabrian silver fir provenances show higher growth in lower altitudes and warmer climates of Upper Austria. Assisted migration can be a valid silvicultural tool to improve the adaptation of forest species to climate change but the species-specific scientific evidence is still weak and with little local applicability. Silver fir (Abies alba) is one of the most widely used conifers in European forestry, with a high adaptive potential in the context of global warming, and with a high genetic variability that includes provenances with a highly diversified environmental response. In this study, we compare the growth of Calabrian (southern Italy) and Austrian (local) silver fir provenances in two provenance trials in upper Austria with different elevations and climates. We analyze productivity (height, volume, and carbon stock), stability (height/diameter ratio), and annual growth (basal area increment) as an indication of adaptive performance, in addition we analyze the effect of competition in comparative analyses. Our results show that one Austrian provenance shows higher values in terms of productivity and annual growth at the highest location, while the two Calabrian provenances are more productive and faster growing at the warmer and lower elevation site. The two Calabrian provenances show lower H/D values than the Austrian provenances at both study sites, index of higher stability. These results show different growing performances within silver fir to changing environmental conditions, revealing how southern provenances could grow better in warmer and lower elevation climates in Austria. It is important to carefully select forest reproductive material for future forestation projects, and in the context of climate change it is crucial to consider the diversified response of different genetic groups to improve productivity, health, and resilience. Competition also plays a key role in the analyses, explaining at least 40% of the models’ variance. Competition often plays a marginal role in the analysis of forest data; with this result we show how important it is to include it in the analyses in order not to risk overlooking its effect."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["SILVER FIR AND ITS PROVENANCES IN A CLIMATE CHANGE PERSPECTIVE"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["tutor: G. Vacchiano ; co-tutor: A. Piotti ; coordinatore: M. Guarino ; thesis committee: M. Maugeri","M. Caccianiga","G. Battipaglia","S.D. Oggioni","VACCHIANO, GIORGIO","GUARINO, MARCELLA PATRIZIA MARIA"],"dc:creator":["OGGIONI, SILVIO DANIELE"],"dc:date":["2024-07-11"],"dc:description":["CHAPTER 2: Drought responses of Italian silver fir provenances in a climate change perspective. In a climate change perspective, the resilience of Mediterranean forest ecosystems is closely linked to their ability to cope with drought and rising temperatures. This ability can be influenced by genetic differences between and within species or provenances. In a changing environment, management guidelines should weight the risks associated both to local and/or non-local provenances, to promote the effective conservation and sustainable management of resilient forest genetic resources. In this study, we analyzed the growth responses to drought of silver fir (Abies alba) in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park in natural and planted forests, comparing the growth performance of three provenances of this species in Italy: (a) Western Alpine - (b) Northern Apennine (local) - (c) Southern Apennine. Drought severity was defined by the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We carried out dendrochronological analyses by assessing climate-growth relationships and applying drought 'resilience indices' (RRR) based on tree-ring width. Planted forests showed faster mean growth than highly fragmented natural forests, higher resilience to severe drought and significantly higher recovery to severe drought. Fir provenances do not differ in mean growth rate, while the Southern Apennine provenance showed significantly better recovery (rec) and resilience (resl) especially compared to the Western Alpine provenance during moderate (rec +5-15 %, resl +13-15%) and extreme (rec +20% %, resl +22%) drought years. The local provenance showed an intermediate behavior. Southern and local provenances showed higher resilience to drought compared to the Western Alpine one, proving to be very important forest genetic resources in the context of climate change response strategies. Finally, the RRR indices trends calculated on the years identified by SPEI6 generally showed greater differences between provenances and regeneration modes than on the years identified by SPEI12, possibly due to the increase in recurrent short-duration droughts in mountainous contexts during the growing season. These results provide important information on the drought response of different silver fir provenances under climate change, highlighting the importance of taking into account the genetic background of forest reproductive materials in forest management and planning. Thanks to the close collaboration with the National Park and local forest managers, these results may find concrete application, e.g., by properly evaluating the usefulness of provenance assisted migration in the National Park forests and providing better management of remnant silver fir natural forests.","CHAPTER 3: Modelling the growth of three silver fir provenances in the Northern Apennines. This study models the dynamics of Italian silver fir (Abies alba) forests under varying climate change scenarios using the forest gap model FORMIND. Focusing on three distinct silver fir provenances (Western Alps, Northern Apennines, and Southern Apennines), the study simulates forest growth in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park under different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP). The individual-based model FORMIND was parameterised and validated with field data for each of the provenances, demonstrating its ability to accurately reproduce key forest metrics and dynamics. Our results reveal significant differences in expected growth patterns, productivity, metabolism, and carbon storage capacity among the silver fir provenances in pure and mixed stands. In the simulations, the Northern Apennines provenance showed higher biomass production (biomass > 10 ± 1%) and carbon uptake (NPP > 8 ± 1%) at the end of the century compared to the Western Alps provenance in the pure provenance and no regeneration scenario. Conversely, the Southern Apennines provenance showed higher biomass (biomass > 5-10%) and net primary productivity (NPP > 15-18%) in mixed provenance and regeneration scenarios. These variations highlight the importance of considering genetic diversity in forest modelling, as it significantly influences forest growth and resilience to environmental changes. The study also demonstrates the resilience of silver fir to climatic stressors, emphasizing its potential as a robust species in multiple forest contexts. The integration of forest provenance data into the FORMIND model represents a significant advancement in forest modelling, enabling more accurate and reliable predictions under climate change scenarios. The study's findings advocate for a greater understanding and consideration of genetic diversity into forest management and conservation strategies, in support of assisted migration strategies aiming to enhance the resilience of forest ecosystems in a changing climate.","CHAPTER 4: Interplay of Species Mixture, Climate Change, and Management Regimes on Carbon Stocks and Sinks in a Mediterranean Beech Forest. Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is the most widespread species in the Apennines, but at the same time it is susceptible to climatic stress. Therefore, forestry should strive to increase the adaptability of beech forests to climate variations, and thus maintain or improve the ecosystem services they provide. Here we analyzed the role of forest management and climate on the potential of beech forests for climate change mitigation. In the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park (PNATE), we compared five different management types (coppice, stored coppice, high forest, mix with broadleaves, mix with silver fir) in their ability to store carbon under different climate change scenarios and management intensities. We collected tree and stand data in 57 forest plots, estimated the current carbon stocks and sinks, assessed expected changes in the species distribution under climate change scenarios by environmental niche modelling, and projected the future growth of forests using the 3-PGmix forest growth model. Carbon sinks are higher in beech forests mixed with broadleaves than in pure beech coppice or stored coppice (+25% and +40%, respectively), suggesting a positive effect of biodiversity on the forest’s ability to mitigate climate change. Distribution models showed a drastic reduction in the species' distribution range in the future, highlighting PNATE as a possible site for climate refugia. Growth simulations revealed that species complementarity (mix with broadleaf or fir) greatly increases carbon stocks and sinks, as long as harvest stays at intermediate intensities. Beech in mix with fir showed higher average delta carbon stocks (> 98 - 317%) and carbon sink (> 38 - 330%) compared to pure beech managements in the different climate scenarios simulations. Climate change scenario SSP 1 - 2.6 results in an average increase of carbon stocks and sink across management and intensities, while SSP 3- 7.0 implies a decrease for all treatments, except for the mix with silver fir that shows a remarkable increase. Active coppice is the management that is less sensitive to an increase of management intensity on biomass carbon sink (-0.5% and 7.8%). Our findings underline the crucial role of beech forest management in locally optimizing carbon uptake, underlying the positive effect of mix with fir and other broadleaves. We therefore recommend an informed and adaptive forest management approach that considers harvest intensity, species mixture, and ongoing climate change to effectively maintain resilient and functional forests through a mosaic of different forest management approaches.","CHAPTER 5: Calabrian silver fir provenances show higher growth in lower altitudes and warmer climates of Upper Austria. Assisted migration can be a valid silvicultural tool to improve the adaptation of forest species to climate change but the species-specific scientific evidence is still weak and with little local applicability. Silver fir (Abies alba) is one of the most widely used conifers in European forestry, with a high adaptive potential in the context of global warming, and with a high genetic variability that includes provenances with a highly diversified environmental response. In this study, we compare the growth of Calabrian (southern Italy) and Austrian (local) silver fir provenances in two provenance trials in upper Austria with different elevations and climates. We analyze productivity (height, volume, and carbon stock), stability (height/diameter ratio), and annual growth (basal area increment) as an indication of adaptive performance, in addition we analyze the effect of competition in comparative analyses. Our results show that one Austrian provenance shows higher values in terms of productivity and annual growth at the highest location, while the two Calabrian provenances are more productive and faster growing at the warmer and lower elevation site. The two Calabrian provenances show lower H/D values than the Austrian provenances at both study sites, index of higher stability. These results show different growing performances within silver fir to changing environmental conditions, revealing how southern provenances could grow better in warmer and lower elevation climates in Austria. It is important to carefully select forest reproductive material for future forestation projects, and in the context of climate change it is crucial to consider the diversified response of different genetic groups to improve productivity, health, and resilience. Competition also plays a key role in the analyses, explaining at least 40% of the models’ variance. Competition often plays a marginal role in the analysis of forest data; with this result we show how important it is to include it in the analyses in order not to risk overlooking its effect."],"dc:identifier":["https://hdl.handle.net/2434/1076832","http://dx.doi.org/10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11","10.13130/oggioni-silvio-daniele_phd2024-07-11"],"dc:language":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Università degli Studi di Milano","place:Milano"],"dc:relation":["numberofpages:150"],"dc:rights":["info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess"],"dc:subject":["Settore AGR/05 - Assestamento Forestale e Selvicoltura"],"dc:title":["SILVER FIR AND ITS PROVENANCES IN A CLIMATE CHANGE PERSPECTIVE"],"dc:type":["info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:18:48Z"}