The old-growth forest of Val Cervara
(Abruzzo National Park, Italy)
Schirone Bartolomeo*, Pedrotti F., Spada F., Bernabei M., Piovesan
G.
* University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
The
oldest beech forest of Europe was found in the Apennines. The stand is located
in Val Cervara (Abruzzo National Park) and it covers about one hundred hectares
form 1400 to 1800 m a.s.l. Some trees reach five hundred years, two fold the
maximum age reported for the species. The dendroclimatological analyses on the
tree-ring series are contributing to clarify the climatic variations occurred
during the Little Ice Age (1600-1850). The reconstruction of the past climate
is an important step to understand the role of the man activities in the
present climatic global change.
The
forest is characterized by a mosaic of patches in different phases of
development from seedlings to senescent and dead trees. The study of this stand
will be also useful to define a model of forest management that take in
consideration the natural cycle of the beechwoods.