http://http://dspace.unitus.it:80 The DSpace digital repository system captures, stores, indexes, preserves, and distributes digital research material. 2013-05-25T13:29:15Z http://hdl.handle.net/2067/2082 Title: Large-scale monitoring of coppice forest clearcuts by multitemporal very high resolution satellite imagery. A case study from central Italy Authors: Chirici, Gherardo; Giuliarelli, Diego; Biscontini, Daniele; Tonti, Daniela; Mattioli, Walter; Marchetti, Marco; Corona, Piermaria Abstract: Reliable assessment of forest resource stock, productivity and harvesting is a commonly agreed objective of environmental monitoring programs. Distinctively, the assessment of wood harvesting has become even more relevant to evaluate the sustainability of forest management and to quantify forest carbon budget. This paper presents the development and testing of procedures for assessing forest harvesting in coppice forests by very high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery. The study area is located in central Italy over approximately 34,000 km2. A set of SPOT5 HRG multispectral images was acquired for the study years (2002–2007). Official administrative statistics of coppice clearcutswere also acquired.More than 9500 clearcuts weremapped and dated by on-screen interpretation of the SPOT5 images. In a subset of the study area various methods for semi-automatic clearcut mapping were tested by pixel- and object-oriented approaches. The following results are presented: (i) clearcut map developed by visual interpretation of the SPOT5 images resulted in high thematic (overall accuracy of 0.99) and geometric (rootmean square error of clearcut boundary delineation of 5.3 m) reliability; (ii) object-oriented approach achieved significantly better accuracy than pixel-based methods for semi-automatic classification of the coppice clearcuts; (iii) comparison between mapped clearcut area and official forest harvesting statistics proved a significant underestimation by the latter (65% of the total mapped clearcut area). A sample-based procedure exploiting VHR satellite imagery is finally proposed to correct the official statistics of coppice clearcuts. Description: L'articolo è disponibile sul sito dell'editore www.sciencedirect.com 2010-12-31T23:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2067/2096 Title: Relazioni tra gestione selvicolturale, tipo forestale e diversità floristica in cedui castanili Authors: Mattioli, Walter; Pinelli, Adolfa; Filibeck, Goffredo; Portoghesi, Luigi; Scoppola, Anna; Corona, Piermaria Abstract: Chestnut stands are among the main forest formations in Italy. The aim of this work is to assess the floristic diversity of chestnut coppice stands of Sabatini Mts. (central Italy), highlighting the relationships between the silvicultural system and the ecological processes. In the management of these coppices almost exclusive importance has been given to the wood production, rating the stands on the basis of the rotation that maximizes the production of the most valuable assortments. The assessment carried out is based on floristic and dendrometric surveys within permanent circular plots (10 meters radius) randomly selected within three chronological strata. Surveys have been realized on a total of 15 plots, 5 for each stratum. Indices of floristic richness and diversity have been elaborated to point out variations of forest types and to suggest possible alternatives to the current management to mitigate its impact on biodiversity. Description: L'articolo è disponibile sul sito dell'editore www.sisef.it 2007-12-31T23:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2067/2092 Title: Confronto sperimentale tra superfici a ceduo tagliate a raso osservate mediante immagini satellitari ad alta risoluzione e tagliate riscontrate amministrativamente Authors: Corona, Piermaria; Giuliarelli, Diego; Lamonaca, Andrea; Mattioli, Walter; Tonti, Daniela; Chirici, Gherardo; Marchetti, Marco Abstract: The aim of this work is to test the potential of SPOT5 satellite images for monitoring coppice clearcuts. The clearcuts, delineated by on screen interpretation of the satellite images, are compared with the administrative statistics reported for a sample of 230 administrative units. Administrative statistics result significantly lower than those by satellite images, with an average ratio between clearcut area observed by SPOT5 images within each sample unit and the corresponding administrative statistics equal to 1.45. The underestimation by the administrative data is likely due to the simplified process of authorization of coppice clearcuts as well as the eventual lack of timeliness and/or loss of data that sometimes hinder the information flow from administrative bodies to National Forest Service, that is in charge of feeding the official forest statistics. In the light of the experimentation carried out, an operational procedure by SPOT5 images is proposed for the statistical calibration of administrative data about coppice clearcuts. Description: L'articolo è disponibile sul sito dell'editore www.sisef.it 2006-12-31T23:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2067/2309 Title: Experimenting the design-based k-NN approach for mapping and estimation under forest management planning Authors: Mattioli, Walter; Quatrini, Valerio; Di Paolo, Silvia; Di Santo, Daniele; Giuliarelli, Diego; Angelini, Alice; Portoghesi, Luigi; Corona, Piermaria Abstract: Estimation and mapping of forest attributes are a fundamental support for forest management planning. This study describes a practical experimentation concerning the use of design-based k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) approach to estimate and map selected attributes in the framework of inventories at forest management level. The study area was the Chiarino forest within the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park (central Italy). Aboveground biomass and current annual increment of tree volume were selected as the attributes of interest for the test. Field data were acquired within 28 sample plots selected by stratified random sampling. Satellite data were acquired by a Landsat 5 TM multispectral image. Attributes from field surveys and Landsat image processing were coupled by k-NN to predict the attributes of interest for each pixel of the Landsat image. Achieved results demonstrate the effectiveness of the k-NN approach for statistical estimation, that is compatible with the produced forest attribute raster maps and also proves to be characterized, in the considered study case, by a precision double than that obtained by conventional inventory based on field sample plots only. Description: L'articolo è disponibile sul sito dell'editore www.sisef.it 2011-12-31T23:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2067/2316 Title: Extending large-scale forest inventories to assess urban forests Authors: Corona, Piermaria; Agrimi, Mariagrazia; Baffetta, Federica; Barbati, Anna; Chiriacò, Maria Vincenza; Fattorini, Lorenzo; Pompei, Enrico; Valentini, Riccardo; Mattioli, Walter Abstract: Urban areas are continuously expanding today, extending their influence on an increasingly large proportion of woods and trees located in or nearby urban and urbanizing areas, the socalled urban forests. Although these forests have the potential for significantly improving the quality the urban environment and the well-being of the urban population, data to quantify the extent and characteristics of urban forests are still lacking or fragmentary on a large scale. In this regard, an expansion of the domain of multipurpose forest inventories like National Forest Inventories (NFIs) towards urban forests would be required. To this end, it would be convenient to exploit the same sampling scheme applied in NFIs to assess the basic features of urban forests. This paper considers approximately unbiased estimators of abundance and coverage of urban forests, together with estimators of the corresponding variances, which can be achieved from the first phase of most largescale forest inventories. A simulation study is carried out in order to check the performance of the considered estimators under various situations involving the spatial distribution of the urban forests over the study area. An application is worked out on the data from the Italian NFI. Description: L'articolo è disponibile sul sito dell'editore www.springer.com 2011-12-31T23:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2067/2326 Title: Biomassa forestale per la produzione di energia termica: un modello di analisi per l'Alta valle dell'Aniene Authors: Barbati, Anna; Corona, Piermaria; Mattioli, Walter; Quatrini, Alessandro Abstract: Il continuo aumento della domanda di energia e la modesta autosufficienza energetica spingono le politiche energetiche dell’Italia, nel quadro degli impegni 20-20-20, verso un crescente impiego di biomasse forestali in progetti di produzione energetica delocalizzata e sostenibile. Per identificare opzioni progettuali in grado di soddisfare in modo sostenibile la domanda di energie rinnovabili è necessario produrre stime sufficientemente attendibili sulla disponibilità di biomasse forestali destinabili all’uso energetico, definendo criteri di sostenibilità nel prelievo calibrati sul contesto ambientale e socio-economico locale. In tale logica, il lavoro presenta un caso di studio finalizzato a quantificare nel comprensorio forestale di circa 27.000 ha dell’Alta valle dell’Aniene (Italia centrale) la quantità di biomassa forestale destinabile alla produzione di energia termica. La quantità annua di biomassa forestale destinabile alla produzione di energia, stimata attraverso un modello conservativo basato su criteri di utilizzazione forestale sostenibile, è pari a circa il 18% (21.000 t s.s. anno-1) della produttività annua delle foreste del comprensorio e i quantitativi unitari di biomassa ritraibile risultano pari a circa 2 t s.s. ha-1anno-1. La disponibilità complessiva di biomassa nelle aree maggiormente idonee sotto il profilo dell’accessibilità è di quasi 9.000 t s.s. anno-1, quantitativo sufficiente per implementare una filiera locale di produzione del cippato in grado di alimentare alcune decine di impianti di riscaldamento di edifici pubblici e privati.; Italy’s energy policy, in the framework of the 20-20-20 commitments, is oriented towards the increasing exploitation of wood biomass for local energy production projects; this is due to rising demand for energy and low self-sufficiency of the country. To support renewable energy targets in a sustainable way, reliable estimates on the wood biomass technically available for energy production are needed, taking into account local environmental and socio-economic constraints. This paper presents a case study aimed at assessing the wood biomass technically available for energy generation. The sample area is the forest (approximately 27.000 ha) of the Upper valley of Aniene River (Central Italy). The annual amount of wood biomass available for energy generation is estimated using a conservative model. It is based on environmentalcompatible and sustainable wood harvesting criteria. The available wood biomass is approximately 18% (21.000 t s.s. year-1) of the total forest productivity of the area, corresponding to about 2 t s.s. ha-1year-1. The overall biomass available in the most accessible areas is nearly 9.000 t s.s. year-1. This would be enough to support the development of a local wood-fuel energy chain, to feed several heating plants of public and private buildings. 2011-12-31T23:00:00Z