The effects of cutting season on stump mortality and resprouting in southern European Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) coppices

Historically, Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) has played a key role in the southern European rural economy. In the last century, due to the spread of diseases, there has been a massive shift from orchards to coppice management. Furthermore, a combination of socio-ecological factors led to chestnut cultivation decline with the withdrawal of most coppice stands from regular management. This resulted in living biomass increment, stool mortality, increased slope instability, and enhanced forest fire hazard. In most Italian regions, current forest regulations restrict coppicing to the dormant season, reflecting traditional beliefs and practices rather than scientific evidence. This restriction hinders effective management, contributing to coppice aging and abandonment. To evaluate the feasibility of extending the current cutting period, we investigated the effects of coppicing on chestnut resprouting capacity in different seasons (winter, spring, summer) by monitoring stump and shoot mortality, and shoot growth (shoot number and height) over three years in two neglected coppice stands in northwestern Italy. Results showed no significant influence of the cutting season on stump mortality, confirming the strong and lasting resprouting capacity of chestnut trees. Coppicing in spring or summer reduced shoot density and height in the following few years. However, these disparities tended to equalize rapidly over time, becoming non-significant. Additionally, no significant differences in shoot mortality were observed. Therefore, our findings suggest that chestnut coppices could endure year-round cutting in warm, temperate climates, confirming the possibilities of broader management to contrast abandonment, supporting sustainable use of this resource, and preventing natural hazards.