doi: 10.4129/ifm.2011.3.02

Citazione - Citation
Nocentini S., 2011 - The forest as a complex biological system: theoritical and practical consequences. L'Italia Forestale e Montana, 66 (3): 191-196.

Autori - Authors

Susanna Nocentini - Department of Agricultural and Forest economics, engineering, Sciences and Technologies, University of Florence; susanna.nocentini@unifi.it

Title: The forest as a complex biological system: theoritical and practical consequences

Titolo: Il bosco sistema biologico complesso: ricadute teoriche e applicative

Key words: systemic silviculture; complexity; forest management; command and control approach.

Parole chiave: selvicoltura sistemica; complessità; gestione forestale; comando e controllo.

SUMMARY

The first point of the “Manifesto for Systemic Silviculture” is examined. The concept of complex adaptive system is analyzed within the current scientific debate and theoretical and operational consequences in the field of silviculture and forest management are discussed. The “classic paradigm” in natural resource management has treated population, community and ecosystem dynamics as if they were functioning in a static environment following predictable trajectories. The last decades of the 20^th century have seen the birth of hypotheses on ecosystem functioning that have evidenced that they are complex systems, characterized by nonlinear and unpredictable changes and modifications. Systemic silviculture and management, by considering the forest a complex and adaptive biological system, integrate these assumptions into analysis, methods and operational procedures which are coherent with this concept. With systemic silviculture, management proceeds following a coevolutionary continuum between human intervention and the system’s reaction. It is concluded that a cycle is over, that of the forest considered as an instrumental entity which can be managed according to predefined models to answer specific aims: history has clearly shown that over two centuries of efforts to make forest ecosystems predictable have transformed forests into plantations and silviculture into tree cultivation for wood production.

RIASSUNTO

Viene analizzato il concetto di sistema complesso adattativo nel contesto dell’attuale dibattito scientifico e si esaminano le conseguenze scientifiche e operative nel campo della selvicoltura e della gestione forestale. Il paradigma classico per la gestione delle risorse naturali ha trattato le dinamiche delle popolazioni, delle comunità e degli ecosistemi come se avvenissero in un ambiente immutabile e secondo traiettorie prevedibili. Gli ultimi decenni del ventesimo secolo hanno visto la nascita di ipotesi sul funzionamento degli ecosistemi che hanno evidenziato come questi siano sistemi complessi, caratterizzati da cambiamenti e modificazioni non lineari e imprevedibili. La selvicoltura e la gestione sistemica, considerando il bosco un sistema biologico complesso e adattativo, prevedono analisi, metodi e procedure operative coerenti con questo concetto. Con la selvicoltura sistemica, la gestione procede secondo un continuum coevolutivo fra intervento umano e reazioni del sistema bosco. Ormai si è chiuso un ciclo, quello del bosco visto come una entità strumentale che può essere gestita secondo modelli predefiniti per rispondere a specifici obiettivi: la storia ha chiaramente dimostrato che oltre due secoli di tentativi per rendere gli ecosistemi forestali prevedibili hanno trasformato le foreste in piantagioni e la selvicoltura in arboricoltura da legno.

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