The relative importance of land use and climatic change in Alpine catchments

Carbon storage and catchment hydrology are influenced both by land use changes and climatic changes, but there are few studies addressing both responses under both driving forces. We investigated the relative importance of climate change vs. land use change for four Alpine catchments using the LPJ-GUESS model. Two scenarios of grassland management were calibrated based on the more detailed model PROGRASS. The simulations until 2100 show that only reforestation could lead to an increase of carbon storage under climatic change, whereby a cessation of carbon accumulation occurred in all catchments after 2050. The initial increase in carbon storage was attributable mainly to forest re-growth on abandoned land, whereas the stagnation and decline in the second half of the century was mainly driven by climate change. If land was used more intensively, i.e. as grassland, litter input to the soil decreased due to harvesting, resulting in a decline of soil carbon storage (1.2−2.9kgC m-2) that was larger than the climate-induced change (0.8-1.4kgC m−2). Land use change influenced transpiration both directly and in interaction with climate change. The response of forested catchments diverged with climatic change (11-40mm increase in AET), reflecting the differences in forest age, topography and water holding capacity within and between catchments. For grass-dominated catchments, however, transpiration responded in a similar manner to climate change (light management: 23-32mm AET decrease, heavy management: 29-44mm AET decrease), likely because grassroots are concentrated in the uppermost soil layers. Both the water and the carbon cycle were more strongly influenced by land use compared to climatic changes, as land use had not only a direct effect on carbon storage and transpiration, but also an indirect effect by modifying the climate change response of transpiration and carbon flux in the catchments. For the carbon cycle, climate change led to a cessation of the catchment response (sink/source strength is limited), whereas for the water cycle, the effect of land use change remains evident throughout the simulation period (changes in evapotranspiration do not attenuate). Thus we conclude that management will have a large potential to influence the carbon and water cycle, which needs to be considered in management planning as well as in climate and hydrological modellin

The relative importance of land use and climatic change in Alpine catchments

ISSN:0165-0009ISSN:1573-148

Bio-economic assessment of climate change impacts on managed grassland production

In order to analyze impacts of climate change on managed grassland systems and to project potential changes in farmers' management practices in response to altered climatic conditions, we develop a modeling approach that integrates a process-based grassland model into an economic model. This economic model describes farmers' decision making with respect to input use and accounts for production levels, production risks, fodder quality as determined by the grassland composition, and environmental protection. We apply the bio-economic model to an intensively managed grassland system with a geographic focus on the Swiss Plateau. Our results show an increase of future production risks in grassland production due to climate change. Projected changes in yield levels, grassland composition and optimal responses of risk-averse farmers are dependent on the assumptions concerning cross-compliance obligations, forage quality and particularly on the assumed effect of elevated CO2 concentrations: Grasslands yields will increase under future climatic conditions only if the benefits of rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations are taken into account. Without this potential benefit, climate change will lead to less intensive input use and lower grassland yields.Managed grassland production Climate change Adaptation Impact assessment Bio-economic modeling

Prediction of dissolved reactive phosphorus losses from small agricultural catchments: calibration andvalidation of a parsimonious model

Eutrophication of surface waters due to diffuse phosphorus (P) losses continues to bea severe water quality problem world-wide, causing the loss of ecosystem functions ofthe respective water bodies. Phosphorus in runoffoften originates from a small fractionof a catchment only. Targeting mitigation measures to these critical source areas (CSA) is expected to be most efficient and cost-effective, but requires suitable tools.Here we investigated the capability of the parsimonious Rainfall-Runoff-Phosphorus(RRP) model to identify CSA in grassland-dominated catchments based on readilyavailable soil and topographic data. After simultaneous calibration on runoffdata fromfour small hilly catchments on the Swiss Plateau, the model was validated on a different catchment in the same region without further calibration. The RRP model adequatelysimulated the discharge and dissolved reactive P (DRP) export from the validationcatchment. Sensitivity analysis showed that the model predictions were robust with re-spect to the classification of soils into “poorly drained” and “well drained”, based onthe available soil map. Comparing spatial hydrological model predictions with field data from the validation catchment provided further evidence that the assumptions under-lying the model are valid and that the model adequately accounts for the dominant Pexport processes in the target region. Thus, the parsimonious RRP model is a valu-able tool that can be used to determine CSA. Despite the considerable predictive un-certainty regarding the spatial extent of CSAs the RRP can provide guidance for the implementation of mitigation measures. The model helps to identify those parts of acatchment where high DRP losses are expected or can be excluded with high confi-dence. Legacy P was predicted to be the dominant source for DRP losses and thus, incombination with hydrologic active areas, a high risk for water quality.ISSN:1812-2116ISSN:1812-210

L'insegnamento della lingua italiana all'estero. Francia, Gran Bretagna, Germania, Spagna, Canada, Stati Uniti, Argentina, Brasile, Australia

Vasta rassegna sull'insegnamento dell'italiano nei maggiori paesi europei ed extraeuropei.- Indice #9- Presentazione #17- L’insegnamento dell’italiano in Francia, Adelin Fiorato, Patrick Mariani, Frédéric Vinson #21- L’insegnamento dell’italiano in Gran Bretagna, Laura Lepschy, Brian Richardson, Edward J. T. Williams, Ann Vroudfoof #57- L’insegnamento dell’italiano nella Repubblica federale tedesca, Hermann Neumeister #87- L’insegnamento dell’italiano in Spagna, Bernardo Fáñez Pérez #139- L’insegnamento dell’italiano in Canada, Anthony Mollica #181- L’insegnamento dell’italiano negli Stati Uniti, Edoardo A. Lebano #213- L’insegnamento dell’italiano in Argentina, Carlos Martin Calcopietro, Marta Gabriela Michetti #243- Recenti riforme legislative sull’insegnamento dell’italiano in Argentina e iniziative per la formazione dei docenti, Dea Pellegrini #269- L’insegnamento dell’italiano in Brasile, Euclides Antônio Lazzarotto #303- L’insegnamento dell’italiano in Australia, Camilla Bettoni, Bruno Di Biase #333- Bibliografia #36