RESILFOR - Restoration of forests dominated by beeches with Silver Fir in the Apennines between Tuscany and Marche
LIFE08 NAT/IT/000371
Object
Autochthonous relics silver fir forests (Abies alba Mill.) at risk of extinction.
PROJECT REFERENT
Marcello Miozzo
WEBSITE
Objective
Ensure the conservation of the genome through the gamic renewal, since most of the indigenous populations are in contact with artificial populations of allochthonous origin.
Good Practice Description
To achieve the goal, the grafting technique was adopted. The first phase involves the selection of "mother plants" based on genetic and adaptive characteristics. The scions must be grafted as soon as possible or stored immediately in order to avoid moisture loss. The rootstocks must be prepared in advance by forcing the start of vegetation at least 15-20 days before the harvest of the scions. There are two grafting techniques that can be used: splitting and lateral grafting, both to be performed in the nursery under controlled conditions. The success was 65%.
Territorial Context
Central Italian Apennines, in an altitude range between 1.000 and 1.500 meters above sea level. From a geological point of view, these are reliefs characterized by fragmented sedimentary rocks with deep and fertile soils, from the climatic one by spring autumn rainfall and partial summer water deficits.
Replicability conditions
It is necessary to have a well-equipped nursery and above all highly skilled workers in the collection (treeclimber), grafting and planting, able to operate correctly and in a short time, to minimize the stress of scions and seedlings. Furthermore, a cold greenhouse with an irrigation system must be available, with dimensions suitable for the number of plants to be reproduced.
Dissemination material
From the GoProFor database, in the final part of the sheet, it is possible to download material related to the project and in particular the Project Guide, the Laymans report and also a video on the grafting technique.