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Abstract
Born in Trento (Italy, 2003) for the purpose of standardising vocabulary and units of humus form classification, after publishing a first synthetic classification e-book (Zanella et al. 2011) they do not cover all site conditions in the European area. Although having basic concepts and general lines, the European (and North American, Canadian, the Humus group decided to use its classification for handling global change (Zanella and Ascher-Jenull 2018). The process is detailed in many scientific articles published in three Special Issues (Humusica 1, 2 and 3) of the journal Applied Soil Ecology. Conceptually, the whole of Humusica answers three crucial questions: A) What is soil? Soil is a biological ecosystem. It recycles dead structures and implements mineral material, furnishing more or less re-elaborated organic, mineral and organic-mineral elements to support living organisms. Article chapters: 1. Essential vocabulary; 2. Soil covers all the Earth's surfaces (soil as the seat of processes of organic matter storage and recycling); 3. Soil may be involved in the process of natural evolution (through organisms' process of recycling biomass after death). B) If soil has a biogenic essence, how should it be classified to serve such managerial purposes as landscape exploitation or protection? A useful classification of soil should consider and propose useful references to biologically discriminate soil features. Article chapters: 4. Soil corresponds to a biogenic structure; 5. TerrHum, an App for classifying forest humipedons worldwide (a first attempt to use a smartphone as a field manual for humus form classification). C) How can this soil classification be used for handling the current global change? Using the collected knowledge about the biodiversity and functioning of natural (or semi-natural) soil for reconstructing the lost biodiversity/functioning of heavily exploited or degraded soils. Article chapters: 6. Agricultural soils correspond to simplified natural soils (comparison between natural and agricultural soils); 7. Organic waste and agricultural soils; 8. Is traditional agriculture economically sustainable? Comparing past traditional farm practices (in 1947) and contemporary intensive farm practices in the Venice province of Italy.

The forests of 473 Italian Alpine municipalities were severely damaged by a strong wind at the end of October 2018. The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha. The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the TESAF Department of the University of Padua, Italy. Twenty-six international scientists (listed: 25; anonymous: 1) responded to the appeal and collectively wrote this article. At first the value of ramial chipped wood was discussed, then whether the forest should be left or not to its natural evolution, then whether there is a threat of bark beetles, then the time needed for the biodegradation of fallen trees was estimated from the on-site examination of humus forms, ending with political and social considerations. After eight months of discussion, with various reworkings and cuts, a controversial text was born, complete and practical at the same time.

The forests of 473 Italian Alpine municipalities were severely damaged by a strong wind at the end of October 2018. The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha. The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the TESAF Department of the University of Padua, Italy. Twenty-six international scientists (listed: 25; anonymous: 1) responded to the appeal and collectively wrote this article. At first the value of ramial chipped wood was discussed, then whether the forest should be left or not to its natural evolution, then whether there is a threat of bark beetles, then the time needed for the biodegradation of fallen trees was estimated from the on-site examination of humus forms, ending with political and social considerations. After eight months of discussion, with various reworkings and cuts, a controversial text was born, complete and practical at the same time.

The forests of 473 Italian Alpine municipalities were severely damaged by a strong wind at the end of October 2018. The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha. The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the TESAF Department of the University of Padua, Italy. Twenty-six international scientists (listed: 25; anonymous: 1) responded to the appeal and collectively wrote this article. At first the value of ramial chipped wood was discussed, then whether the forest should be left or not to its natural evolution, then whether there is a threat of bark beetles, then the time needed for the biodegradation of fallen trees was estimated from the on-site examination of humus forms, ending with political and social considerations. After eight months of discussion, with various reworkings and cuts, a controversial text was born, complete and practical at the same time.

The forests of 473 Italian Alpine municipalities were severely damaged by a strong wind at the end of October 2018. The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha. The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the TESAF Department of the University of Padua, Italy. Twenty-six international scientists (listed: 25; anonymous: 1) responded to the appeal and collectively wrote this article. At first the value of ramial chipped wood was discussed, then whether the forest should be left or not to its natural evolution, then whether there is a threat of bark beetles, then the time needed for the biodegradation of fallen trees was estimated from the on-site examination of humus forms, ending with political and social considerations. After eight months of discussion, with various reworkings and cuts, a controversial text was born, complete and practical at the same time.

The forests of 473 Italian Alpine municipalities were severely damaged by a strong wind at the end of October 2018. The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha. The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the TESAF Department of the University of Padua, Italy. Twenty-six international scientists (listed: 25; anonymous: 1) responded to the appeal and collectively wrote this article. At first the value of ramial chipped wood was discussed, then whether the forest should be left or not to its natural evolution, then whether there is a threat of bark beetles, then the time needed for the biodegradation of fallen trees was estimated from the on-site examination of humus forms, ending with political and social considerations. After eight months of discussion, with various reworkings and cuts, a controversial text was born, complete and practical at the same time.

International audience ; The SETA group (Agricultural Science and Technology) sent a letter to the Italian Parliament advising them not to adopt a legislative measure that favors organic and biodynamic agriculture compared to the conventional one. Another group of scientists thinks instead that the Italian government should favor organic and biodynamic agriculture and explains its reasons. The current article lists the SETA letter and the point of view of other Italian and international ecologists, economists, pedologists, ecologists, writers and artists, which are tendentially "protectors of nature" but not idealists. Nor are they so much in agreement with each other. Judge for yourself in scrolling through the Discussion chapter. The divergence leads to the "why" it is necessary to switch to organic farming not on the "need" to do so. There are also disappointments about the use of GMOs orthe costs of highly technological agriculture. The situation is such on planet Earth that it is necessary to involve the whole society to get out of it. In addition, politicians are also needed to structure the collective action that only if conceived by the whole society and not by individuals or by non-coordinated organizations can save our species. We are convinced that agriculture and soil are among the fundamental levers of this action.

Il gruppo SETA (Scienze e tecnologie agrarie) ha inviato una lettera al Parlamento italiano in cui consigliava di non adottare una misura legislativa a favore dell'agricoltura biologica e biodinamica rispetto a quella convenzionale. Un altro gruppo di scienziati ritiene invece che il governo italiano debba favorire l'agricoltura biologica e biodinamica e ne spiega le ragioni. Il presente articolo espone prima la lettera SETA, e poi il punto di vista di altri ecologi, economisti, pedologi, ecologi, scrittori e artisti italiani e internazionali, tendenzialmente "protettori della natura" ma non idealisti. Non sono nemmeno perfettamente d'accordo tra di loro. Giudicate voi stessi scorrendo la parte Discussione. La divergenza porta sul "perché" sia necessario passare all'agricoltura biologica ma non sulla "necessità" di farlo. Ci sono anche differenze di opinioni sull'uso di OGM o sul come comportarsi verso i costi di un'agricoltura altamente tecnologica. La situazione è tale sul pianeta Terra che è necessario coinvolgere l'intera società per uscire dal tunnel. Ai politici viene chiesto di strutturare l'azione collettiva che solo se concepita da tutta la società e non da individui o da organizzazioni non coordinate può salvare la nostra specie. Siamo convinti che l'agricoltura e in particolare le modalità di sfruttamento del suolo siano tra le leve fondamentali di quest'azione.

Il gruppo SETA (Scienze e tecnologie agrarie) ha inviato una lettera al Parlamento italiano in cui consigliava di non adottare una misura legislativa a favore dell'agricoltura biologica e biodinamica rispetto a quella convenzionale. Un altro gruppo di scienziati ritiene invece che il governo italiano debba favorire l'agricoltura biologica e biodinamica e ne spiega le ragioni. Il presente articolo espone prima la lettera SETA, e poi il punto di vista di altri ecologi, economisti, pedologi, ecologi, scrittori e artisti italiani e internazionali, tendenzialmente "protettori della natura" ma non idealisti. Non sono nemmeno perfettamente d'accordo tra di loro. Giudicate voi stessi scorrendo la parte Discussione. La divergenza porta sul "perché" sia necessario passare all'agricoltura biologica ma non sulla "necessità" di farlo. Ci sono anche differenze di opinioni sull'uso di OGM o sul come comportarsi verso i costi di un'agricoltura altamente tecnologica. La situazione è tale sul pianeta Terra che è necessario coinvolgere l'intera società per uscire dal tunnel. Ai politici viene chiesto di strutturare l'azione collettiva che solo se concepita da tutta la società e non da individui o da organizzazioni non coordinate può salvare la nostra specie. Siamo convinti che l'agricoltura e in particolare le modalità di sfruttamento del suolo siano tra le leve fondamentali di quest'azione.

International audience ; The SETA group (Agricultural Science and Technology) sent a letter to the Italian Parliament advising them not to adopt a legislative measure that favors organic and biodynamic agriculture compared to the conventional one. Another group of scientists thinks instead that the Italian government should favor organic and biodynamic agriculture and explains its reasons. The current article lists the SETA letter and the point of view of other Italian and international ecologists, economists, pedologists, ecologists, writers and artists, which are tendentially "protectors of nature" but not idealists. Nor are they so much in agreement with each other. Judge for yourself in scrolling through the Discussion chapter. The divergence leads to the "why" it is necessary to switch to organic farming not on the "need" to do so. There are also disappointments about the use of GMOs orthe costs of highly technological agriculture. The situation is such on planet Earth that it is necessary to involve the whole society to get out of it. In addition, politicians are also needed to structure the collective action that only if conceived by the whole society and not by individuals or by non-coordinated organizations can save our species. We are convinced that agriculture and soil are among the fundamental levers of this action.

International audience ; At the end of October 2018, a storm of unprecedented strength severely damaged the forests of the eastern sector of the Italian Alps. The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha. The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the University of Padua. After eight months of discussion, the authors of this article wrote a consensus text. The sometimes asper debate brought to light some crucial aspects: 1) even experienced specialists may have various opinions based on scientific knowledge that lead to conflicting proposals for action. For some of them there is evidence that to restore a destroyed natural environment it is more judicious to do nothing; 2) the soil corresponds to a living structure and every ecosystem's management should be based on it; 3) faced with a catastrophe, people and politicians find themselves unarmed, also because they rarely have the scientific background to understand natural processes. Yet politicians are the only persons who make the key decisions that drive the economy in play and therefore determine the near future of our planet. This article is an attempt to respond directly to a governor with a degree in animal production science, who formally and prudently asked a university department called "Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry" for help before taking decisions; 4) the authors also propose an artistic interpretation of facts (uncontrolled storm) and conclusions (listen to the soil). Briefly, the authors identify the soil as an indispensable source for the renewal of the destroyed forest, give indications on how to prepare a map of the soils of the damaged region, and suggest to anchor on this soil map a series of silvicultural and soil management actions that will promote the soil conservation and the faster recovery of the natural dynamic stability and resilience.

Il gruppo SETA (Scienze e tecnologie agrarie) ha inviato una lettera al Parlamento italiano in cui consigliava di non adottare una misura legislativa a favore dell'agricoltura biologica e biodinamica rispetto a quella convenzionale. Un altro gruppo di scienziati ritiene invece che il governo italiano debba favorire l'agricoltura biologica e biodinamica e ne spiega le ragioni. Il presente articolo espone prima la lettera SETA, e poi il punto di vista di altri ecologi, economisti, pedologi, ecologi, scrittori e artisti italiani e internazionali, tendenzialmente "protettori della natura" ma non idealisti. Non sono nemmeno perfettamente d'accordo tra di loro. Giudicate voi stessi scorrendo la parte Discussione. La divergenza porta sul "perché" sia necessario passare all'agricoltura biologica ma non sulla "necessità" di farlo. Ci sono anche differenze di opinioni sull'uso di OGM o sul come comportarsi verso i costi di un'agricoltura altamente tecnologica. La situazione è tale sul pianeta Terra che è necessario coinvolgere l'intera società per uscire dal tunnel. Ai politici viene chiesto di strutturare l'azione collettiva che solo se concepita da tutta la società e non da individui o da organizzazioni non coordinate può salvare la nostra specie. Siamo convinti che l'agricoltura e in particolare le modalità di sfruttamento del suolo siano tra le leve fondamentali di quest'azione.

International audience ; The SETA group (Agricultural Science and Technology) sent a letter to the Italian Parliament advising them not to adopt a legislative measure that favors organic and biodynamic agriculture compared to the conventional one. Another group of scientists thinks instead that the Italian government should favor organic and biodynamic agriculture and explains its reasons. The current article lists the SETA letter and the point of view of other Italian and international ecologists, economists, pedologists, ecologists, writers and artists, which are tendentially "protectors of nature" but not idealists. Nor are they so much in agreement with each other. Judge for yourself in scrolling through the Discussion chapter. The divergence leads to the "why" it is necessary to switch to organic farming not on the "need" to do so. There are also disappointments about the use of GMOs orthe costs of highly technological agriculture. The situation is such on planet Earth that it is necessary to involve the whole society to get out of it. In addition, politicians are also needed to structure the collective action that only if conceived by the whole society and not by individuals or by non-coordinated organizations can save our species. We are convinced that agriculture and soil are among the fundamental levers of this action.

International audience ; At the end of October 2018, a storm of unprecedented strength severely damaged the forests of the eastern sector of the Italian Alps. The affected forest area covers 42,500 ha. The president of one of the damaged regions asked for help from the University of Padua. After eight months of discussion, the authors of this article wrote a consensus text. The sometimes asper debate brought to light some crucial aspects: 1) even experienced specialists may have various opinions based on scientific knowledge that lead to conflicting proposals for action. For some of them there is evidence that to restore a destroyed natural environment it is more judicious to do nothing; 2) the soil corresponds to a living structure and every ecosystem's management should be based on it; 3) faced with a catastrophe, people and politicians find themselves unarmed, also because they rarely have the scientific background to understand natural processes. Yet politicians are the only persons who make the key decisions that drive the economy in play and therefore determine the near future of our planet. This article is an attempt to respond directly to a governor with a degree in animal production science, who formally and prudently asked a university department called "Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry" for help before taking decisions; 4) the authors also propose an artistic interpretation of facts (uncontrolled storm) and conclusions (listen to the soil). Briefly, the authors identify the soil as an indispensable source for the renewal of the destroyed forest, give indications on how to prepare a map of the soils of the damaged region, and suggest to anchor on this soil map a series of silvicultural and soil management actions that will promote the soil conservation and the faster recovery of the natural dynamic stability and resilience.