Socio-ecological system of coppiced forests in the Italian Marche Region's Central Apennine

Social Ecological Systems (SESs), also called humanenvironment systems sustainable over time, are non-linear in nature, cross-scale in time and in space, and have an evolutionary character. They are one system, with critical feedbacks across temporal and spatial scales. Studying and understanding dynamics of coupled human and natural systems using a multidisciplinary approach is becoming an important way for achieving integrated knowledge of complex interactions between elements and processes affecting our support systems. The PhD research work here presented was able to fulfill gaps in knowledge and contribute to the integrated characterization of the Social Ecological System of coppice forest in the Central Italian Apennine. Building on the previous research conducted on the ecological dimension of the coppicing system in the March region, we developed a social-research survey approach able to characterize the socio-ecological factors affecting the forest system in the area. Particularly this research provided: i) an additional more deep ecological understanding of the variables influencing understory vascular plant distribution of the beech coppice system at different forest spatial and temporal scales; a'¬a'¬) which are the human actors, characterizing this ecological system, how they behave and differences existing between cutters' groups; iii) which are the direct and indirect interactions between cutters actions and ecological variables characterizing the coppice forests and finally iv) develop a causal functioning scheme of the studied social-ecological system. Results suggests a convergence of factors affecting decision making, supporting the importance of the ecological dimension, instead of just formal rules. Furthermore insights on the relationships coupling the social and the ecological system suggest possible resilience mechanism of understory functional diversity related to diffuse ecological knowledge and management practices.