Tommaso Chiti

• PhD
• Senior Researcher at University of Tuscia

Carbon farming has been recently proposed as an effective measure for climate change mitigation through carbon (C) sequestration or C emissions reduction. In order to identify and estimate the climate change miti- gation potential of carbon farming practices on European croplands we conduct a systematic review on both relative and absolute annual s...

Tropical deforestation in the African continent plays a key role in the global carbon cycle and bears significant implications in terms of climate change and sustainable development. Especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than two-thirds of the population rely on forest and woodland resources for their livelihoods, deforestation and land use...

Tropical deforestation in the African continent plays a key role in the global carbon cycle and bears significant implications in terms of climate change and sustainable development. Especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than two-thirds of the population rely on forest and woodland resources for their livelihoods, deforestation and land use...

To assess the degree to which it has met its commitments under the Paris Agreement, Morocco is called upon to carry out carbon assessments and transparent evaluations. Within the forestry sector, little is known about the role of Morocco's forests in contributing to carbon uptake. With this aim, we applied for the first time in the literature the 3...

To assess the degree to which it has met its commitments under the Paris Agreement, Morocco is called upon to carry out carbon assessments and transparent evaluations. Within the forestry sector, little is known about the role of Morocco's forests in contributing to carbon uptake. With this aim, we applied for the first time in literature the 3-PG...

Background and Objectives: Over the last few decades, the European mountain environment has been characterized by the progressive abandonment of agro-pastoral activities and consequent forest expansion due to secondary succession. While woody encroachment is commonly considered as a climate change mitigation measure, studies suggest a still uncerta...

Drought-induced forest die-off is occurring worldwide and is projected to increase in coming decades. However, if and to what extent this phenomenon affects the content of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soils as well as its stability is far from clear. In a Mediterranean oak forest, we found that forest die-off negatively affected soil C and N cont...

The composition and turnover time (TT)of organic matter in soil fractions with different magnetic susceptibility were studied in a tropical primary forest in Ghana. The starting hypothesis was that soil organic matter (SOM)composition and properties depend on the magnetic susceptibility of the minerals SOM is associated with. Soil samples from 0 to...

The Mediterranean region has been suffering and will continue to suffer remarkable episodes of drought-induced forest die-off. We carried out a study in a Mediterranean Quercus ilex (holm oak) woodland to assess the effect of forest die-off on the capacity of soils to store C and N, and on the quality (i.e. labile vs. stable fractions) of soil C al...

Woody encroachment is a widespread phenomenon resulting from the abandonment of mountain agricultural and pastoral practices during the last century. As a result, forests have expanded, increasing biomass and necromass carbon (C) pools. However, the impact on soil organic carbon (SOC) is less clear. The main aim of this study was to investigate the...

Sustainable agricultural and food processing practices are often proposed as attractive strategies enabling food systems to respond to the challenges posed by climate change in terms of adaptation and mitigation. However, information on the actual contribution to climate change provided by sustainable food production systems is lacking in literatur...

In this study, we quantified the contribution of forest-derived carbon (FDC) to the soil organic C (SOC) pool along a natural succession from savanna (S) to mixed Marantaceae forest (MMF) in the Lopè National Park, Gabon. Four 1-ha plots, corresponding to different stages along the natural succession, were used to determine the SOC stock and soil C...

Understanding the dynamics of organic carbon mineralization is fundamental in forecasting biosphere to atmosphere net carbon ecosystem exchange (NEE). With this perspective, we developed 3D-CMCC-PSM, a new version of the hybrid process based model 3D-CMCC FEM where also heterotrophic respiration (R h ) is explicitly simulated. The aim was to quanti...

Diversified cropping systems CS 5-6-7 • Diversification 1 (D1): leguminous crop in rotation (pea for food) • Diversification 2 (D2): tomato as second crop in rotation after pea (multiple crops) • Soil fertility management (D3): two organic fertilizer application rate (CS 5: pig slurry; CS 6-7: digestate) CS 7-bis • Diversification 1 (D1): introduct...

To evaluate the mitigation potential provided by the SOC pool, we investigated the impact of woody encroachment in the 0-30 cm depth of mineral soil across a natural succession from abandoned pastures and croplands to broadleaves forests on the central Apennine in Italy. In parallel, to assess the effect of the land use change (LUC) from cropland t...

AimsThis study investigates, in a montane forest in Kenya, the changes in amount and stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) as a consequence of: a) forest degradation, by comparing primary and degraded forests; b) the replacement of degraded forests with cypress and tea plantations, by considering sites installed at different time in the past. Meth...

Mountain forests, treeline ecotones included, provide numerous ecosystem services. However, different drivers heavily impact the treeline areas, in particular anthropogenic pressure and climate change. Any change affecting the aboveground portion of terrestrial ecosystems automatically influences their belowground part, i.e. soil and soil organisms...

Understanding the dynamics of organic carbon mineralization is fundamental in forecasting biosphere to atmosphere net carbon ecosystem exchange (NEE). With this perspective, we developed 3D‐CMCC‐PSM, a new version of the hybrid process based model 3D‐CMCC FEM where also heterotrophic respiration (R h ) is explicitly simulated. The aim was to qua...

Understanding the dynamics of Organic Carbon mineralization is fundamental in forecasting biosphere to atmosphere Net Carbon Ecosystem Exchange (NEE). With this perspective, we developed 3D-CMCC-PSM, a new version of the hybrid Process Based Model 3D‐CMCC FEM where also heterotrophic respiration (Rh) is explicitly simulated. The aim was to quantify...

Understanding the dynamics of Organic Carbon mineralization is fundamental in forecasting biosphere to atmosphere Net Carbon Ecosystem Exchange (NEE). With this perspective, we developed 3D-CMCC-PSM, a new version of the hybrid Process Based Model 3D‐CMCC FEM where also heterotrophic respiration (Rh) is explicitly simulated. The aim was to quantify...

The most of the global organic carbon is stored in the forest soil. The large quantity of CO2 emitted from soil is a consequence of land use change, both through human activities (e.g. agriculture) or natural hazards (e.g. flooding, landslides, erosion). A net carbon loss from soils adds to the increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration, probabl...

Understanding the dynamics of Organic Carbon mineralization is fundamental in forecasting biosphere to atmosphere Net Carbon Ecosystem Exchange (NEE). With this perspective, we developed 3D-CMCC-PSM, a new version of the hybrid Process Based Model 3D‐CMCC FEM where also heterotrophic respiration (Rh) is explicitly simulated. The aim was to quantify...

The measurement of soil CO2 fluxes and their isotopic composition is increasingly used to study and distinguish respiration sources in the soil profile. The influence of non-steady state processes on soil respiratory δ13CO2 values, such as diffusive fractionation, remains unclear but is suggested to be strong, especially in arid ecosystems. In this...

Questions To what extent have semi-natural grassland plant species composition and functional traits changed during the past five decades? Which are the main directions of change? Which environmental, management and landscape factors have determined these changes? Location Central and southern Apennines of Italy. Methods In 2013–2014, we used a s...

This study quantifies changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stock as a result of woody encroachment on savannas. Changes in SOC stocks occur below 30 cm depth, indicating the subsoil as the principal compartment contributing to SOC sequestration, and suggesting the need to consider the entire profile (0–100 cm) to thoroughly assess the effect of woo...

Background and aims Changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) as a consequence of selective logging activities are often neglected in tropical areas, even within activities that aim to promote the permanence of forest C stocks (e.g. REDD+). In this context, we assessed the magnitude of the impact of selective logging on the SOC levels in three chronoseq...

Degradation, a reduction of the ecosystem’s capacity to supply goods and services, is widespread in tropical forests and mainly caused by human disturbance. To maintain the full range of forest ecosystem services and support the development of effective conservation policies, we must understand the overall impact of degradation on different forest...

The production of bioenergy in Europe is one of the strategies conceived to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The suitability of the land use change from a cropland (REF site) to a short-rotation coppice plantation of hybrid poplar (SRC site) was investigated by comparing the GHG budgets of these two systems over 24 months in Viterbo, Italy. T...

The amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2), which is referred to as heterotrophic respiration (Rh), is technically difficult to measure despite its necessity to the understanding of how to protect and increase soil carbon stocks. Within this context, the aim of this study is to determine Rh in two M...

Estimating tree and forest biomass is a cornerstone of forest resource assessment. In addition to its application in forest-related commerce, forest resource assessment is becoming increasingly crucial in light of continued global deforestation and climate change. The most frequently used methods for estimating forest biomass involve allometric equ...

The production of bioenergy in Europe is one of the strategies conceived to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The suitability of the land use change from a cropland (REF site) to a short rotation coppice plantation of hybrid poplar (SRC site) was investigated by comparing the GHG budgets of these two systems over 24 months in Viterbo, Italy. E...

The aim of this chapter was to quantify the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in the top 30 cm of mineral soil for the whole Italian territory, according to the different land use types of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cropland category (arable land, agroforestry, vineyards, olive groves, orchards and rice fields), as a basis f...

Background and aims In the Jomoro district in Ghana, tree plantations were the first cause of deforestation in the past, drastically reducing the area occupied by primary forests. The aim of this study was to quantify soil organic carbon (SOC) losses due to a change in land use from primary forest to tree plantations (cocoa, coconut, rubber, oil pa...

Forest ecosystems are characterized by high spatial heterogeneity, often related to complex composition and vertical structure which is a challenge in many process-based models. The need to expand process-based models (PBMs) to take in account such structural complexity led to development and testing of a new approach into Forest Ecosystem Models (...

Most recently atmospheric studies have evidenced the imprint of large N2O sources in tropical/subtropical lands. This source might be attributed to agricultural areas as well as to natural humid ecosystems. The uncertainty related to both sources is very high, due to the paucity of data and small frequency of sampling in tropical studies. This is p...

Forests represent an important resource for mitigating the greenhouse effect, but which is the contributions of the different forest types in sequestering and keeping soil C for a longer time is still uncertain, particularly in the Mediterranean area. The aim of this work is to quantify the soil organic C (SOC) stock in the 0–30 and 0–100 cm depths...

The two main processes involved in forest ecosystems carbon balance are photosynthesis (GPP) and respiration. Ecosystem respiration (Reco) is determined by heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration, the former driven by microbial decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM), the latter by growth and maintenance of plant tissues. By differencing photo...

Most recently atmospheric studies have evidenced the imprint of large N₂O sources in tropical/subtropical lands. This source might be attributed to agricultural areas as well as to natural humid ecosystems. The uncertainty related to both sources is very high, due to the paucity of data and small frequency of sampling in tropical studies...

Forests represent an important resource for miti-gating the greenhouse effect, but which is the contributions of the different forest types in sequestering and keeping soil C for a longer time is still uncertain, particularly in the Mediterranean area. The aim of this work is to quantify the soil organic C (SOC) stock in the 0–30 and 0–100 cm depth...

Forests ecosystem play an important role in carbon cycle, biodiversity conservation and for other ecosystem services and changes in their structure and status perturb a delicate equilibrium that involves not only vegetation components but also biogeochemical cycles and global climate. The approaches to determine the magnitude of these effects are n...

A database of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks was created for the sub-tropical belt using existing global SOC databases (WISE3; various SOTER) and new data from an ongoing project (ERC Africa-GHG) specific for the tropical forests of the African continent. The intent of this database is to evaluate the sequestration potential of a critical area of...

We estimated the heterotrophic component (Rh) of soil respiration in a primary forest of Ghana by radiocarbon dating, a method we already successfully applied in temperate and Mediterranean forests. In this case, given the advanced stage of alteration of tropical soils, which are thus rich in oxides, we implemented the method on soil fractions obta...

Climate and biodiversity. Monitoring experiences in Alpine Environment. Available at http://www.arpa.piemonte.gov.it/pubblicazioni-2/pubblicazioni-anno-2012/clima-e-biodiversita

The Mediterranean region can be considered as a transitional zone between sub-tropical and temperate climates, characterized by dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters. According to the FAO database the prevailing soil type in the Mediterranean region are Cambisols however Fluvisols, Luvisols and Leptosols are also quite common. In order to quantify...

The contribution of decomposing soil organic carbon (SOC) to total annual soil respiration (SR) was evaluated by radiocarbon measurements at a Scots pine stand growing on a plaggen soil in the Belgian Campine region. Two approaches were used to estimate the contribution of different C pools to SR. In the first approach, the variations in 14C conten...

The purpose of the present work is to asses the possibility of detecting changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) at the end of the 5-years of the first Commitment Period (CP) of the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (1 January, 2008–31 December, 2012), by both direct measurement and the use of an opportunely...

Among different regions of the world, Africa and particularly sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has contributed less than any other to the greenhouse gas emissions, but it is also the region most vulnerable and the least well equipped to the consequences. In SSA the role of land use change in controlling CO2 emissions may be more critical than in any other...

Improved tools for tracing phosphate transformations in soils are much needed, and can lead to a better understanding of the terrestrial phosphorus cycle. The oxygen stable isotopes in soil phosphate are still not exploited in this regard. Here we present a method for measuring the oxygen stable isotopes in a fraction of the soil phosphate which is...

The aim of this work was to quantify the soil organic C (SOC) stock in the top 30 cm of mineral soil for the whole Italian territory, according to the different land use types of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cropland category (arable land, agroforestry, vineyards, olive groves, orchards and rice fields), as a basis for futur...

A new station for the monitoring of CO2 fluxes over a primary tropical forest in Ghana (Ankasa Conservation Area) is operative as part of the CarboAfrica eddy covariance network. Carbon, water and energy fluxes were measured by the eddy covariance technique, and a soil characterization and a survey on biodiversity were carried out. Preliminary obse...

Six Italian research sites, representative of Mediterranean and mountain forests and equipped with eddy covariance towers, were used in this study to test the performance of the CENTURY 4.5 model in predicting the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) changes during the commitment periods (CP) of the Kyoto Protocol (2008–2012; 2013–2017). We show t...

In forest ecosystems, the external nitrogen (N) inputs mainly involve wet and dry depositions that potentially alter inorganic N availability in the soil and carbon (C) turnover. This study assesses the effect of a slow increase of inorganic N availability on microbial community activity and functionality in a Mediterranean forest soil. A four-mont...

Tropical primary rainforests of Africa are an enormous reservoir of carbon (C), most of which, in the common perception, is stored in the biomass. We studied one of these forests, Ankasa, in the south-western part of Ghana, in terms of quantity and 14C activity of soil organic carbon (SOC) to elucidate the little known important role of soil in sto...

In the framework of the Project of National Interest (PRIN) "Climate change and forests -Dendroecological and ecophysiological responses, productivity and carbon balance on the Italian network of old-growth beech forests", 9 old beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests were sampled in the eastern Alps and in the central Apennines to assess: i) the degree...

In this work, seven Italian eddy covariance flux sites (Mediterranean and Alpine forests) were used to test the performance of the Century 4.5 model in predicting the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) during the first (2008-2012) and the second (2012-2016) commitment periods of the Kyoto Protocol, and further (2100). As the eddy covariance flux...

The tropical primary rain forest of Ankasa Park, Ghana, was investigated in terms of quantity and mean residence time (MRT) of soil organic carbon (SOC) with the aim to elucidate the dynamics of this important C reservoir. Soil C was measured in the different pedogenic horizons and its MRT calculated based on the 14C content determined by accelerat...

The soils of adjacent first generation monospecific stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in the Campine region, Belgium, apparently developed under the same forming factors, were studied for carbon dynamics to disentangle eventual different past land uses. In fact, visual observations suggested that the...

The soil inorganic nitrogen (N) availability controls, directly and indirectly, processes such as the organic matter decomposition, N mineralization, carbon (C) storage and plants productivity. In natural forest ecosystems N input results from wet and dry depositions. Little is known on the potential impact of N depositions on soil biological activ...

In this study, we assess the possibility of using ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) as indirect non-destructive techniques for root detection. Two experimental sites were investigated: a poplar plantation [mean height of plants 25.7 m, diameter at breast height (dbh) 33 cm] and a pinewood forest mainly compo...

Two soils developed over 21 years on a homogeneous mine spoil bank — one under a pure plantation of Quercus robur L., the other under a mixed plantation Q. robur L. and N-fixer Alnus cordata Loisel. — were compared and contrasted in terms of quantity and quality of organic matter. The amount of both organic C and N are significantly higher in the m...

Three soils developed since 21 years on a homogeneous mine spoil bank - one under a pure plantation of Quercus robur L., another under a mixed plantation of Q. robur L. and the N-fixer Alnus cordata Loisel, and a cropland-were compared and contrasted in terms of stability of the organo-mineral aggregates from their thin A horizon. Aggregate stabili...