On the cover:

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) s195v / 1962

 Roots and tree-trunks

(f816) Canvas, 100

×

50 cm Auvers-sur-Oise, 1890 Photograph courtesy of the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

When Orazio Ciancio proposed a round table conference in which the speakers would be all the people who work on our journal, not only the very young, but also the older, moreexperienced members of the staff, it struck me as a wonderful idea. The title, «The Forest and Man» was and is, in myopinion, brilliant and apt. These are permanent problems for Italy, we are faced with them every day, and we do not have the right to neglect them, or even worse, forget them.The meeting was held, and attracted a surprising numberof mainly young participants. It was proof that both the subject and the moment were right.This book contains all the papers presented at the conference. A glance at the table of contents is sufficient to see how broad and current the subjects are. I am certain that foresters will read all these pages, not only those who came to Florence, but the others as well. I hope that the volume will be successfully received by another audience, other readers. The reason behind this hope is obvious. It is only by knowing and understanding the thoughts of the Italian scientific forestry community that those who work with the land and the landscape, as well as the problems of mankind in Mediterraneanand Alpine Italy will obtain a clearer picture of what is happening in our mountains, on our hillsides. They will succeed better in their work if they reflect on what they read in thisbook and in other recent publications about the forests. Once again they will see that humanity is in the centre of each thought, each initiative, each undertaking and enterprise.