Desertification indicators for the European Mediterranean region: state of the art and possible methodological approaches [= Indicatori di desertificazione per il Mediterraneo europeo: stato dell'arte e proposte di metodo]

The Italian Environment Protection Agency (ANPA), and the Desertification Research Centre at the University of Sassary have worked jointly to provide decision-makers with an in-depth analysis of the state of the art and methodologies applicable to the evaluation of the desertification phenomenon. ANPA has promoted this important research activity, within the wider and more dynamic framework of actions it conducts in the Italian National Committee, providing its support to the definition and start up of the National Plan to Combat Desertification and Drought. The complexity of the phenomena and their causes leads to the individuation of a plurality of “actors” who might take the responsibility to carry out actions aimed at combating Desertification and Drought. Indicators represent a crucial link in the chain that, from knowledge, leads to taking decisions and promoting responsible behaviours: starting from an evaluation of the various, physical, biologic, socio-economic processes that contribute to land degradation and desertification, the goal is to individuate indicators that might prove useful in territorial planning and public information activities, and that might be a suitable answer to the request for direct knowledge of the status and evolution of the phenomenon, as well as the opportunity to take actions aimed at mitigating and, above all, preventing the occurrence of the phenomenon

α_S1-casein in goat milk: identification of genetic variants by Capillary Zone Electrophoresis compared to Isoelectric Focusing

AlphaS1 casein fraction in caprine milk is characterized by an important polymorphism due to substitution, deletion of amino acids and post trascriptional modifications (Grosclaude et al., 1994; Ferranti et al., 1997). This structural polymorphism is associated to a quantitative variability in protein expression related to different milk quality and dairy properties (Pierre et al., 1998; Remeuf, 1993; Vassal et al., 1994). Classical electrophoretic methods were applied to characterize the phenotypic variants at αS1-casein fraction (Addeo et al., 1988; Russo et al., 1986). During the last ten years capillary electrophoresis became an analytical technique for rapid and automated analysis requiring small sample volume and small solvent waste. These characteristics, together with the high resolution and the chance to give quantitative results, made this technique a useful tool in studying milk protein characterization and in detecting adulteration (Cattaneo et al., 1996a; 1996b) in different application fields. CZE was applied to the study of caprine milk proteins to quantify high, medium and low αS1- casein content and to identify genetic variants αS1 A, B and C on the basis of their different migration time (Recio et al., 1997). The aim of this work was to test a CZE procedure able to identify and discriminate the main αS1 caprine variants A, B, E and F through specific and repeatable electromigration patterns. Comparison between CZE and IEF assays is discussed

Utilización de indicadores de desertificación en los países del Anexo IV

Por más de un decenio la Comisión Europea ha individualizado en la Desertificación uno de los mayores problemas de Europa meridional. Varios proyectos han contribuido a individualizar y describir los principales procesos de desertificación operantes en la Región, sus causas y sus fuerzas arrastrantes. Los estudios de los años ’90 apuntaban sobre todo a la comprensión y modelización de los procesos de degradación. A partir de los años ’97 y ’98 se afirma la necesidad de desarrollar un estudio más aplicado y detallado en la individuación de indicadores en tan que instrumentos operativos para el gobierno del territorio, valorizando todos los conocimientos adquiridos. Este trabajo presenta una síntesis de los desarrollos institucionales y científicos en tema de indicadores de desertificación en los Países del Anexo IV

The Role of grazing in agropastoral systems in the Mediterranean region and their environmental sustainability

Agro-pastoral systems have significantly contributed in shaping the landscapes of the Mediterranean basin. These systems vary widely according to the differing climatic, cultural and socio-economic conditions under which they developed; from the Parcours of the Maghreb steppes to the dehesas in the Iberian peninsula, and from the Mediterranean islands to inland mountain regions. Their present particularities developed both in response to internal needs within the farming systems (need to increase production while reducing costs) and external forces (competition with other activities for the use of land). In many cases recent changes evolved from increased grazing. Overgrazing represents one of the causes for desertification in many areas of the Mediterranean region. To mitigate this problem a better knowledge of agropastoral systems is first needed. Then, methods must be devised to model and assess environmental impacts, land suitability to grazing, and optimal stocking rate

Soil consumption by urbanisation: a case study in northern Sardinia (Italy)

The aim of this short communication is to present a case study of competition between urbanisation, environment and agriculture for the Alghero municipality, a coastal Mediterranean area where a high urban growth has taken place during the last 50 years

Polymorphism of α_S1-casein in goat milk: identification of A, B, E and F variants by biochemical and genetic analysis

Many researches, related to genetic polymorphism of αS1-casein in goat milk, showed a marked variability and implications in milk and dairy product traits. The genetic variants (from A to G) were associated with four levels of expression: 3,6 g/L per A, B and C (“strong” alleles); 1,6 g/L per E (“medium” allele); 0,6 g/L per F (“weak” allele) and 0 g/L per O (“null” allele). Differences existing among the A, B, C, D, E, F, G and O have been described (Grosclaude et al., 1994). To analyze genetic polymorphism of caseins from goat milk, distinct electrophoretic (Russo et al., 1986; Addeo et al., 1988) and chromatographic techniques (Jaubert and Martin, 1992; Iametti et al., 1999) were applied. In last years, the advancement in technological field is allowing the research of primary structure of protein variants (Ferranti et al., 1997; Trujillo et al., 2000) and basic sequence of new alleles (Martin et al., 1999; Bevilacqua et al., 2002; Ramunno et al., 2002). In this work, we employed electrophoretic protein separation (IEF and SDS-PAGE), chromatographic analysis (RP-HPLC) and molecular biology techniques based on polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) to detect αS1-CN genetic variants from goat milk. The utility of protein and DNA analysis combination was discussed

Il Ruolo dell’acqua nell’allevamento animale

The role of water in animal breeding must be extended to a wider context than the animal production area, considering that 70% of the water used in the world is consumed by the whole production chain (agriculture and animal production). Therefore has a great importance the connection with other fields of the chain, as the fodder-growing and the cereal-growing, together with the evaluation and quantification of the environmental impacts. Water, that plays an essential role in the breeding, assumes different importance in relation to the animal class (birds, fish and mammals) and to the animal species. Therefore are extremely different the water requirements and the water consumptions, that are moreover strongly influenced by many factors, such as the dry matter, the climatic breeding conditions, together with the individual animal features. All that represents the starting point to determine the strategies and the ways of the water giving in animal breeding, related to the technological, project and management aspects. Besides the quantitative aspects, water must be considered as food, because it is necessary to animal survival. The importance of the quality of water used in animal breeding and its nutritional role is closely related to the qualitative characteristics and to the presence of residual and polluting substances. The animal production chain, moreover, can produce environmental impacts on the aquatic ecosystems and therefore a particular attention goes to end uses of water as output of the whole animal production chain and to the quantification of the impacts, that is extremely complicate and difficult, depending on many variables. The considerations related to animal production chain assume a different value in the productive context of the management of the water resources in the third countries

Estrategias y acciones del proyecto MEDRAP para el diseño y la implementación de un programa de acción regional en los países del Anexo IV

The Annex IV for the Northern Mediterranean of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has been ratified by all the Countries in this area: Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey. Since then, several activities have been set up to elaborate and implement the National Action Programmes (NAPs) and to elaborate the Regional Action Programme (RAP) for the Northern Mediterranean. The UNCCD has also been ratified by the European Commission and is now seriously committed in its implementation. The EC has financed several projects to support the UNCCD implementation among which is the MEDRAP Concerted Action. This project is now underway and aims to support the Annex IV Countries in the elaboration of the RAP for the Northern Mediterranean by promoting exchanges among the scientists and stakeholders from the different Countries

Indicatori di desertificazione: approccio integrato e supporto alle decisioni

Gli indicatori forniscono una rappresentazione dei fenomeni di desertificazione utile a prevenirne e/o a mitigarne gli effetti negativi; la rappresentazione deve risultare completa ed articolata e comprendere i rapporti causa-effetto che caratterizzano i singoli processi, così da ottenere un’immagine complessiva della situazione e dei possibili livelli di intervento. L’obiettivo di questo lavoro è quello di sintetizzare, senza pretesa di esaustività, le attuali conoscenze in tema di indicatori e di proporre uno schema concettuale integrato, come possibile alternativa rispetto ai sistemi esistenti. Lo studio è stato articolato in tre parti: inquadramento e implicazioni delle problematiche di desertificazione nella sponda Nord del bacino del Mediterraneo; rassegna e analisi di indicatori di desertificazione già sviluppati e/o proposti in Italia e all’estero; contributo all’organizzazione dei sistemi di indicatori. Sulla base delle conoscenze contenute nelle prime due parti del lavoro, è stato proposto un nuovo schema di sistematizzazione, nel quale sono stati inquadrati gli indicatori riferiti alle aree pilota del progetto RIADE

The Euro-Mediterranean partnership: a participatory demonstration project to fight desertification in Morocco and Tunisia

A participatory demonstration project on desertification mitigation and rural development has been launched in Northern Africa under SMAP Programme (Short and Medium-term priority environmental Action Programme) financed by the European Union. The project, whose title is "Demonstration Project on Strategies to Combct Desertification in Arid Lands with Direct Involvement of Local Agro-pastoral Communities in North Ajrica ". is carried out in sensitive regions in Morocco and Tunisia with the coordination of the NRD of the University of Sassari (Italy) and the partnership of the Agriculture Ministries of Morocco and Tunisia. The project involves restoration of vegetation cover with drought resistant perennial forage species (Opunti, Atriplex, Acaci, etc.) in highly degraded Rangelands, to mitigate desertification processes and to improve rangelands productivity. The areas are located in regions characterised by rural poverty, food dependency and land abandoning: here urgent measures are needed to promote optimisation of resource management in view of a sustainable development. This is a concrete demonstration project supported by the direct involvement of local communities. Successful actions already carried out in this field by the participants of the project as well as by other Mediterranean Countries. has been taken into Account, re-elaborated and exploited thus promoting South / South co-operation and exchange of knowledge. Participation of all actors and especially of local communities is the key point in all the phases of the project and is strengthened by means of dissemination and sensitisation campaigns and by training courses. Only if, at the end of the project, all actors will own/share all choices made and the technology used, will interventions be "sustainable"