Case Study Title
From ecological crisis to adaptive governance: the Castelporziano Estate as a living lab for integrated ecosystem management
1. General Information
Speaker and authors
Paolo Sconocchia, D. Papale, G. Guidolotti, M. Mattioni, G. Nicolini, S. Sabatini, L. Ancillotto, G. Antoniella, A. Barbati, D. Cecca, G. Chirici, T. Chiti, D. Cimini, G. D’Amico, L. Di Fiore, O. Dondina, S. Fares, D. Liberati, E. Mori, F. Recanatesi, R. Salvati, C. Zabeo, G. Bonella, C. Calfapietra, G. Matteucci, G. Scarascia Mugnozza and all technical staff.
Research Infrastructure(s) involved
ICOS, eLTER, LifeWatch.
Scientific Domain
Biosphere.
2. Case study description
2.1 Real-world context and operational need
The arrival of Toumeyella parvicornis, an invasive species native to the Americas, has led to the decline and die-off of around 600 hectares of pine forest within the Castelporziano Presidential Estate. The need to design a reforestation plan has been turned into an opportunity to implement a large-scale experiment in rewilding and ecosystem restoration. To achieve this, a complex monitoring network for biodiversity and carbon fluxes has been established. The project aims to assess the effects of different restoration approaches by comparing natural succession with active restoration of the forest canopy and evaluating their ecological outcomes.
2.2 ITINERIS components and resources used
Three Eddy Covariance towers have been installed to continuously measure carbon fluxes; almost all instruments were provided by the ITINERIS project through actions 6.1 and 8.6.
3. Demonstrated benefit
This work enables the development of a methodology to assess the environmental performance of ecosystem restoration projects, using biodiversity and carbon flux indicators to identify the most effective operational strategies. The resulting knowledge can inform strategies to address environmental challenges related to climate change and associated natural hazards, supporting evidence-based decision-making for restoration and adaptive forest management.
4. Key Exploitable Result (KER)
The study provides a large-scale comparison of different approaches to managing ecological crises in forest ecosystems. The combined scientific expertise of multiple research infrastructures, applied to the same challenge, has enabled the development of a holistic framework for observing and understanding ecological dynamics during and after restoration. This KER can guide future interventions in similar vulnerable forest systems.
5. Target Users and Value
Target users
Research community
Policy makers / public authorities
Environmental agencies
Existing collaboration
The work is the result of close scientific collaboration among technical and scientific teams from three research infrastructures, coordinated by the Castelporziano Presidential Estate. It is based on the shared use of scientific instruments and data, and on the joint planning of monitoring and research activities.
Value proposition
This approach offers a more comprehensive ecological perspective to support management decisions in disturbed or crisis-affected forest systems, providing new verification and predictive tools for environmental and ecological planning.
6. Exploitation Pathway
Current maturity level
Operational
Access modality
The data will be made available through the ITINERIS HUB.
Conditions of use
The data will be openly accessible.
7. Key Message for the Presentation
Pooling the scientific expertise of different research infrastructures can be a winning strategy to tackle the complex environmental challenges ahead. Integrated, multi-level monitoring systems provide a deeper understanding of ecosystem regulatory mechanisms and enable the development of effective adaptation strategies to cope with ongoing changes, improving resource management and enhancing ecosystem resilience. In this specific case, the study helps prepare responses to future emergencies affecting increasingly vulnerable Mediterranean pine forests.