Val Saviana, an “Ancient Wood” archive in the heart of the Southern Rhaetian Alps

Anthropic activities deeply modify landscape and ecosystem in the alpine region, especially where prime materials are available. In the Rhaetian Alps evidence of sites used as charcoal kiln at high altitudes are widely recognizable since at least the Bronze Age. Furthermore, many wooded slopes in areas that were theatre of the First World War suffered deep deforestation induced by military occupation (e.g. firewood supply and construction of high-altitude barracks). This intense anthropic activity has led to the destruction of wide portion of the alpine forest. Consequently, long-lived specimens are extremely rare to find at high altitudes. Here we present dendrochronological series from Val Saviana, a peculiar site of Rhaetian Alps where a wide wood of European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) is settled. This valley hosts trees up to 485 years old, becoming the southern twin of “Bosco Antico” wood, a well-known and promoted site retaining cultural heritage of anthropic activities. Val Saviana represents a priceless archive for climate and geomorphological studies. Dendroclimatic analysis highlight that the temperature signal in the growth series is partially hidden, implying that other causalities affected the trees growth. The documented avalanche activity on the entire slope makes the oldest trees eligible for further dendrogeomorphological analysis. Finally, the Val Saviana wood deserve to be promoted as well as “Bosco Antico” for the beauty and natural heritage it retains.