Dredging activities produce large amounts of polluted sediments that require adequate management strategies. Sediment reuse and relocation can involve several environmental issues, such as the release of CO₂ and nitrogen compounds in the environment, the transfer of metals to plant tissues and the persistence of phytotoxic compounds. In this framework, the aim of the present work is to evaluate the use of biochar at different doses, in combination with plant growth, to reduce the environmental impacts polluted dredged sediments. Irrespective to the plant treatment, the amendment of the sediment with the lowest dose of biochar (3%) reduced by 25% the CO₂ emissions of the substrate, by 89% the substrate carbon loss and by 35% the amount of nitrogen released into the environment (average values of the three plant treatments). The negative priming effect of biochar on organic matter mineralization can be responsible for the beneficial reduction of carbon and nitrogen release in the environment. The lack of similar effects observed at the higher biochar doses can depend on the low albedo of the biochar particles, causing the substrate warming (+1 °C for highest biochar dose) and accelerating the organic matter mineralization. Finally, shrub growth in combination with 3% biochar was able to offset the CO₂ emission of the sediment and to reduce the amount of nitrogen lost. This work provides new insight on the potential benefit related to the biochar amendment of organic matter-rich dredged sediments, suggesting that the use of moderate dose of wood biochar in combination with shrub plantation can reduce the release of CO₂ and nitrogen compounds in the environment.

Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) forests in the Mediterranean region are facing increasing abandonment due to a combination of factors, ranging from climate change to socioeconomic issues. The recovery of chestnut ecosystems and their preservation and valorization are key to ensuring the supply of the wide spectrum of ecosystem services they provide and to preventing detrimental environmental shifts. The study’s objective was to provide evidence on the effects of different management options on the ecophysiology of chestnut forests, with diverse pruning intensities (low, medium, and high intensity versus no pruning) tested in an abandoned chestnut stand in central Italy with the aim of recovering and rehabilitating it for fruit production. Innovative Internet of Things (IoT) ‘Tree Talker’ devices were installed on single trees to continuously monitor and measure ecophysiological (i.e., water transport, net primary productivity, foliage development) and microclimatic parameters. Results show a reduction in water use in trees subjected to medium- and high-intensity pruning treatments, along with a decrease in the carbon sequestration function. However, interestingly, the results highlight that trees regain their usual sap flow and carbon sink activity at the end of the first post-pruning growing season and fully realign during the following year, as also confirmed by the NDVI values. As such, this paper demonstrates the efficacy of recovering and managing abandoned chestnut forests, and the initial setback in carbon sequestration resulting from pruning is rapidly remedied with the advantage of reviving trees for fruit production. Additionally, the reduced water demand induced by pruning could represent a promising adaptation strategy to climate change, bolstering the resilience of chestnut trees to prolonged and intensified drought periods, which are projected to increase under future climate scenarios, particularly in the Mediterranean region.

Climate across the globe is continuing to change drastically, and ecosystems are being affected through seasonal and inter-annual climate changes and extreme weather events, with the global averaged temperatures reaching record-breaking highs every year, with 2024 being the warmest on record since 1850.It is known that forest ecosystems play a key role in mitigating temperature, buffering it within the forest microclimate compared to the macroclimate, thus dampening the effects of extreme temperature conditions. But the extent of the effect of these drivers and macroclimate conditions on microclimate conditions is not well understood.Macroclimate is defined as the set of meteorological variables on a large spatial scale (up to hundreds of kilometers), whereas microclimate is defined by climatic conditions on small spatial scales that result from the interaction between the macroclimate, and forest and topography factors.As the climate continues to change, learning which features of microclimates help buffer against intense macroclimatic conditions will be paramount. The aim of this study is to quantify the relative effect of macroclimate conditions, forest structure measures, and topographical variables on the microclimatic conditions, through machine learning with gradient boosting machines, and further, to explore how remote sensing data can be used to predict the buffering capacity of microclimates with future macroclimatic conditions. A pilot test is conducted specifically in a mixed forest in Piegaro, central Italy.With the use of innovative IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, the temperature, relative humidity, and spectral data for selected trees is measured from underneath the canopy. These microclimatic measurements are used to find relationships with macroclimate and other data sources, including NDVI measurements, hourly climate datasets, downscaled- and projected-hourly climate data, and a digital terrain model (DTM). Utilizing data at different scales, from meters to several kilometers, allows the elements of the climate to be explored at varying resolutions, and the differences between these can further uncover the drivers of microclimatic conditions and the importance of including microclimates within climate studies.It is well understood that the most influential variables on the microclimatic conditions are the corresponding macroclimatic conditions, and it is expected that elements such as relative elevation and aspect play an influential role in microclimatic buffering. Quantifying these relationships can help improve modelling forecasts that generally make use of climate measured on a larger scale, as they disregard the intricacies of microclimates and the possible effects that microrefugia have on species preservation. With further knowledge of microclimates comes a better understanding of how we can prepare for individually-experienced changes in the climate, in a way that promotes native landscapes as well as conserving biodiversity and enhancing local species.

The ecological resilience of Mediterranean forests is increasingly challenged by the rising frequency, severity, and unpredictability of drought events driven by climate change (IPCC, 2021). In recent years, flash droughts, characterized by their rapid onset and short duration, have emerged as a significant climatic stressor. Understanding how different tree species respond to these abrupt drought events is essential for predicting forest vulnerability and resilience under future climate scenarios and for translating physiological responses into effective forest conservation and management strategies.This study aims to: (1) analyze the temporal characteristics of flash drought events, including their onset, duration, and intensity, using atmospheric indicators; and (2) assess species-specific responses of stem radial growth (SRG), tree water deficit (TWD), and stem water transport (sap flow) during and after flash drought episodes, with a comparison between coniferous and broadleaves species.The research was conducted in the Piegaro Forest, located in the Umbria region of central Italy (42.96°N, 12.06°E; 430 m a.s.l.). The study site is dominated by deciduous broadleaved stands, mainly oaks (Quercus cerris and Quercus petraea) and wild cherry (Prunus avium), alongside conifer plantations of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). An IoT-based monitoring platform, the TreeTalkerCyber device, was installed on selected trees to continuously record individual tree physiological functioning and microclimatic conditions.Our findings show that flash drought period significantly suppressed stem radial growth in conifer species, whereas this suppression was not significant in broadleaved species, despite that all species maintaining sap flow during the flash drought. Notably, sap flow played a critical role in sustaining growth during flash drought periods. However, the effects of drought stress were more pronounced in the post-drought period, with reduced stem growth and sap flow compared to pre-drought conditions. Overall, stem radial growth emerged as the most sensitive and responsive indicator, revealing persistent internal water stress that extended beyond drought termination.These results provide valuable insights into species-specific drought resilience and have important implications for sustainable forest management and silvicultural practices under increasing climate variability and the intensification of flash drought events.

Mediterranean forests are increasingly exposed to short, intense drought events, yet how these events reorganize the coupling between tree growth and water use across species remains poorly understood. High-frequency measurements of stem radial growth (SRG), tree water deficit (TWD), and sap velocity (Vsap) during a flash drought in 2025 revealed contrasting responses across five co-occurring tree species in a sub-Mediterranean mixed forest. SRG was suppressed across species, while Vsap was initially maintained or increased and TWD progressively accumulated, revealing a decoupling between radial growth and water transport under acute drought stress. Importantly, this decoupling persisted beyond meteorological drought termination, with marked species-specific differences in timing and recovery. Turkey oak and Scots pine showed significant growth suppression during the flash drought followed by partial late-season recovery, whereas Douglas-fir and Sessile oak exhibited delayed SRG suppression and near-complete post-drought growth arrest. Wild cherry maintained comparatively high Vsap despite reduced growth and pronounced TWD. Mixed-effects models further revealed a phase-dependent shift in environmental control: following drought onset, SRG became increasingly decoupled from meteorological forcing, whereas TWD and Vsap remained responsive to atmospheric demand, particularly temperature and vapor pressure deficit. These findings provide clear evidence that flash drought rapidly reorganizes growth–hydraulic coordination and leaves physiological legacies beyond meteorological drought termination. Importantly, contrasting species-specific resistance and recovery trajectories emerge as important factors shaping forest resilience to increasingly frequent climate extremes, with potential consequences for the capacity of Mediterranean forests to maintain their carbon sink function and contribute to land-based climate mitigation.