Comparing forest ecosystem services in two protected areas: insights from Stelvio National Park and Orobie Bergamasche Regional Park (Italy).

Abstract

Forests play a crucial role in supporting biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and protecting human settlements from natural hazards. Ecosystem services (ESs, defined as the benefits that nature provides and that contribute to environmental stability and the well-being of the socioeconomic system) provided by forested areas include tangible benefits (e.g. timber production), and intangible functions (e.g. carbon sequestration and landslide hazard reduction). Quantifying the economic value of these services is essential to integrate environmental benefits into policy and land management decisions. In this study, we compare the economic value of these three key forest ecosystem services across two protected areas in Northern Italy: the Lombardy sector of the Stelvio National Park (LSNP) and the Orobie Bergamasche Regional Park (OBRP). We find that OBRP provides higher annual economic value for both timber production (1.46 million €/year) and carbon sequestration (3.38 million €/year), while LSNP offers slightly greater per-hectare carbon sequestration value (1,174 €/year/km2) and marginally higher landslide hazard reduction (€388,779 vs. €370,980). These results reveal that forest composition and management practices strongly influence the services provided. For instance, mountain pine forests maximize carbon sequestration, while larch-dominated stands achieve higher timber prices but lower sequestration rates. Our findings align with previous research emphasizing the trade-offs and synergies between provisioning and regulating services, particularly in Alpine contexts. The study contributes to growing efforts to economically evaluate natural capital, especially in mountainous regions where ecosystem services are critical yet undervalued. By focusing on two parks within the same bioclimatic region but with different topographic and administrative features, this work illustrates how spatial context shapes ecosystem value. This comparative analysis underscores the importance of tailoring forest management strategies to local conditions and service priorities. It also provides a useful reference for regional planning and climate adaptation policies in Alpine areas and beyond