ACTION  C.4: Sustainable Forest Strategic Management Plan (SFSMP)

To ensure the efficacy of the forestry action, a Strategic Management Plan for Forest Sustainability (SFSMP) of the Palo Laziale wood will be elaborated according to the current regulations of the Lazio Region (R.L. October 28, 2002, 39 "Rules on the management of forest resources"). This plan will comprehend the data on the structure, composition and dynamics of the woodland. It defines the right density and composition of the woodland and describes the correct practices needed to avoid excessive competition between the trees for resources. This is one of the crucial conditions to prevent recurrence of new stresses in the future. Proper management of the woodland is also essential for maintaining the hydrological cycle and water balance of the site to positively counteract the adverse effects of climate change on forest and temporary ponds. The presence of adequate forest canopy is crucial to ensure an appropriate concentration of moisture in the air. The animal species living in these habitats will also benefit from the implementation of the Management Plan. It will be drawn up by a fully-fledged forest technician (as required by the regulations) after field surveys and by using the reliefs carried out in Actions A2 and D4. After completion, it will be delivered to the Lazio Region for revision and approvement. The SFSMP will immediately come into force and will be compulsorily put in force by the wood owners for at least 30 years. At that point, the ecosystems should be independent of external interventions. Regarding Nestos Delta, the SFSMP will focus 40 ha of the alluvial forest (habitat 91E0*. Forestry Services of Kavala will review and accept the plan.

Both plans, with no production purposes, will be developed during the last year of the Project to ensure the completion of the restoration actions and, thus, to assess the new physiognomy of the woodland after the project interventions. Only after the recovery of the woodland, it will be possible to make a proper planning of future conservation measures. The SFSMPs will also serve to define good practices for naturalistic management of woodlands (e.g. ensuring sufficient amounts of standing and fallen dead wood, conservation of overall biodiversity, etc) where the combination of freshwater and forest ecosystems creates typical c.onditions of Mediterranean coastal environments. The conclusions will be summarised into a handbook on restoration and management of the targeted forest habitats.

Beneficiary responsible for implementation:

ARSIAL for the Wood of Palo Laziale (Italy)

IMFE for the alluvial forest of Nestos Delta (Greece)

ARSIAL employs:

• a Researcher to supervise the preparation of the SFSMP and to ensure its coherence with the restoration and conservation purposes of the Project;
• a qualified Forestry Technician (as required by law) with in-depth knowledge and proved experience in forest ecosystem monitoring and GIS. The technician will carry out field surveys and data processing, elaborate the Plan and the related maps as required by the regional regulations, and deliver the Plan to the competent offices of the Lazio Region.

IMFE employs:

• a qualified Forestry Technician (as required by law) with in-depth knowledge and proved experience in forest ecosystem monitoring and GIS. The technician will carry out field surveys and data processing, elaborate the Plan and the related maps as required by the regional regulations, and deliver the Plan to the competent authority.