History and Traditional Management of Italian Wood Pastures

Abstract

Wood pastures are semi-natural systems of elevated biological and cultural value that are by now recognised at international level. There are many reasons for the current interest in such woods: the diversification of the forest landscape, the rehabilitation of abandoned land through the rearing of indigenous breeds yielding quality products with an elevated level of food safety and the conservation of biodiversity. The historic origin of these forest formations is very ancient and is linked to the deforestation carried out by man to obtain land for cultivation. The traditional management of these woods over centuries has allowed them to survive up to the present. Unlike other countries such as Spain, for example, in Italy forestry science has not codified any form of silvicultural management for the wooded pastures. The purpose of this article is to offer a synthetic bibliographical overview of the historic origins of these forest systems in Italy and the management methods applied to them.