Towards sustainable management of forest residues in the southern Apennine Mediterranean mountain forests: a scenario-based approach.

Key Message: Managing forest residues according to the carbon content of the soil helps to minimize the ecological footprint of their removal.

Context: In Mediterranean mountain ecosystems, unsustainable harvesting of wood residues might contribute to land degradation, carbon, and nutrient depletion in forest soils.

Aims: This study aimed to assess the amount of forest biomass residues that should be left on-site to minimize the depletion of soil fertility.