This document discusses prescribed burning programs for forest fire management in Italy. It notes that wildfires burn over 112,000 hectares per year in Italy, and climate change is increasing fire frequency and severity. Prescribed burning is used in Italy for several reasons: to regulate rural fire uses, maintain strategic fuel breaks around periodically large wildfires, reduce wildfire risk by increasing forest and plant resilience, and train fire operators. The document describes how prescribed burning plans are implemented and monitored in different regions of Italy, and their effects on reducing fuels and crown mortality in Mediterranean pine forests.

1. Prescribed burning programs
for forest fire management in Italy
26 April 2018
Bruxelles
G. Vacchiano, Università di Milano, UNIMONT
D. Ascoli, Università di Napoli Federico II
giorgio.vacchiano@unimi.it

2. PT SP
FR
IT
In Italy wildfires are one the
most important natural hazards
112 000 ha/year
170 000 ha in 2017
Prescribed burning in Italy: why?
0
500
1000
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
2013
Burntarea103ha
Spain
Portugal
France
Italy
Data: EFFIS
2017
Climate change -> increase in
fire frequency and severity

3. Burnt area
2004-2015
Source: CFS
Why?
0
150
300
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
2013
BA103ha
Italy
Many territories
with a high fire
incidence

4. Why?
Wildfire due to rural fire uses
…mostly not regulated
0
150
300
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
2013
BA103ha
Italy
24% Rural fire uses
Regulate rural fire uses
by prescribed burning

5. 0
150
300
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
2013
BA103ha
Italy
Why?
Periodic large fires with
predictable spread patterns
Prescribed burning to
maintain strategic fuel breaks
1960
1971
19741979
1983
1991
2003
2011

6. Bovio G., Ascoli D. (2012). Fuoco prescritto: stato dell’arte della normativa in Italia. Italia Forestale e Montana 67(4): 347-358
Why?
Prescribed burning
objectives

7. Piemonte
Campania
… for fuel management in strategic fuelbreaks
Sardegna
Salis M
Toscana
Where?

8. Prescribed burning in Italy: how?
Wildfires 1980-2015
Fuelbreaks
27 km – 53ha
Prescribed burning plan: Tuscany

9. Prescribed burning in Italy: how?
Prescribed burning plan: Tuscany
20-30 m
40 m20 m

10. Calabria
Pinus halepensis
Delogu G
Toscana
Pinus nigra
Tonarelli L
Toscana
Pinus pinaster
Sardegna
Pinus pinea
… for understory burning to increase fire resistance
Where?
Bacci D

11. Piemonte
Castanea sativa
De Giovanni A
Campania
Quercus cerris
Sardegna
Eucalyptus sp.
Piemonte
Larix decidua
… for understory burning to increase fire resistance
Where?

12. Fire Risk
Effects in Mediterranean conifers
How?

13. 100 m
Prescribed burning
Control
Effects in Mediterranean conifers
How?

14. + 2 years
Prescribed burning
Ascoli D, Bovio G, Esposito A, Seneca U, Rutigliano FA, Catalanotti AE, Strumia S, Salgueiro A, Palheiro P, Rebelo A, Mazzoleni S, Fernandes P (2010).
Using PiroPinus to assess fuel reduction effectiveness of prescribed burning in a Pinus halepensis plantation in Southern Italy.
In “Proceedings of the VI International Conference on Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal, 15-18 Nov. 2010”.
Control
Effects in Mediterranean conifers
How?
Ampelodesmos
Erica
Ampelodesmos
Erica

15. + 2 years
Ascoli D, Bovio G, Esposito A, Seneca U, Rutigliano FA, Catalanotti AE, Strumia S, Salgueiro A, Palheiro P, Rebelo A, Mazzoleni S, Fernandes P (2010).
Using PiroPinus to assess fuel reduction effectiveness of prescribed burning in a Pinus halepensis plantation in Southern Italy.
In “Proceedings of the VI International Conference on Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal, 15-18 Nov. 2010”.
Fuel
Fuelstrata(m)
Effects in Mediterranean conifers
Grasses – forbs
Litter
Dead wood
Live fuels
Dead fuels
Dead wood
Litter
How?
Control

16. + 2 years
Ascoli D, Bovio G, Esposito A, Seneca U, Rutigliano FA, Catalanotti AE, Strumia S, Salgueiro A, Palheiro P, Rebelo A, Mazzoleni S, Fernandes P (2010).
Using PiroPinus to assess fuel reduction effectiveness of prescribed burning in a Pinus halepensis plantation in Southern Italy.
In “Proceedings of the VI International Conference on Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal, 15-18 Nov. 2010”.
Fuel
Fuelstrata(m)
Effects in Mediterranean conifers
Grasses – forbs
Litter
Dead wood
Live fuels
Dead fuels
Dead wood
Litter
5764 kW/m
PiroPinus
97th scenario
How?
Control

17. PRE
Prescribed burning
Ascoli D, Bovio G, Esposito A, Seneca U, Rutigliano FA, Catalanotti AE, Strumia S, Salgueiro A, Palheiro P, Rebelo A, Mazzoleni S, Fernandes P (2010).
Using PiroPinus to assess fuel reduction effectiveness of prescribed burning in a Pinus halepensis plantation in Southern Italy.
In “Proceedings of the VI International Conference on Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal, 15-18 Nov. 2010”.
Fuel
Effects in Mediterranean conifers
Fuelstrata(m)
Grasses - forbs
Litter
Dead wood
Fuel consumption
Crown mortality
Dead wood
Litter
How?

18. PRE
Prescribed burning
Ascoli D, Bovio G, Esposito A, Seneca U, Rutigliano FA, Catalanotti AE, Strumia S, Salgueiro A, Palheiro P, Rebelo A, Mazzoleni S, Fernandes P (2010).
Using PiroPinus to assess fuel reduction effectiveness of prescribed burning in a Pinus halepensis plantation in Southern Italy.
In “Proceedings of the VI International Conference on Forest Fire Research. Coimbra, Portugal, 15-18 Nov. 2010”.
Fuel
Effects in Mediterranean conifers
Fuelstrata(m)
Grasses - forbs
Litter
Dead wood
Fuel consumption
Crown mortality
Dead wood
Litter
665 kW/m
PiroPinus
97th scenario
How?

19. Battipaglia et al. (2014).
The effects of prescribed burning on Pinus halepensis Mill. as revealed by dendrochronological and isotopic analyses
Forest Ecology and Management 334: 201-208.
Treeringindex
Dendroecological study Burning
Prescribed burningControl
How?

20. - Participatory programs to solve conflicts
between foresters and sheperds
- Prevention of unplanned wildfire and
amelioration of forage quality
- Exchange of knowledge on the use of fire
among shepherds, fire-fighters, managers
Campania
… for grazing management
Ribet N. – modificata
Friuli VG
Sardegna
Where?
Ribet N

21. Why?
Decrease
Stable
Increase
Land cover change
1960-1990
Change
Population change
1960-1990
Falcucci et al. (2007)
Land cover change
1960-1990
Change

22. Why?
Larch
woodlands
Calluna
heathlands
Festuco-brom.
Orchids
Open habitat
Forest-shrubland
Prescribed burning to maintain open habitats

23. Tree control for heathland conservation
How?

24. Tree control for heathland conservation
How?

25. Prescribed burning
Prescribed
browsing
Tree control for heathland conservation
How?

26. 4) Prescribed burning 1time
+ Yearly broswing +
4 treatments applied for 5 years
3) Prescribed burning 1time
1) Frequent fire
+
2) Yearly broswing
+
Tree control for heathland conservation
How?

27. - Prescribed burning causes
tree stem mortality, browsing
controls root suckering
- Heath is resilient to fire, it is
not browsed, and can recover
its former habitat structure
Treatment effect by year
Yearly browsing
Frequent fire
Burning 1 time
Burning + Browsing
Years
PRE
+5
+1
+3
Treatments
Ascoli et al. (2013) Forest Ecology Management 289
Treeencroachment
Heath recovery
Tree control for heathland conservation
How?

28. Why?
Professional
forest fire-fighters
of Regional Services
Volunteer
fire brigades
Civil protection
Carabinieri militia
State civil fire brigades
Prescribed burning to
train fire operators

29. N. 25 videos
producted in Italy
25 videos
5534 visits (3 yrs)
81% in Italy
Information: "Fuoco prescritto" on the media
How?

30. Acknowledgements
26 April 2018
Bruxelles
ACCORDO DI COLLABORAZIONE TRA REGIONE LOMBARDIA E GESDIMONT, PER ATTIVITÀ DI RICERCA SCIENTIFICA ED APPLICATA
E DI DIFFUSIONE DELLA CONOSCENZA INERENTE IL TERRITORIO MONTANO LOMBARDO (ai sensi del art. 4 c. 27 della l.r. 22/2016)