Following the VAIA storm, the Forests Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Tourism began a phase of data collection for the estimation of forest that was necessary for national level planning and for European aid application.
The SISEF – Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology has offered to use its own scientific network to coordinate its activities. Geolab – Geomatics Laboratory at the University of Florence carried out the homogenization work of the various sources, arriving at the first report within a month and half, thanks to the internal resources of the bodies involved. In particular, thanks to the work done by the Regions and Autonomous Provinces. Surely, the results will be reviewed but in the meantime we have a first official and homogeneous picture.
Today the estimates reveled that 41,000 ha are completely destroyed, in nord-east area and approximately 8.5 million m3 of timber are on the ground.
We know that the damaged surface is certainly much larger, but it will take a phase of data collection more detail to quantify it.
It was hard. But it was a good example of cooperation between institutions, national, local and research.
Hundreds of people have contributed to this result, including local technicians and researchers.
Some special thanks:
Alessandra Stefani and Enrico Pompei at MiPAAFT, Marco Marchetti as president of SISEF in the difficult networking activities, Renzo Motta, Giustino Tonon and Giorgio Alberti for having helped and facilitated the exchange of information with the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, Giorgio Vacchiano in having taken by hand in the equally delicate phase of communication of results.
Last but not least Francesca Giannetti who updated the national mapping in real time with the many information that away, we got there.
Soon we will publish a scientific-informative contribution and an event is being prepared to discuss Vaia and the future of our forests
Prof. Gherardo Chirici
