Sustainable management systems to prevent and adaptat to desertification: Case Studies from the LIFE Desert Adapt project

Around 40% of the ice-free terrestrial surface is under desertification risk, and the Mediterranean is one of the most sensible regions. Concomitantly, most areas occupied by agriculture suffer from lack of organic matter in the soil, as well as very low tree cover, making them more vulnerable to climate change. The LIFE (Desert Adapt) project aims to develop a desert adaptation model to enhance resistence and resilience of farms, both public and private, to desertification by appliyng an integrative sustainable land management in Italy, Spain and Portugal. In Italy three sites in Sicily are involved, two private areas in Caltanissetta and Catagirone and the municiaplity of Lampedusa.The mo…

Adapting agroforestry to future climate scenarios: The LIFE project Desert-Adapt

Increasing scientific evidences indicate that agroforestry is a land use that can support economic, social and environmental sustainability, thus promoting resistance and resilience towards ongoing climate changes. The implementation and management of agroforestry systems still face social, economic and political barriers. Mediterranean agroecosystems suffer from increasingly negative climate change effects and urgent measures are needed to improve their rural economy while protecting soils and the environment. In this context, the LIFE Project Desert-Adapt: “Preparing desertification areas for increased climate change” (http://www.desert-adapt.it), aims to demonstrate the feasibility of in…

Diversità dei procarioti in acque di falda contaminate da solventi clorurati

Land use effects on bacterial diversity in Mediterranean soils vulnerable to desertification

The soil microbiota is recognized as key player in both diversity and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems and it is mandatory to include its role in soil quality evaluation. The bacterial communities in soils vulnerable to desertification can undergo perturbations by various human activities, such as unsustainable land use and management, and by climate change. Alteration in microbial diversity and composition are sentinels of the impact of environmental changes on soil quality. Within the LIFE Desert-Adapt project we analyze the soil bacterial diversity and composition across European Soils threatened by desertification in the southern Mediterranean regions (Italy, Spain and Portugal) a…