The MIMOSE Approach to Support Sustainable Forest Management Planning at Regional Scale in Mediterranean Contexts

TLDR

Mediterranean landscapes, especially mountainous regions, have been increasingly impacted by human drivers such as land use change and climate change, degrading forest ecosystems. The study aims to develop new strategies that enhance ecosystem services in Mediterranean forests to benefit local communities and economies. Using the Multiscale Mapping of Ecosystem Services (MIMOSE) approach, the authors spatially evaluated timber provision and carbon sequestration under business‑as‑usual, profit‑maximizing, and conservation‑prioritizing management scenarios. The analysis identified sustainable landscape‑scale planning options, showing that timber provision conflicts with adaptation strategies, that conservation prioritization yields the most balanced services, and that optimizing spatial allocation of management strategies enhances overall ecosystem service availability, thereby supporting sustainable development goals in the Mediterranean.

Abstract

In recent decades, Mediterranean landscapes have been affected by human-induced drivers, such as land use and climate change. Forest ecosystems and landscapes have been particularly affected in mountainous regions due to limited management and stewardship, especially in remote areas. Therefore, there is a need to set up new strategies to enhance ecosystem services in forested areas which, in turn, will benefit local communities and economies. In this study, we implemented a new approach—Multiscale Mapping of Ecosystem Services (MIMOSE)—to assess ecosystem services in Mediterranean forests located in a mountainous region of Italy. We spatially assessed timber provision and carbon sequestration according to three forest management strategies: business-as-usual, maximizing economic values, and prioritizing conservation. Sustainable strategies for forest planning were identified at the landscape scale. We found that (i) timber provision is a conflicting service, especially when adaptation strategies are promoted; (ii) the most balanced set of forest ecosystem services is achieved through prioritizing conservation; and (iii) the ecosystem services availability is enhanced by optimizing the spatial allocation of different management strategies. Our approach is suitable to support landscape planning for balancing forest ecosystem potentialities while respecting local community needs and promoting sustainable development goals in the Mediterranean area.