Approccio geosinfitosociologico alla definizione della carrying capacity potenziale degli ecosistemi forestali dell’Appennino centrale nei confronti del capriolo (Capreolus capreolus L.)

An intense debate is developed on the opportunity and the possibility to realize a system of representation of the ecosystems as fundamental element for the territorial planning, the sustainable development, the management of the habitats and animal communities. This work is aimed to the definition of the theoretical carrying capacity of the more diffused forest ecosystems in the Province of Macerata by means of the analysis of the edible phytomass from the roe deer in the winter period, corresponding to the vegetative stasis. For the evaluation of such availability, besides the floristic-structural characteristics of the forest ecosystems, it needs to know the length of the vegetative stasis period (related to every ecosystem and correlated to the bioclimatic peculiarities of the territory) as well as of the behavioural aspects in the assumption of food and the anatomical characteristics of alimentary tract of the studied kind. The analysis of the harvested phytomass (inside sample areas related to every forest ecosystem) has shown a notable variability in the quantity of edible phytomass within the considered forest ecosystems, testifying as a notable difference of vocation for the roe deer exists among different ecosystems.