Continuous cover forest management in Black pine stands: regeneration dynamics, ecosystem services and implications for climate change mitigation

Continuous cover forest management (CCFM) plays a key role in sustaining forest multifunctionality by reconciling timber production with long-term carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and landscape continuity. It represents a cornerstone of the closer-to-nature approach promoted by the European Forest Strategy for 2030 and related EU Guidelines, providing science-based solutions to enhance forest resilience to climate change while supporting bioeconomy and rural development. As forests are increasingly expected to contribute to climate change mitigation, they simultaneously face growing pressures from climatic extremes and environmental stressors, making the evaluation of management practices under changing climate conditions a critical research priority.

In this study, carried out in the context of the EU project SMURF, we analyze the long-term application of group selection cutting within irregular black pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold) stands of the Sila Plateau (Calabria, Southern Italy), a traditional silvicultural system widely adopted by private forest owners. Using ecosystem service modelling approaches, we assess variations in gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP) in relation to gap size, regeneration patterns, and climate parameters, with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of this CCFM practice in supporting climate change mitigation.

Results highlight how gap size variability allows the pursuit of multiple management objectives, ranging from the conservation of pure black pine stands—of high value for historical landscapes and habitat preservation—to the promotion of broadleaved species recruitment, which may enhance ecosystem resilience and wildfire resistance under future climate scenarios. Regeneration dynamics within gaps are analyzed to define operational silvicultural parameters that support successful natural regeneration while maintaining stable carbon sequestration rates. Overall, the study demonstrates that group selection cutting can effectively balance climate mitigation potential with economic income, contributing to science-based forest management strategies, forest resilience and adaptive capacity in Mediterranean mountain environments.