Consequences of land-use change on biodiversity in coppiced beech forests in Central-Appennines (Italy) – preliminary results

Appennines forests have been managed by human for thousands of years. In Central Italy, coppicing is a traditional and still predominant method of woodland management, in which young tree stems are cut down to near ground level. Such management type played for a long time a prominent role within the socio-economic structure of marginal areas, by providing firewood, charcoal, and by offering grazing areas for livestock [1,2]. It is also characterized at 70% of the mountain beech (Fagus sylvatica) woodlands where is often applied in small stands (0,5-2 Ha) over a short cycle of 25-35 years. Previous results on the regeneration process in stands suggest that high landscape-scale heterogeneity and complexity due to high spatiotemporal variability of forest management maintain rich regional species pool [3]. At the present time, this tranditional land use system is changing and an increasing rate (presently 21%) of areas are abandoned. These changes call for important questions about forest management and diversity conservation in this landscape[4,5]. We hypothesize that beech forests differ in biodiversity depending on landscape heterogeneity level according to management activity. This summer we compared three pairs of beech forest patches (abandoned vs. still under active coppicing) each of around 80-100 ha, located in Central-Appennines. The vascular plant diversity was assessed by a probabilistic sampling (20x20m plots, placed in a regular grid) where phytocoenological relevees were made. Structural data were collected also, to demonstrate the different managment status. Our preliminary results on vascular plant diversity status of the abandoned and active beech forest landscapes will be detailed illustrated.