Italian oak forests facing stress factors and climate change: current evidence, ecophysiological knowledge and management perspectives

The scientific event “Italian Oak Forests Facing Stress Factors and Climate Change: Current Evidence, Ecophysiological Knowledge and Management Perspectives”, organized by the Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) and the Italian Academy of Forest Sciences, addressed the critical issues threatening the conservation of oak forests in Italy. Oak decline, documented since the 1980s, emerges as a multifactorial phenomenon driven by climatic stress (drought, heatwaves), biotic agents (pathogens, insects), and species-specific ecophysiological traits. A meta-analysis of over 200 studies shows drought reduces vigor and resilience but triggers adaptive mechanisms such as stomatal regulation and osmotic adjustment. Future scenarios predict a reduction in forest cover and the replacement of native species with more resistant species to extreme climatic events. Long-term data from the CONtrollo degli ECOsistemi FORestali (CONECOFOR) program confirm species-specific strategies: Q. pubescens sheds leaves in summer, Q. cerris exhibits sudden mortality, while Q. ilex, though drought-tolerant, is vulnerable to extreme events. Regional case studies (Sardinia, Apulia, Lombardia-Ticino Park) highlight widespread dieback and mortality in oak stands and the role of pathogens such as Phytophthora spp. and Diplodia corticola in exacerbating the negative impact of extreme drought events. Sustainable management should enhance genetic diversity and select resilient genotypes, integrating either ground and remote sensing monitoring. The concluding roundtable proposed establishing a National Technical Board to coordinate monitoring, training, and adaptive strategies, aligned with the National Forest Strategy. This body should ensure multidisciplinarity, stakeholder representation, and operational capacity, leveraging national, regional, and EU resources to counter the growing risk of resilience loss in Italian oak forests.