Numerous studies have shown the multiple benefits of plant biodiversity and the crucial role of residents’ awareness of conservation and land management. Plant biodiversity was investigated in an analytical monitoring report conducted jointly with the local population engaged in livestock activities and young residents who were shifting toward hospitality and tourism. The study area, covering over 800 km² in Sardinia, is half forested and attracts interest in its landscape. During our research, genotypes of Quercus ilex L., with sweet acorns rich in polyphenols, as the oldest ecosystem services in these rural communities, were discovered. Collaborative monitoring focused attention on the benefits of plants in different habitats as follows: 53% were known to livestock farmers as food for local breeds of goats and pigs, 15% were official, and 13% were endemic. They had also been used for human nutrition within the Mediterranean diet and attracted interest for their use in landscapes and gardens. This study analyzes numerical data from critical and educational perspectives. These data serve as indicators of ecosystem health for the purpose of sustainable management policies and attest to collaborative monitoring as a tool for analyzing human activities and the necessary balance between profit and biodiversity conservation, given the current challenging climate change conditions.

The study deals with the sustainability of management in radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don.) plantations of an area of Sardinia (Italy). Focusing on management strategies that foster a continuous forest cover and processes of natural regeneration, the aim was to evaluate the benefits arising from different types of plantation management, balancing social, cultural, environmental and economic aspects. Systematic and selective thinning, as well as regeneration cutting, were carried out in test areas of 45-year-old plantations, and outcomes were compared by considering current forest dynamism, natural regeneration and technical and economic aspects. From an economic perspective, silvicultural management strategies were always positive, with differences depending on the type of intervention. The regeneration cutting, with the expected natural regeneration of radiata pine in the following years, ensures the best economic outcomes, allows for a continuous forest cover and favors the replacement of even-aged plantations, boosting biodiversity in forest stands (structure, species). Climate change, increasing pests and wildfires represent the biggest threats to the sustainability of plantations in Mediterranean areas, and sensitivity is higher in even-aged, homogeneous, monospecific tree stands. In the context of the study, turning forest plantations into more resilient and stable ecosystems can be effectively achieved by means of continuous-cover forest management strategies.

Numerous studies have shown the multiple benefits of plant biodiversity and the crucial role of resident’s awareness in conservation and land management. Plant biodiversity is investigated in an analytical monitoring report conducted jointly with local population engaged in livestock activities and the young residents who are shifting toward hospitality and tourism. The study area, covering over 800 km2 in Sardinia, is half forested and has landscape interest. During the research, genotypes of Quercus ilex L. with sweet acorns and richer in polyphenols were discovered, the oldest ecosystem services in those rural communities. Collaborative monitoring focused attention on the benefits of plants in different habitats: 53% of these have been known to livestock farmers as food for local breeds of goats and pigs; 15% are officinal and 13% endemic. They have also been used in human nutrition within the Mediterranean diet, and they have landscape and garden interest. The study analyzes numerical data from a critical and educational perspective. These data serve as indicators of ecosystem health for the purpose of sustainable management policies, and attest to collaborative monitoring as a tool for analyzing human activities and the necessary balance between profit and biodiversity conservation, given the current challenging climate change conditions.