Work has been initiated, thanks to funding from the MiBACT (Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities, and Tourism), for the development of a Management Plan for the ancient beech forests in Italy.

The ancient beech forests are protected and preserved through the establishment of the transnational serial site “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe,” consisting of 77 examples of undisturbed ancient beech forests found in twelve European countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Ukraine.

These forests are essential for understanding the history and evolution of the beech, a species that has spread to all altitudes due to its adaptability and tolerance to various climatic, geographical, and physical conditions. It originated in the glacial areas of southeastern Europe and later expanded to northwestern Europe.

Overall, the site represents an extraordinary example of the ongoing success of the beech’s progression, including numerous areas in Italy.

Thanks to funding from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, which involves all the partners in the network, the development of a Management Plan for the Italian components of the UNESCO site has been initiated. The goal is to implement the protection measures and ensure “non-intervention” within the designated areas.

The plan will include the definition of guidelines for ecological monitoring through ecological indicators, as well as a description of the state of the forest ecosystem.

Furthermore, there will be an examination of managing tourist flows, including a socio-economic analysis of the structures and infrastructure in each site.

Finally, a communication strategy will be implemented, including the creation of panels and brochures about the transnational site, alongside the development of a dedicated website for Italian ancient beech forests. The planned actions will serve to enhance the scientific knowledge of the forests and monitor their conservation status over time with the aim of preserving their universal value.