Search results for " land use"
showing 10 items of 68 documents
Assessment of the soil organic carbon stock in Spain
2016
p.- 4 Tabls.- 6 Figs.
Effetti di urbanizzazione e cambiamenti climatici sui deflussi a scala di bacino
2016
Fra le pressioni di natura antropica agenti sui bacini idrografici, particolare rilevanza hanno sia la progressiva perdita di suoli naturali in favore di suoli poco, o per nulla, permeabili (es. strade, edifici, parcheggi, etc.) che la regimazione e regolazione dei deflussi sulla rete di drenaggio naturale mediante interventi idraulici. In particolare, l’ultima relazione sullo stato dell’ambiente europeo a cura dell’Agenzia Europea dell’Ambiente (AEA, 2010) considera l’impermeabilizzazione dei bacini naturali come uno dei maggiori processi di degrado del suolo. L’aumento del grado di urbanizzazione dei bacini naturali, inteso come aumento della frazione impermeabile del suolo derivante dell…
Local Equalization and Wide Areas Land Planning in Syracuse
2016
Abstract The implementation process of the Syracuse's Master Plan is characterized by the widespread use of “urban negotiation”. The Municipality has drawn up a protocol aimed at obtaining areas for facilities and public infrastructure in different areas basing on the rule of the transfer of a portion of land in return for the building permission for the remaining part. Since these areas are variously characterized, the negotiation process may not be fair to Municipality or convenient to land owners. Basing on an equalization pattern, this study provides, for each area, the indexes of fairness and convenience, and, more specifically, the difference between the market value of the areas achi…
The significance of soils and soil science towards realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
2016
Abstract. In this forum paper we discuss how soil scientists can help to reach the recently adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the most effective manner. Soil science, as a land-related discipline, has important links to several of the SDGs, which are demonstrated through the functions of soils and the ecosystem services that are linked to those functions (see graphical abstract in the Supplement). We explore and discuss how soil scientists can rise to the challenge both internally, in terms of our procedures and practices, and externally, in terms of our relations with colleague scientists in other disciplines, diverse groups of stakeholders and the policy arena. To meet th…
Assessing impacts of soil management measures on ecosystem services
2018
Only a few studies have quantified and measured ecosystem services (ES) specifically related to soil. To address this gap, we have developed and applied a methodology to assess changes in ecosystem services, based on measured or estimated soil property changes that were stimulated by soil management measures (e.g., mulching, terracing, no-till). We applied the ES assessment methodology in 16 case study sites across Europe representing a high diversity of soil threats and land use systems. Various prevention and remediation measures were trialled, and the changes in manageable soil and other natural capital properties were measured and quantified. An Excel tool facilitated data collection, c…
Effectiveness of cover crops to reduce loss of soil organic matter in a rainfed vineyard
2020
Cover crops (CCs) minimize the loss of soil in permanent cropping systems where the soil is usually bare due to intense tillage or overuse of herbicides. The topsoil, the richer layer in soil organic carbon and organic matter (OM), is affected by water erosion. Nature-based solutions appear as a suitable option for sustainable farming. In this study, the effectiveness of two years of CC management to reduce the OM loss is evaluated in a rainfed vineyard in a rolling landscape (Huesca, NE Spain). Two sediment traps collected runoff over 15 months. Topsoil OM contents (1.64% and 1.60%) and sediment/soil OM enrichment ratio (2.61 and 3.07) were similar. However, the average annual rate of OM l…
Using Beerkan experiments to estimate hydraulic conductivity of a crusted loamy soil in a Mediterranean vineyard
2019
Abstract In bare soils of semi-arid areas, surface crusting is a rather common phenomenon due to the impact of raindrops. Water infiltration measurements under ponding conditions are becoming largely applied techniques for an approximate characterization of crusted soils. In this study, the impact of crusting on soil hydraulic conductivity was assessed in a Mediterranean vineyard (western Sicily, Italy) under conventional tillage. The BEST (Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters) algorithm was applied to the infiltration data to obtain the hydraulic conductivity of crusted and uncrusted soils. Soil hydraulic conductivity was found to vary during the year and also spatially (i.e., ro…
The role of soils in regulation and provision of blue and green water
2021
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims for clean water and sanitation for all by 2030, through eight subgoals dealing with four themes: (i) water quantity and availability, (ii) water quality, (iii) finding sustainable solutions and (iv) policy and governance. In this opinion paper, we assess how soils and associated land and water management can help achieve this goal, considering soils at two scales: local soil health and healthy landscapes. The merging of these two viewpoints shows the interlinked importance of the two scales. Soil health reflects the capacity of a soil to provide ecosystem services at a specific location, taking into account local climate and soil condit…
Connectivity in hydrology and sediment dynamics
2020
Connectivity has emerged as a significant conceptual framework for understanding the transfer of surface water and sediment through landscapes. The concept has been widely adopted in the field of catchment hydrology but has also been valuable to investigate rates of soil erosion by water and sediment export across landscapes. To study connectivity, we gathered a group of scientists that worked on synthesizing and consolidating all theories and aspects of connectivity research. Within the EU-funded ESSEM COST Action CONNECTEUR (ES1306), five working groups were established: (a) theory, (b) measuring, (c) modelling, (d) indices, and (e) society. One of the outputs of this COST Action is this …
Linking the Molecular Signature of Heteroatomic Dissolved Organic Matter to Watershed Characteristics in World Rivers
2015
Large world rivers are significant sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to the oceans. Watershed geomorphology and land use can drive the quality and reactivity of DOM. Determining the molecular composition of riverine DOM is essential for understanding its source, mobility and fate across landscapes. In this study, DOM from the main stem of 10 global rivers covering a wide climatic range and land use features was molecularly characterized via ultrahigh-resolution Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). FT-ICR mass spectral data revealed an overall similarity in molecular components among the rivers. However, when focusing specifically on the contributi…