The Apulian Territory and the Typical Local Farmhouses: A Case of Study Through Landscape Analysis

The Apulian territory is strongly characterized by a rural architectural heritage with many historical features. Rural and agro-industrial buildings, their reuse or degradation, are the testimony of a history whose investigation is complex and varied over time. The Regional Territorial Landscape Plan, which entered into force in 2015, promotes the realization of a self-sustainable and lasting socio-economic development and education for an appropriate use of the regional territory. The knowledge, conservation, use and promotion of the Traditional Apulian Architectural Heritage are among its aims. This in fact constitutes the memory of a place, culturally identifies a local community and the territory. In-depth knowledge of the identifying characteristics of the rural heritage is essential before any recovery intervention specifically aimed at protecting and enhancing the buildings, the landscape and the environmental context. A recovery activity, mindful of these issues, can generate strategic resources for reaching wider objectives of regional development. This study aims to analyze the current relationship between ancient Apulian farmhouses that have been subject to functional restoration interventions and the landscape in which they are located, in order to outline strategies for the development and promotion of the related rural area

Increased physical protection of soil carbon in the mineral soil of a poplar plantation after five years of free atmospheric CO₂ enrichment (FACE)

International audienceFree air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments in aggrading forests and plantations have demonstrated significant increases in net primary production (NPP) and C storage in forest vegetation. The extra C uptake may also be stored in forest floor litter and in forest soil. After five years of FACE treatment at the EuroFACE short rotation poplar plantation, the increase of total soil C% was larger under elevated than under ambient CO2. However, the fate of this additional C allocated belowground remains unclear. The stability of soil organic matter is controlled by the chemical structure of the organic matter and the existence of protection offered by the soil matrix and minerals. Fresh litter entering the soil enhances microbial activity which induces the binding of organic matter and soil particles into macro-aggregates. As the enclosed organic matter is decomposed, microbial and decomposition products become associated with mineral particles. This association results in the formation of micro-aggregates (within macro-aggregates) in which organic matter is stabilized and protected. FACE and N-fertilization treatment did not affect the micro- and macro-aggregate weight, C or N fractions obtained by wet sieving. However, Populus euramericana increased the micro- and small macro-aggregates weight and C fractions. The obtained macro-aggregates were broken up in order to isolate recently formed micro-aggregates within macro-aggregates (iM-micro-aggregates). FACE increased the iM-micro-aggregate weight and C fractions. This study reveals that: 1) Species has an effect on the formation of macro-aggregates. The choice of species in a plantation or the effect of global change on species diversity, may therefore affect the stabilization and protection of soil C in aggregates. And 2) Increased atmospheric CO2 concentration increases the stabilization and protection of soil C in micro-aggregates formed within macro-aggregates. This mechanism increases the C sink of forest soils under increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration

Enhancement of the Roman Bridge of Canosa in the Ofanto Valley Rural Landscape

The ancient Roman Bridge, 2,000 years old, is located on the old Via Traiana route, three kilometers far from the town of Canosa (Apulia Region), and for many centuries it was the connection between northern and southern part of the Apulia Region along the Adriatic coast. It has an imposing structure stonework, with a donkey back shape, built with five round arches supported by piers sustained by rostrums. During the Second World War, a concrete access way was realized in order to let the British and American army tank pass through the bridge. The “Municipal Plan of the Tratturi” qualifies the area as “sheep trails or path” that preserves the original consistency or that can be at the same renovated. Aim of the research is the requalification of the study area through analyses, plan and restructuring the ancient routes. In this study, the current status of the area is analyzed in detail and the inconsistency of the interventions is highlighted. The project proposal provides for new tourism paths equipped with cycle/pedestrian tracks and small resting and refreshment areas, intermodal exchange car parks and management structures, allowing the creation of a green tourist-cultural route

Effects of free atmospheric CO₂ enrichment (FACE), N fertilization and poplar genotype on the physical protection of carbon in the mineral soil of a polar plantation after five years

International audienceFree air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments in aggrading forests and plantations have demonstrated significant increases in net primary production (NPP) and C storage in forest vegetation. The extra C uptake may also be stored in forest floor litter and in forest soil. After five years of FACE treatment at the EuroFACE short rotation poplar plantation, the increase of total soil C% was larger under elevated than under ambient CO2. However, the fate of this additional C allocated belowground remains unclear. The stability of soil organic matter is controlled by the chemical structure of the organic matter and the formation of micro-aggregates (within macro-aggregates) in which organic matter is stabilized and protected. FACE and N-fertilization treatment did not affect the micro- and macro-aggregate weight, C or N fractions obtained by wet sieving. However, Populus euramericana increased the small macro-aggregate and free micro-aggregate weight and C fractions. The obtained macro-aggregates were broken up in order to isolate recently formed micro-aggregates within macro-aggregates (iM-micro-aggregates). FACE increased the iM-micro-aggregate weight and C fractions, although not significantly. This study reveals that FACE did not affect the formation of aggregates. We did, however, observe a trend of increased stabilization and protection of soil C in micro-aggregates formed within macro-aggregates under FACE. Moreover, the largest effect on aggregate formation was due to differences in species, i.e. poplar genotype. P. euramericana increased the formation of free micro-aggregates which means that more newly incorporated soil C was stabilized and protected. The choice of species in a plantation, or the effect of global change on species diversity, may therefore affect the stabilization and protection of C in soils

Near-real time forest change detection using PlanetScope imagery

© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. To combat global deforestation, monitoring forest disturbances at sub-annual scales is a key challenge. For this purpose, the new Planetscope nano-satellite constellation is a game changer, with a revisit time of 1 day and a pixel size of 3-m. We present a near-real time forest disturbance alert system based on PlanetScope imagery: the Thresholding Rewards and Penances algorithm (TRP). It produces a new forest change map as soon as a new PlanetScope image is acquired. To calibrate and validate TRP, a reference set was constructed as a complete census of five randomly selected study areas in Tuscany, Italy. We processed 572 PlanetScope images acquired between 1 May 2018 and 5 July 2019. TRP was used to construct forest change maps during the study period for which the final user’s accuracy was 86% and the final producer’s accuracy was 92%. In addition, we estimated the forest change area using an unbiased stratified estimator that can be used with a small sample of reference data. The 95% confidence interval for the sample-based estimate of 56.89 ha included the census-based area estimate of 56.19 ha.s

Investigation of the Luco dei Marsi DSGSD revealing the first evidence of a basal shear zone in the central Apennine belt (Italy)

Deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSDs) show a wide range of geomorphological characteristics and kinematic behaviours. In many cases, deforming rock masses move on a continuous surface or a thick basal shear zone (BSZ) overlying the stable bedrock. The nature of this boundary is a significant issue in scientific debates since examples of BSZs have been observed or inferred in some DSGSDs worldwide. In the central Apennines, although several cases of DSGSDs have been described in recent decades, no evidence of BSZs has been documented thus far. This work presents the first case of a BSZ found in the region at the bottom of a large-scale gravitational deformation that affects the Mesozoic-Cenozoic carbonate ridge overhanging the Luco dei Marsi village (Abruzzi region). The BSZ consists of several metres-thick, cataclastic breccia developed within middle-Upper Cretaceous biodetritic limestone. The breccia level is exposed for approximately 200 m with a subhorizontal geometry and shows severe rock damage and weathering. The DSGSD hosting the BSZ affects an NNW-SSE-oriented and wide Miocene anticline whose eastern limb is dismembered by Pliocene-Quaternary normal faults delimiting the edge of a large Quaternary intermontane basin (the Fucino Basin). Field survey, aerial photointerpretation, and remote sensing (DInSAR technique) analyses outline an active gravity-driven process. This is characterized by several kinds of geomorphological features, including downhill- and uphill-facing scarps, ridge-top depressions, gravitational grabens and trenches in the upper and middle parts of the ridge, and bulging at the toe of the slope. These features, which can be distinguished from tectonic elements due to their shape and extension, are an indication of a high degree of internal deformation and a compound sagging geometry for the Luco dei Marsi DSGSD. The short-term activity of the process was revealed by DInSAR time series covering almost thirty years of satellite datasets, including ERS1/2, ENVISAT, COSMO-SkyMed, and SENTINEL 1 constellations. Strain rates on the order of a few mm/yr were inferred, with a marked difference between different sectors of the DSGSD area. The long-term (y > 102) lifespan of the DSGSD was framed into a multiple-step conceptual model summarizing the Early Pleistocene-Holocene geological evolution of the area. The model results outline the control exercised by extensional tectonics on DSGSD development, as progressive displacements along normal faults in the latest Pleistocene were the cause of lateral unconfinement at the toe of the slope. This work further contributes to the increasing knowledge on DSGSDs in the central Apennines and the understanding of the relationship between deformation features induced by slope morphogenesis, such as the BSZ, and Quaternary tectonics within the mountain belt

ask 6 - Gubbio - Deliverable D21: Geological model of the Gubbio basin (Italy) for the characterization of local seismic response

Within the framework of the project S3 “Ground shaking scenarios for some strategic areas in Italy-Task6” the town of Gubbio has been selected as a test site to compute ground motion taking into account finite fault and site effects. Gubbio is located in central Italy, on the northern slopes of one of the many valleys characterising the central Appennines. The historical settlement is located on a rocky slope, while new developments extend on the Quaternary fluvio-lacustrine deposits filling the basin. The Gubbio basin was chosen as a test site for a number of reasons: its geomorphological setting is very common in central and southern Italy, the area is characterised by frequent near events of moderate magnitude (Mmax 6) and large amplifications were observed there for the Colfiorito seismic sequence of the 1997/98. In order to understand the mechanisms controlling the 3D seismic response of the basin, a subsurface model has been constructed. The reconstruction of the model has been done using data coming from different surveys (figure A). Several active and passive seismic measurements have been carried out in the plain, also favoured by the intense seismic activity typical of the area. These investigations mainly consisted of monitoring activities of 4 temporary transects of seismometric stations, operating between June 2005 and May 2006 and described in detail in PS3- Deliverables D22-D23. Two transects have been positioned perpendicularly to the valley axes (GFZ and Ge2 Transects), one parallel (INGV transect) and one near Gubbio (Ge1 transect). More than 300 local and regional earthquakes have been recorded, with maximum magnitude equal to 4. A 2D array was run as well from June to September 2006, to better understand the generation of surface waves. All data are collected in a GIS (Progetto S3 Deliverable D23) Parallel to these activities, ambient noise data have been collected in the field for 90 sites, using the single station technique for the estimation of the fundamental resonance frequencies. Furthermore, 4 noise measurements with a seismic array have been collected to build an S-wave velocity profile of soft sediments, considered representative for the whole plain. The geometry of the basin below 500 m of depth has been investigated through the acquisition of an active seismic line 4.5 km long, in correspondence of one of the transects. This has been used to perform a tomography of arrival times which allowed to recognise the position and shape of the reflecting horizons. As a final step the first 30 metres of deposits have been characterised over a 30 km2 area, using both stratigraphic investigations provided by the Gubbio Municipality and data collected from in-situ surveys and lab tests. In this deliverable we describe the input data for the 3D model of the Gubbio basin and we outline the steps performed to define the geometry, the layers and their seismic properties on the base of the experimental data collected during the project and of the available geological information.Progetto INGV-DPC S3 “Scenari di scuotimento in aree di interesse prioritario e/o strategico” (coord. F.Pacor e M. Mucciarelli)Published4.1. Metodologie sismologiche per l'ingegneria sismicaope

ask 6 - Gubbio - Deliverable D21: Geological model of the Gubbio basin (Italy) for the characterization of local seismic response

Within the framework of the project S3 “Ground shaking scenarios for some strategic areas in Italy-Task6” the town of Gubbio has been selected as a test site to compute ground motion taking into account finite fault and site effects. Gubbio is located in central Italy, on the northern slopes of one of the many valleys characterising the central Appennines. The historical settlement is located on a rocky slope, while new developments extend on the Quaternary fluvio-lacustrine deposits filling the basin. The Gubbio basin was chosen as a test site for a number of reasons: its geomorphological setting is very common in central and southern Italy, the area is characterised by frequent near events of moderate magnitude (Mmax 6) and large amplifications were observed there for the Colfiorito seismic sequence of the 1997/98. In order to understand the mechanisms controlling the 3D seismic response of the basin, a subsurface model has been constructed. The reconstruction of the model has been done using data coming from different surveys (figure A). Several active and passive seismic measurements have been carried out in the plain, also favoured by the intense seismic activity typical of the area. These investigations mainly consisted of monitoring activities of 4 temporary transects of seismometric stations, operating between June 2005 and May 2006 and described in detail in PS3- Deliverables D22-D23. Two transects have been positioned perpendicularly to the valley axes (GFZ and Ge2 Transects), one parallel (INGV transect) and one near Gubbio (Ge1 transect). More than 300 local and regional earthquakes have been recorded, with maximum magnitude equal to 4. A 2D array was run as well from June to September 2006, to better understand the generation of surface waves. All data are collected in a GIS (Progetto S3 Deliverable D23) Parallel to these activities, ambient noise data have been collected in the field for 90 sites, using the single station technique for the estimation of the fundamental resonance frequencies. Furthermore, 4 noise measurements with a seismic array have been collected to build an S-wave velocity profile of soft sediments, considered representative for the whole plain. The geometry of the basin below 500 m of depth has been investigated through the acquisition of an active seismic line 4.5 km long, in correspondence of one of the transects. This has been used to perform a tomography of arrival times which allowed to recognise the position and shape of the reflecting horizons. As a final step the first 30 metres of deposits have been characterised over a 30 km2 area, using both stratigraphic investigations provided by the Gubbio Municipality and data collected from in-situ surveys and lab tests. In this deliverable we describe the input data for the 3D model of the Gubbio basin and we outline the steps performed to define the geometry, the layers and their seismic properties on the base of the experimental data collected during the project and of the available geological information

ITACA (ITalian ACcelerometric Archive): un sito web per la disseminazione dei dati accelerometrici italiani

La creazione del data base dei dati accelerometrici italiani è un’iniziativa nata nell’ambito della convenzione tra il Dipartimento della Protezione Civile e l’Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia nel biennio 2004-2006 (progetto di interesse sismologico S6 denominato Data base dei dati accelerometrici italiani relativi al periodo 1972-2004), in risposta alla crescente richiesta da parte della comunità scientifica di dati strong motion per diverse applicazioni (leggi di attenuazione, verifica di scenari di scuotimento e mappe di pericolosità, shake maps, ecc.). Scopo del progetto è stata la raccolta e l’omogeneizzazione delle forme d’onda acquisite nel corso degli anni dall’Ente Nazionale per l’Energia Elettrica (ENEL), dall’Ente per le Nuove tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente (ENEA) e dal Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. In aggiunta, le registrazioni sono state qualificate attraverso l’inserimento di metadati relativi agli eventi, ai siti di registrazione e agli strumenti. Un notevole sforzo è stato compiuto per garantire la disseminazione dei dati attraverso un portale web e una serie di strumenti per la consultazione interattiva della banca dati.PublishedRoma5.2. TTC - Banche dati di sismologia strumentaleope