Sviluppo di modelli innovativi per il monitoraggio multiscala degli indicatori di servizi ecosistemici nelle foreste Mediterranee (Progetto MIMOSE).

Gli ecosistemi, attraverso le loro funzioni, forniscono un ampio range di beni e servizi, che risultano fondamentali per il benessere dell’uomo. Questi vengono complessivamente definiti Servizi Ecosistemici (SE). I SE possono essere intesi come un flusso di valori verso la società, quale risultato dello stato e della quantità del capitale naturale disponibile. Il mantenimento degli stocks del capitale naturale può permettere di prevedere i flussi futuri dei SE, assicurando quindi il benessere dell’uomo per le generazioni future. Il progetto FIRB 2012 MIMOSE è finalizzato allo sviluppo di un approccio multiscala innovativo e all’implementazione di strumenti previsionali volti al monitoraggio dei SE in habitat forestali Mediterranei. Un set di indicatori viene considerato per stimare i SE forniti dalle foreste, sviluppando strumenti integrati per il loro monitoraggio multiscala. Le attività di ricerca vertono allo sviluppo di un metodo statistico innovativo per la stima spaziale degli indicatori di SE, sulla base di dati disponibili a diversi livelli di scala spaziale. Sono realizzate mappe wall-to-wall per la fornitura dei SE, derivate da diversi domini spaziali, dal livello di scala locale sino ad aree forestali di grande estensione. I dati sugli indicatori dei SE sono forniti nel contesto di attività di campionamento già stabilite (raccolta dati a livello di aree di saggio e di popolamento), per poi applicare tecniche di spazializzazione per aggregare i dati raccolti su scala locale a livelli di scala più ampia (paesaggio, scala regionale); l’approccio utilizzato viene valutato attraverso l’applicazione di strumenti di monitoraggio in un set di aree test. Si procede quindi alla valutazione dei cambiamenti spazio-temporali nella previsione dei SE, considerando indicatori sensibili alla gestione forestale, ovvero capaci di evidenziare cambiamenti nella previsione di fornitura di beni e servizi ad opera dei sistemi forestali, in relazione a differenti scenari gestionali, con l’obiettivo di fornire indicazioni ai gestori forestali ed alle comunità locali per l’applicazione di pratiche di gestione che possano mantenere o incrementare la fornitura dei SE in un preciso contesto territoriale. Questo progetto permette di realizzare un’attenta analisi dei gaps esistenti negli attuali schemi di inventariazione in relazione alla fornitura dei SE, con l’obiettivo di dare indicazioni utili all’implementazione ed integrazione degli stessi mediante individuazione di nuovi indicatori, nell’ottica di una gestione forestale sostenibile. Le attività di ricerca in corso possono concretamente contribuire all’incorporazione dei SE nei processi decisionali connessi alla gestione dei paesaggi forestali, fornendo un’opportunità per comprendere la congruenza tra i diversi SE negli ambienti forestali

Integrated forest management to prevent wildfi res under mediterranean environments

This review presents a multidisciplinary framework for integrating the ecological, regulatory, procedural and technical aspects of forest management for fi res prevention under Mediterranean environments. The aims are to: i) provide a foreground of wildfi re scenario; ii) illustrate the theoretical background of forest fuel management; iii) describe the available fuel management techniques and mechanical operations for fi re prevention in forest and wildland-urban interfaces, with exemplifi cation of case-studies; iv) allocate fi re prevention activities under the hierarchy of forest planning. The review is conceived as an outline commentary discussion targeted to professionals, technicians and government personnel involved in forestry and environmental managemen

Integrated forest management to prevent wildfires under Mediterranean environments

This review presents a multidisciplinary framework for integrating the ecological, regulatory, procedural and technical aspects of forest management for fi res prevention under Mediterranean environments. The aims are to: i) provide a foreground of wildfi re scenario; ii) illustrate the theoretical background of forest fuel management; iii) describe the available fuel management techniques and mechanical operations for fi re prevention in forest and wildland-urban interfaces, with exemplifi cation of case-studies; iv)allocate fi re prevention activities under the hierarchy of forest planning. The review is conceived as an outline commentary discussion targeted to professionals, technicians and government personnel involved in forestry and environmental management

The wildland-urban interface map of Italy: A nationwide dataset for wildfire risk management

A wildland-urban interface (WUI) raster map was created for the Italian peninsula with a resolution of 30 m per pixel. The map creation process consisted of three fundamental steps: (1) selection of buildings within the wildland-urban interface areas and subsequent classification of these into isolated, scattered, and clustered buildings; (2) creation of the tree canopy cover layer; (3) generation of WUI map by the intersection of two previous products. According to the WUI map, more than half of the total area of Italy is occupied by interface areas. Areas with buildings classified as clustered (24.61%) and scattered (19.15%) predominate on the territory compared to isolated buildings (14.93%). Most of the buildings are located in areas with a tree cover canopy between up to 64%. This map is functional to the implementation of forest fire prevention plans and to the identification of buildings that are close to fire risk areas such as forests, grasslands, and pastures

Potato virus X in Tunesian grapevines

Two biologically distinct strains of potato potexvirus X (PVX) were recovered by sap inoculation from vines of cvs Carignan and Grenache in two different Tunisian localities. In a Grenache vineyard, PVX was detected by ELISA in about 4 % of the vines. Morphological, physico-chemical, serological and ultrastructural properties of both PVX strains from grapevine were the same as those of ordinary isolates of the type species, as shown by the results of comparative investigations. PVX seemed little pathogenic to grapevines, and was re-inoculated to grape rootlings with difficulty

Cultural landmarks and urban landscapes in three contrasting societies

Cultural heritage sites and landscapes are intuitively connected in urban systems. Based on available databases of cultural landmarks, we selected three pairs of cities that are currently dominated by three contrasting religions (Catholic, Buddhist and emerging culture) to compare the long-term changes in cultural landmarks, to quantify their spatial distribution in the current landscape, and to examine the potential influences these landmarks have on landscapes. The landmark database and landscapes were constructed from archived maps, satellite imagery and the UNESCO heritage sites for Barcelona, Bari, Beijing, Vientiane, Shenzhen, and Ulaanbaatar. Roads in Asian cities are mostly constructed in alignment with the four cardinal directions, forming a checkerboard-type landscape, whereas Bari and Barcelona in Europe have examples of roads radiating from major cultural landmarks. We found clear differences in the number of landmarks and surrounding landscape in these cities, supporting our hypothesis that current urban landscapes have been influenced similarly by cultural landmarks, although substantial differences exist among cities. Negative relationships between the number of cultural landmarks and major cover types were found, except with agricultural lands. Clearly, cultural landmarks need to be treated as “natural features” and considered as reference points in urban planning. Major efforts are needed to construct a global database before an overarching conclusion can be made for global cities

Machine learning techniques for fine dead fuel load estimation using multi‐source remote sensing data

Fine dead fuel load is one of the most significant components of wildfires without which ignition would fail. Several studies have previously investigated 1‐h fuel load using standard fuel parameters or site‐specific fuel parameters estimated ad hoc for the landscape. On the one hand, these methods have a large margin of error, while on the other their production times and costs are high. In response to this gap, a set of models was developed combining multi‐source remote sensing data, field data and machine learning techniques to quantitatively estimate fine dead fuel load and understand its determining factors. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to: (1) estimate 1‐h fuel loads using remote sensing predictors and machine learning techniques; (2) evaluate the performance of each machine learning technique compared to traditional linear regression models; (3) assess the importance of each remote sensing predictor; and (4) map the 1‐h fuel load in a pilot area of the Apulia region (southern Italy). In pursuit of the above, fine dead fuel load estimation was performed by the integration of field inventory data (251 plots), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR, Sentinel‐1), optical (Sentinel‐2), and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data applying three different algorithms: Multiple Linear regression (MLR), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Model performances were evaluated using Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), the coefficient of determination (R2) and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r). The results showed that RF (RMSE: 0.09; MSE: 0.01; r: 0.71; R2: 0.50) had more predictive power compared to the other models, while SVM (RMSE: 0.10; MSE: 0.01; r: 0.63; R2: 0.39) and MLR (RMSE: 0.11; MSE: 0.01; r: 0.63; R2: 0.40) showed similar performances. LIDAR variables (Canopy Height Model and Canopy cover) were more important in fuel estimation than optical and radar variables. In fact, the results highlighted a positive relationship between 1‐h fuel load and the presence of the tree component. Conversely, the geomorphological variables appeared to have lower predictive power. Overall, the 1‐h fuel load map developed by the RF model can be a valuable tool to support decision making and can be used in regional wildfire risk management

A non-mechanically transmissible isometric virus associated with asteroid mosaic of the grapevine

Research Not

Modeling fire ignition probability and frequency using Hurdle models: a cross-regional study in Southern Europe

Background: Wildfires play a key role in shaping Mediterranean landscapes and ecosystems and in impacting species dynamics. Numerous studies have investigated the wildfire occurrences and the influence of their drivers in many countries of the Mediterranean Basin. However, in this regard, no studies have attempted to compare different Mediterranean regions, which may appear similar under many aspects. In response to this gap, climatic, topographic, anthropic, and landscape drivers were analyzed and compared to assess the patterns of fire ignition points in terms of fire occurrence and frequency in Catalonia (Spain), Sardinia, and Apulia (Italy). Therefore, the objectives of the study were to (1) assess fire ignition occurrence in terms of probability and frequency, (2) compare the main drivers affecting fire occurrence, and (3) produce fire probability and frequency maps for each region. Results: In pursuit of the above, the probability of fire ignition occurrence and frequency was mapped using Negative Binomial Hurdle models, while the models’ performances were evaluated using several metrics (AUC, prediction accuracy, RMSE, and the Pearson correlation coefficient). The results showed an inverse correlation between distance from infrastructures (i.e., urban roads and areas) and the occurrence of fires in all three study regions. This relationship became more significant when the frequency of fire ignition points was assessed. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between fire occurrence and landscape drivers according to region. The land cover classes more significantly affected were forest, agriculture, and grassland for Catalonia, Sardinia, and Apulia, respectively. Conclusions: Compared to the climatic, topographic, and landscape drivers, anthropic activity significantly influences fire ignition and frequency in all three regions. When the distance from urban roads and areas decreases, the probability of fire ignition occurrence and frequency increases. Consequently, it is essential to implement long- to medium-term intervention plans to reduce the proximity between potential ignition points and fuels. In this perspective, the present study provides an applicable decision-making tool to improve wildfire prevention strategies at the European level in an area like the Mediterranean Basin where a profuse number of wildfires take place