COST Action E 52 - vTI - Bund.de

GeNeTIc resources aNd reProducTIve maTerIaL
The competences for legislation and transfer regulation of forest reproductive material of beech
have been transferred from the Ministry to the local regions. Each region is actually discussing the
situation in the “Economic Development Programme” and to date no tree seed zone or seed stands
were identified by the Regional Administration as programmed in the D. L. 386/2003.
In Table 1 there are listed the seed stands that are to be included in the register as foreseen by the
aforesaid Law (italic), the seed stands (underlined) included in the National legislation on reproductive
material (D. L. 269/19 3, no more in force), and seed stands from Sicily suggested by Vettori et al.
(200 ) on the basis of population genetic fingerprinting (bold).
Lumber aNd TImber
The Italian National Forest Inventory (IFNC 2005) estimates a standing volume of about 1,2 0*10 6 m 3
of wood (including logs and big branches) in the area of forests in the country. Beech forests give
a lumber and timber supply of 240 million per m 3 , which represents 19% of the total national timber
production. In term of timber quality there is a remarkable difference between wood obtained from
coppice stands and wood obtained from high forest stands. The main product from coppice stands
is firewood, while that from the better high forest stands, it is possible to obtain lumber suitable
for industrial transformation such as rotary cutting for plywood production and sawn timber for
furniture. Italian beech wood production is not sufficient, both in terms of quantity and quality, for
sustaining domestic demand, especially demand coming from the plywood industry. For this reason
every year, large amounts of beech timber are imported from France, former Yugoslavia and central
European countries (Hungary, Romania).
heaLTh sTaTe
Beech forests are generally considered non-problematic with regard to their susceptibility to
pathogens and insects. However, during the past decades a certain number of diseases and mortality
situations have been reported (Luchi et al. 200 ). Most beech problems are concentrated in the
few beech plantations present in Italy rather than in natural forests. They are generally influenced
by climatic and unfavourable environmental situations. Main symptoms consist of the progressive
drying of the upper parts of the crown, necrosis of leaves and branches, as well as the main stem,
associated with the presence of fungus Biscogniauxia nummularia (Bull.) Kuntze, an endophyte/
parasite typical of stressed plants, naturally diffused in the environment. It causes cankers along the
stem but also “white rot”. In general, fungi of the family Xylariaceae cause charcoal canker in the
Fagaceae family (Capretti et al. 2003). There is good evidence that these species occur in healthy
living trees as endophytes and then become invasive under water stress conditions.
Biotic and abiotic stresses may also favour other pathogens present on the soil or on the root system
as Ascomycetes fungi responsible for white root rot: Ustulina deusta (Hoffm.) Lind and Xylaria
polymorpha (Pers.) Grev. Both have been found occasionally in connection with occurrence of
damages by Heterobasidion annosum Fries. Bref. causing beech tree decay and uprooting of trees in
mixed stands with conifers (Abies and Pinus spp.) (Capretti et al. 2003).
Root diseases were also locally registered, showing symptoms typical for Phytophthora: increased
crown transparency, abnormally small and often yellowish foliage, dieback of the crown, necroses of
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