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

Soil micromorphology for construction science: the mortar archaeometry

Micromorphology revealed in depth evaluation of materials particularly soil micromorphology yielded numerous data on processes such as formation, neoformation and transformation of minerals and microstructure in soils, pottery and construction materials. Mortars, one of the first human made materials for construction of Byzantine and the Ottoman worlds were compared in terms of micromorphology and mineralogy

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

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

Valutazione dell'attitudine ad interventi di ricostituzione della copertura forestale

The paper presents a GIS based model for the evaluation of land suitability to the restoration of vegetation cover in protected areas. The model classifies the land in 5 suitability classes (highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable, currently not suitable, permanently unsuitable) according to vegetational, topographical and pedological variables. The model was implemented in the northern part of the Asinara Island, one of the Italian National Parks, where low impact restoration interventions are necessary due to the degradation of vegetation cover caused by past anthropic pressure. The application of the model allowed the location of that areas suitable to such a kind of interventions

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

Polygenetic evolution and bioturbation: micromorphological study of a Terra Rossa soil in a traditional olive crop (Sardinia, Italy)

The origin of Mediterranean red soils has been the subject of numerous studies. Complex genetic processes, and massive inputs of allochtonous materials such as wind-blown Saharan dust and volcanic ashes, have been advocated to interpret their genesis. The present study was carried out in a traditional olive grove nearby Sassari (Sardinia, Italy), where the land use remained unchanged for the last 150 years, on Terra Rossa developed on Miocene marine limestone

Central Anatolian terrestrial sand dunes: enhancing carbon sequestration by indigenous vegetation

Assessment of the changes in natural resource quality requires long term monitoring. This study outlines the changes achieved in soils and vegetation quality in a sand dune area of Central Turkey maintained since 1960s

Integrated monitoring and trans national coordination to support sustainable land management strategies: ideas for new joint Euro-Mediterranean initiatives: special EU report

The aim ofthis paper is double: I. To discuss and comment some of the achievement reached by the MEDCOASTLAND Thematic Network in relation to desertification indicators; 2. To present some initiatives, recently accomplished or currently on-going at the European/Mediterranean level, which could be used as examples, or exported, in the frame of new, integrated joint Euro-Mediterranean initiatives which could be promoted with reference to the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme (7th FP). The projects considered are MEDRAP, related to "intemational and regional coordination and harmonisation" and DESERTWATCII, related to "data based operational monitoring system"

Paleoenvironmental implications through the study of an Eemian paleosol in northwestern Sardinia (Italy)

The aim of this work is to define the paleoenvironmental changes related to a soil belonging to the studied succession, by means of an in-depth micromorphological study. In particular, the presence of this paleosol is associated to the fast climatic fluctuations that took place between MIS5e and MIS5c