Carbon sequestration increase in the Emilian Apennines forests

The first concrete result will be to increase the stock of C in beech plants by stimulating secondary
growth through selective thinning. The second result will be to increase the stock of C in the deadwood by releasing plants in the forest. The third result will be to increase carbon stock in soils by the addition of biochar. The effect of biochar on soil decomposition rates, germination and growth of young beech and turkey oak plants will also be estimated to assess any undesirable effects of biochar in forests. Other results will be 1) the identification of the optimal shape of the woodpiles to be made during the harvesting operations to decrease the rate of decomposition of the branches and 2) the evaluation of the effect of the chestnut as a donor of tannins that will make the beech wood more recalcitrant to the decomposition. The results of this project can be transferred to all the Apennine beech forests and, with appropriate checks, to other forest types.
End users will experiment techniques to manage the forest in a sustainable way to ensure the future of ecosystems on which they depend in environmental and economic terms.