Going Conservative or Conventional? Investigating Farm Management Strategies in between Economic and Environmental Sustainability in Southern Italy

The European “Green Deal” strategy is aimed at making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 through integrated actions relying on healthier agricultural systems grounded in (environmental and economic) sustainable practices, including soil carbon management and biodiversity enhancement. In this vein, the present study contrasts the economic-environmental performances of conventional (deep tillage) and conservative (no-tillage and soil ripping) practices for two varieties of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum spp. durum), namely a modern (Anco Marzio) and an ancient landrace (Saragolla Lucana) variety in the Basilicata region (Southern Italy). Field and laboratory analysis (granulometry, mineralogy, and geochemistry) as well as satellite data (RapidEye) were used to characterize the soil and vegetation patterns. The empirical results indicate a higher biomass production and vegetative potential together with higher grain yields in soils managed with conventional deep tillage compared with soil managed with conservative practices. Similarly, the modern wheat variety exhibited better performance with respect to the old landrace. The soils managed with conventional practices had a distribution of exchangeable macro-nutrients characterized by a reduction in Ca+ and an increase in Mg2+ and K+ between pre-sowing and post-harvesting. Such a distribution was also genotype-dependent, with a higher variability for Saragolla Lucana than Anco Marzio, showing a diverging adsorption of macro-elements between the modern and ancient landrace varieties

Modeling Spatio-Temporal Divergence in Land Vulnerability to Desertification with Local Regressions

Taken as a classical issue in applied economics, the notion of ‘convergence’ is based on the concept of path dependence, i.e., from the previous trajectory undertaken by the system during its recent history. Going beyond social science, a ‘convergence’ perspective has been more recently adopted in environmental studies. Spatial convergence in non-linear processes, such as desertification risk, is a meaningful notion since desertification represents a (possibly unsustainable) development trajectory of socio-ecological systems towards land degradation on a regional or local scale. In this study, we test—in line with the classical convergence approach—long-term equilibrium conditions in the evolution of desertification processes in Italy, a European country with significant socioeconomic and environmental disparities. Assuming a path-dependent development of desertification risk in Italy, we provided a diachronic analysis of the Environmental Sensitive Area Index (ESAI), estimated at a disaggregated spatial resolution at three times (1960s, 1990s, and 2010s) in the recent history of Italy, using a spatially explicit approach based on geographically weighted regressions (GWRs). The results of local regressions show a significant path dependence in the first time interval (1960–1990). A less significant evidence for path-dependence was observed for the second period (1990–2010); in both cases, the models’ goodness-of-fit (global adjusted R2) was satisfactory. A strong polarization along the latitudinal gradient characterized the first observation period: Southern Italian land experienced worse conditions (e.g., climate aridity, urbanization) and the level of land vulnerability in Northern Italy remained quite stable, alimenting the traditional divergence in desertification risk characteristic of the country. The empirical analysis delineated a more complex picture for the second period. Convergence (leading to stability, or even improvement, of desertification risk) in some areas of Southern Italy, and a more evident divergence (leading to worse environmental conditions because of urban sprawl and crop intensification) in some of the land of Northern Italy, were observed, leading to an undesired spatial homogenization toward higher vulnerability levels. Finally, this work suggests the importance of spatially explicit approaches providing relevant information to design more effective policy strategies. In the case of land vulnerability to degradation in Italy, local regression models oriented toward a ‘convergence’ perspective, may be adopted to uncover the genesis of desertification hotspots at both the regional and local scale

Delineating the Intrinsic, Long-Term Path of Land Degradation: A Spatially Explicit Transition Matrix for Italy, 1960–2010

Vulnerability to land degradation in southern Europe has increased substantially in the last decades because of climate and land-use change, soil deterioration, and rising human pressure. The present work focuses on a quantitative evaluation of changes over time in the level of vulnerability to land degradation of a Mediterranean country (Italy) using a composite indicator, the environmentally sensitive area index (ESAI), which is the final outcome of a complex model conceived to assess land vulnerability on the basis of climate, soil, vegetation, and human pressure. Considering four different levels of vulnerability to land degradation (not affected, potentially affected, fragile, and critical), the main trajectories of this index were highlighted in a long-time perspective (1960–2010), discriminating dynamics over two sub-periods (1960–1990 and 1990–2010). The empirical results at a very detailed spatial scale (1 km2 grid) reflect spatial consolidation of degradation hot-spots over time. However, aggregated trajectories of change indicate an overall improvement in the environmental conditions between 1990 and 2010 compared with what is observed during the first period (1960–1990). Worse environmental conditions concerned southern Italian regions with a dry climate and poor soil conditions in the first time interval, large parts of northern Italy, traditionally recognized as a wet and affluent agricultural region, experienced increasing levels of land vulnerability in the second time interval. Being classified as an unaffected region according with the Italian national action plan (NAP), the expansion of (originally sparse) degradation hot-spots in northern Italy, reflective of an overall increase in critical areas, suggests a substantial re-thinking of the Italian NAP. This may lead to a redesign of individual regional action plans (RAPs) implementing place-specific approaches and comprehensive measures to be adopted to mitigate land degradation

Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in ‘affected’ and ‘unaffected’ landscapes in Italy

Southern Europe is a hotspot for desertification risk because of the intimate impact of soil deterioration, landscape transformations, rising human pressure, and climate change. In this context, large-scale empirical analyses linking landscape fragmentation with desertification risk assume that increasing levels of land vulnerability to degradation are associated with significant changes in landscape structure. Using a traditional approach of landscape ecology, this study evaluates the spatial structure of a simulated landscape based on different levels of vulnerability to land degradation using 15 metrics calculated at three time points (early-1960s, early-1990s, early-2010s) in Italy. While the (average) level of land vulnerability increased over time almost in all Italian regions, vulnerable landscapes demonstrated to be increasingly fragmented, as far as the number of homogeneous patches and mean patch size are concerned. The spatial balance in affected and unaffected areas—typically observed in the 1960s—was progressively replaced with an intrinsically disordered landscape, and this process was more intense in regions exposed to higher (and increasing) levels of land degradation. The spread of larger land patches exposed to intrinsic degradation brings to important consequences since (1) the rising number of hotspots may increase the probability of local-scale degradation processes, and (2) the buffering effect of neighbouring (unaffected) land can be less effective on bigger hotspots, promoting a downward spiral toward desertification

Working in (Slow) Progress: Socio-Environmental and Economic Dynamics in the Forestry Sector and the Contribution to Sustainable Development in Europe

Forest ecosystems are increasingly subject to disturbances, such as extreme (climate) events, fires and pathological outbreaks, which exert significant (and still poorly quantified) economic impacts, despite their intrinsic resilience. How forest management addresses these challenges will have profound effects on human health, environmental diversity, (ecological and economic) productivity and the ability of forest ecosystems to recovery from exogenous shocks. Assuming forests as ensuring ecosystem services that are vital to society and human well-being, in addition to providing wood material, a better knowledge of forest ecosystems appears a key requirement to delineate a developmental strategy that guarantees environmental protection objectives and achievement of climate and energy targets. In the context of Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the information available on forest management practices in Europe still seems not completely suitable to provide a comprehensive overview of ecosystem conditions, their economic value, and their biodiversity. Based on a literature review, the present contribution focuses on recent dynamics of the forestry sector in Europe, delineating the inherent complexity in the environmental-economic nexus. Additionally, the extensive use of a key natural resource such as wood exerts social implications for local districts adapting to ecological change-from climate warming to landscape transformations. In line with earlier studies, our paper confirms the role of the technical-economic dimension of forestry in sustainable development paths of districts and regions, affecting together (i) short-term economic dynamics, (ii) the growth prospects of the sector, (iii) the organization of the supply chain, (iv) the interconnections between companies, and (v) investment strategies at large. One of the major issues is the low reliability of official statistics to provide a coherent picture of the actual status of forest resources. At the same time, forestry practices are pivotal in maintaining habitats and species while increasing the timber production that remains (too) sustainable. This is the policy direction constantly given by the European Commission to stimulate over time public bodies and private (in whose hands is about 60% of European forests) to start virtuous paths in the circular economy with considerable repercussions in terms of additional jobs, recycled materials, mt of CO2 equivalent avoided, and increase in community added value. In this context, forestry should assure a more 'holistic' contribution to sustainable development paths at various spatial scales. This means concentrating on both economic and environmental targets based on the identification of significant (ecological-economic) dimensions that may delineate future lines of investigation and policy intervention, while increasing between member countries and regional authorities

Beyond Crisis: Demographic Dynamics, Long-term Settlement Patterns, and the Intrinsic Evolution of Local Systems Along a Coastal and Inland Gradient

This work focuses on population trends recorded at municipal scale in Latium, Central Italy, in the time period between 1871 and 2011. A principal component analysis (PCA) and a cluster analysis were adopted to investigate demographic dynamics concerning specifically the development and the subsequent consolidation of a coastal-inland gradient in population density within the examined area. The main findings of the study indicate the prominence of internal migrations occurred both along elevation (from mountainous to flat areas) and urban (from Rome to countryside) gradients. Population displacement has generated a socioeconomic gap between lowlands featuring intensive agriculture and inner areas featuring depopulation and land abandonment. Peri-urbanization and coastalization of economic activities determined remarkable changes in population density, amplifying traditional divides in the region. Our study demonstrates the role of a multivariate, exploratory approach in the study of regional population dynamics

Urban sprawl: Theory and practice

Urban sprawl is among the most debated topics in the field of urbanism, regional science, ecology, economics, and geography. As this process involves different analysis' dimensions, sprawl is fascinating on the one side, but quite difficult to investigate on the other side. Having the objective to review the nature, dynamics, and consequences that low-density urban expansion is having on biophysical environments, this contribution provides a brief picture on the relationship between urban sprawl and environment quality with a focus on Europe. It is assumed that environmental change and urban transitions are progressively threatening peri-urban and rural landscape leading to worse socio-ecological conditions hard to manage with traditional planning instruments. Literature supports the idea that environmental policy and spatial planning should cope more effectively with the increasing vulnerability of “sprawling” urban regions to natural hazards