Search results for "Land use"

From pedologic indications to archaeological reconstruction: deciphering land use in the Islamic period in the Baida district (north-western Sicily)

2013

Abstract The aim of this work was to detect imprints on soil properties from former Islamic land use (9th to 11th century) using a multi-method, soil-chemical approach. Four soil profiles (with buried horizons) found in the vicinities of former Islamic settlements in Sicily were analysed for phosphorus (total, organic and inorganic), nitrogen (total, NO 3 − and NH 4 + ), carbon compounds (δ 13 C, lipids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and functional groups), physical and chemical C-fractions and the state of soil weathering. Two soil profiles contained ceramic sherds from the Islamic period. Inorganic nitrogen forms, phosphorous and the PAH content indicated strong impacts from trad…

Hidden information within series of measurements ? four examples from atmospheric science

1985

Whether in classical networks such as meteorological networks of in more recent ones of atmospheric chemistry, a wealth of data is at hand. These data have been evaluated in a manner depending on the purpose of the network. However, much more information is hidden in these time series and waits for discovery. Only the imagination of scientists is needed. Four examples are given which lead to new information about the atmospheric aerosol and the behaviour of the atmosphere. These examples are: “Atmospheric turbidity from sunshine recordings”, “Meteorological drainage area from the variance of observations”, “Location of point sources from air mass trajectories”, and “Total vertical ozone fro…

2011

Abstract. This paper describes the background, instrumentation, goals, and the regional influences on the HUMPPA-COPEC intensive field measurement campaign, conducted at the Boreal forest research station SMEAR II (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relation) in Hyytiälä, Finland from 12 July–12 August 2010. The prevailing meteorological conditions during the campaign are examined and contrasted with those of the past six years. Back trajectory analyses show that meteorological conditions at the site in 2010 were characterized by a higher proportion of southerly flow than in the other years studied. As a result the summer of 2010 was anomalously warm and high in ozone making the cam…

The Influence of Land Surface Temperature in Evapotranspiration Estimated by the S-SEBI Model

2020

Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the least understood components of the hydrological cycle. Its applications are varied, from agricultural, ecological and hydrological monitoring, to control of the evolution of climate change. The goal of this work was to analyze the influence that uncertainties in the estimate of land surface temperature (Ts) can cause on ET estimates by S-SEBI model in the Pampa biome area. Also, the specificities of native grassland of Pampa biome related to energy balance were analyzed. The results indicate that the daily evapotranspiration is higher when the pixel Ts is lower, which also shows the influence of land use on the variability of ET. The results demonstrate…

Integration of fuzzy logic and image analysis for the detection of gullies in the Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory using airborne LiDAR data

2017

Abstract The entire Piedmont of the Southeastern United States, where the Calhoun Critical Zone Observatory (CCZO) is located, experienced one of the most severe erosive events of the last two centuries. Forested areas were cleared to cultivate cotton, tobacco, and other crops during the nineteenth and early twentieth century and these land use changes, together with intense rainfalls, initiated deep gullying. An accurate mapping of these landforms is important since, despite some gully stabilization and reforestation efforts, gullies are still major contributors of sediment to streams. Mapping gullies in the CCZO area is hindered by the presence of dense canopy, which precludes the identif…

Diachronic Analysis of Beech Forest in the Nebrodi Park (Northern Sicily)

2017

A comparison between the current surface of Beech forest in the Nebrodi Park (Northern Sicily) with the measurements performed in the past is here reported. 12.854 hectares of Beech forest were recognized against 10.336 hectares of 1959 with a percentage increase of 24.37%. The increase of forest is mainly due at the change of land use through a better forest management and grazing.

Cropland and grassland management

2014

According to the latest National Inventory, the Italian agricultural sector is a source of GHGs with 34.5 Mt of CO2 eq in 2009, corresponding to 7 % of the total emissions (excluding LULUCF). In particular, more than half (19.1 Mt of CO2 eq) are N2O emissions from soils. Although the national methodology is in accordance with Tier 1 and 2 approaches proposed by the IPCC (2006), still empirical emission factors are used to assess the emission from fertilizer (e.g. 0.0125 kg N2O–N kg−1 N from synthetic fertilizers). Disaggregated data at sub-national level, including models and inventory measurement systems required by higher order methods (i.e. Tier 3), are not available in Italy so far and …

Differences in mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) biodiversity across varying climates and land-use categories in Eastern Spain

2011

Intensive larval samplings of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) were carried out between 2005 and 2008 in several biotopes located in a varying climate region in Eastern Spain. The biodiversity was analyzed and divided into alpha, beta and gamma components with the aim of comparing the mosquito biodiversity according to the different structure of the landscape due to the incidence of climatic and anthropic patterns. Likewise the synanthropic index of Nuorteva was calculated for each species. A total of 11,279 mosquitoes belonging to 29 species was collected and identified. Mosquito biodiversity is higher in the wettest and nonanthropized areas. Using a cluster analysis, all this information w…

BOTANICAL CONTRIBUTION TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL LAND EVALUATION IN THE FP7 MEMOLA PROJECT

2014

Soil carbon and soil physical properties under land use change in a protected area of Sicily

2010

This work investigated the role of land cover and land use change as a soil’s ability to store carbon and reduce carbon dioxide emission in a Mediterranean area. Using both historic records and land cover crop maps we estimated the effect of land cover change on the carbon stock from 1972 to 2008 in a natural reserve (Grotta di S. Ninfa) in the West of Sicily. Five paired sites in different soil types were selected and five land use classes (arable land, vineyard, olivegrove, gariga, eucalyptus afforestation) were analyzed. We studied the effect of land use on soil organic carbon (SOC) content in bulk soil and 1000-2000 m, 500-1000 m, 250-500 m, 63-250 m, 25-63 m and <25 m size fractions. F…