Analysis of Ecosystem Services Provided by Forests: A Case Study in Southern Italy

Soil degradation in coastal Mediterranean areas is mainly related to desertification processes and is a severe threat for the provision of ecosystem services of these areas. This entails the need to consider an urgent restoration that can be addressed by adopting a sustainable forest management approach that also considers income related to non-market forest functions. The present paper analyses two non-market forest functions of a case study in the Sicily Region through the quantification of the recreational function and the carbon sequestration function of the Zingaro Reserve. To assess the effects of these functions over time, a sensitivity analysis was conducted by considering different discount rates and different time scenarios related to shift (turnover) of the forest. The results quantified how the potential monetary revenues deriving from the above-mentioned functions are useful for forest economic balance in order to make reforestation projects aiming to contain degradation phenomena convenient.