FONDAMENTI DI ARBORICOLTURA E SELVICOLTURA GENERALE

The course aims to provide to the student all the necessary knowledge about the tree and the multifunctional role that it can assume in the different environments and agroecosystems: arboretum, forest and urban environment.

The course will provide the basic notions on the morphology of the tree, its physiology, and the interaction that it can assume with the surrounding environment, in natural contexts, in productive and urban cultivation areas also with reference to the constraints related to the different environmental conditions and the multiple functions (productive, landscaping and ornamental) that it can undergo.

Moreover, information will be provided on different cultivation techniques that can be used for the optimal trees management according to several objectives in different contexts.

The lectures will mainly take place in the classroom, some demonstrations will be carried out in the laboratory. The course includes two external technical visits.

If the teaching should be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, if the conditions should require it.

The course is divided into two parts: the first will deal with various aspects related to general arboriculture, the second will analyzed forestry aspects. In particular:

- Morphological and physiological tree aspects

- Propagation systems: reproduction and multiplication. Brief notes on nursery technique

- Relations between tree and environment

- Brief notes on the fruiting cycle

- Tree and the arboretum planting system

- Criteria for choosing species and varieties

- Main tree management in relation to the environmental context

- Training systems and fruit tree pruning

- Silvicultural systems

- Analysis and description of the main forest parameters

- Forest management and treatment

- Examples of multifunctional agroforestry tree systems

1. Peano C., Sottile F. (2019) 'Principi di Arboricoltura'. EdiSES srl - Napoli

2. Piussi P., Alberti G. (2015) 'Selvicoltura generale. Boschi, società e tecniche colturali'. Collana Scienze forestali e Ambientali. Compagnia delle Foreste srl - Arezzo

Other texts for consultation:

- Sansavini et al. (2012) 'Arboricoltura generale'. Patron editore Bologna

- Piussi P. (1994) 'Selvicoltura generale'. UTET