Davide Travaglini

Key message: Saproxylic biodiversity is a fundamental component of forest ecosystems that remains poorly integrated into operational forest management. We introduce a novel hierarchical classification of saproxylic ecological habitats (SaproHabs) that complements existing tree-related microhabitats frameworks by explicitly linking habitat features to the ecological requirements of saproxylic beetles. By identifying 22 functional forms and 34 SaproHab types through field-observable diagnostic features, the framework provides a standardised, field-oriented tool for assessing and recording habitat features relevant to saproxylic beetles. The SaproHab framework supports biodiversity-oriented forest management in line with the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and the Nature Restoration Law. Integrating the framework into forest monitoring and planning could strengthen conservation outcomes in European temperate and Mediterranean forests, while remaining compatible with sustainable timber-production objectives.

Agroforestry and non-wood forest products (NWFPs) are increasingly recognized as important nature-based solutions to achieve a better sustainability level in land-use systems, bioeconomy and resilience in food production systems. Although EIP-AGRI Operational Groups (OGs) have developed numerous innovations, limited analysis exists on how to effectively transfer them across different European contexts. This study assesses the perceived transferability of agroforestry and NWFP innovations developed by EIP-AGRI OGs using a multi-stage evaluation conducted within the Horizon Europe FOREST4EU project. After classifying 69 innovations from 39 Operational Groups (eight countries) into nine thematic domains - i.e. (i) Fruits and Nuts; (ii) Mushrooms and Truffles; (iii) Pollinators and Honey; (iv) haromatics, (v) Pasture and Silvopastoral Systems; (vi) Cork Management; (vii) Resin Management; (viii) Biomass and Biochar; and (ix) Knowledge Transfer and Certification - European experts prioritized them online. National stakeholder workshops then evaluated the most relevant innovations for transfer potential, while a Jaccard similarity index analyzed priority convergence across countries and domains. Country-level and domain-specific similarity analyses were performed using the Jaccard similarity index to explore convergence in innovation priorities.,Our analysis shows that innovations addressing advisory services, knowledge transfer, certification, silvopastoral management, business model development, and integrated management approaches achieved the highest levels of cross-country consensus. Stakeholder workshops broadly confirmed these priorities while placing greater emphasis on innovations supporting practical implementation and farm-level application. While similarity analyses showed wide variation among thematic domains, the highest agreement across countries was found in Knowledge Transfer and Certification—which operate as two distinct processes. On the other hand, product-oriented domains like Cork, Resin, Fruits and Nuts, and Mushrooms and Truffles proved to be far more context-dependent. Overall, the findings suggest that transferability depends not only on the characteristics of the innovation itself, but also on the interaction between supply, demand, and the specific socio-ecological conditions of the receiving country for its forestry and agro-forestry sectors. Our study provides new insights for designing innovation support policies and knowledge exchange mechanisms aimed at boosting the transfer of agroforestry and NWFP innovations across Europe.

Tree-related microhabitats act as key links between forest structure and biodiversity, but these pathways may be altered in urban forests. In Mediterranean urban forests, we found that deadwood-related processes were weaker than hypothesized, while structural diversity remained the primary driver of microhabitat richness. We evaluated whether hierarchical pathways linking structure, diversity, and richness are maintained under urban conditions. A Structural Equation Model was applied to 180 plots across three Italian cities (Florence, Rome, Campobasso), assessing relationships among tree and deadwood volume, diversity, richness, and landscape variables (forest area, patch shape complexity, canopy cover). A consistent bottom-up hierarchy emerged, in which structural heterogeneity was associated with microhabitat richness through diversity-mediated pathways. However, deadwood-related pathways were positive but less consistent than living-tree-related pathways. Landscape context acted mainly as a secondary filter, although canopy cover positively influenced some richness components. Overall, urban forest microhabitat richness depended more on structural heterogeneity than biomass; patterns are consistent with the hypothesis that management, including deadwood removal, may constrain habitat continuity. Maintaining structurally diverse stands, retaining deadwood where compatible with public safety, and integrating microhabitat monitoring into spatial planning are essential to support biodiversity and ecosystem services in urban forests.

Climate change is expected to profoundly affect forest biodiversity, yet its impacts on saproxylic and non-saproxylic insects remain largely mediated by forest structure and management. Saproxylic beetles strongly depend on tree-related microhabitats (TreMs), which reflect stand development, deadwood dynamics, and habitat continuity. In this study, we assessed how future climate change may influence saproxylic beetle richness and TreM diversity across the Italian Apennines by integrating long-term field data from 336 forest plots with machine-learning models and the process-based forest model 3D-CMCC-FEM. Beetle and TreM richness were projected under a baseline current climate scenario (CCS) and two future climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) until 2100. Gaussian process regression models with strong extrapolation performance were used to forecast richness trajectories based on simulated forest structural and climatic variables. Results show that host tree species and stand structural development are the primary drivers of both beetle and TreM richness, while differences among climate scenarios are comparatively small. Richness trajectories differed markedly among forest types: beech stands showed temporary mid-century increases under climate change scenarios, chestnut forests remained relatively stable, and silver fir and Turkey oak stands exhibited long-term declines or convergence toward lower richness levels. Patterns of TreM richness closely mirrored beetle richness, highlighting the central role of structural complexity and microhabitat availability. Overall, the effects of climate change on beetle diversity appear to be largely indirect, acting through forest growth, mortality, and microhabitat dynamics rather than through direct climatic constraints. These findings emphasize that forest management practices maintaining structural heterogeneity and microhabitat continuity can substantially mitigate climate-driven biodiversity changes, supporting the integration of TreMs into climate-adaptive forest management strategies.

Per valorizzare il patrimonio ambientale, storico e culturale della foresta di Vallombrosa e promuovere un turismo sostenibile insieme all’educazione storico-ambientale, sono stati recentemente inaugurati tre percorsi ad anello che offrono a visitatori di tutte le età un’esperienza immersiva tra le maestose abetine storiche della Foresta.

Forest structure, including trees, deadwood and tree-related microhabitats, is a key determinant of forest biodiversity. Their relative contribution in shaping local (alpha) biodiversity and its variation (beta) between sites remains unclear. We assessed how forest characteristics shape alpha and beta diversity of beetle communities in mixed silver fir–beech forests within the Vallombrosa Nature Reserve (Tuscany, Italy). We sampled 47 circular plots recording single-tree attributes, deadwood volume and decay stage, and the occurrence of tree-related microhabitats. Beetle assemblages were surveyed using window flight traps, yielding over 11,000 individuals belonging to 187 species, 20% of those known from central-southern Italian forests, 58% of which were listed in the Italian Red List of Saproxylic Beetles and 10% of which were threatened. Statistical models (GLMs and GDMs) revealed that alpha diversity was driven by fine-scale features, including tree species composition, microhabitats (cavities, bark, epiphytes) and deadwood diversity. In contrast, beta diversity was shaped by stand structure and inter-stand heterogeneity. Our results highlight the need for conservation strategies that simultaneously maintain tree-level heterogeneity and secure variation across the landscape. Management should therefore combine retention of microhabitats and diverse deadwood substrates with promotion of structurally diverse, mixed stands to sustain beetle diversity at multiple spatial scales.