Optimizing Silvicultural Interventions to Reduce Combustion Energy Load in Forest Ecosystems
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Wildfires increasingly threaten forest ecosystems, particularly in arid Mediterranean regions impacted by climate change. This study presents a novel quantitative framework for optimizing silvicultural interventions to reduce combustion energy loads and enhance resource conservation. Using dendrometric equations, biomass removal calculations, and geospatial modeling (Ordinary Kriging, SAGA-GIS and Q-GIS), the methodology evaluates the spatial distribution of calorific energy before and after thinning interventions. The results show that a 20% thinning intervention reduced calorific energy by 13.45% and water demand by 8.38%, while thinning at 30% and 40% intensities achieved even greater reductions. Specifically, thinning reduced the higher calorific potential by 14,000 kJ/m2 and saved approximately 861,390 L of water across the study area. These findings provide actionable insights for forest managers to balance ecological health, optimize thinning practices, and mitigate wildfire risks in vulnerable ecosystems.
Author: Valerio Prosseda
Institution: Università degli Studi della Tuscia
Language: English
Topic: Fire effects on ecosystems
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4407339172