71 research outputs found
Old and New. Delving into the Origins of Collectivization
No full textSoviet experiences played an important part in the broader international debate on rural planning throughout
the early decades of the twentieth century. In this respect, the competition for the Green City of Moscow and the
project for new forms of human habitat in the Urals by M. Ginzburg and the OSA group (Sverdlovsk, Magnitogorsk and Chelyabinsk, 1926-32) –much too often labelled as “utopian” by architectural historians– deserve due reconsideration (Meriggi, 2009).
Based on research begun with MA (Kravchenko, 2019; Meriggi, 2019) and PhD students (Batunova, 2017), this paper
focuses on Verblyud, Gigant and other collective villages of the Salsk steppes, taking us to the origins of collectivization and epitomizing the 1920s and 1930s Soviet planning theory and practice.
Underpinning aspects include, firstly, the land: its population and settlement patterns before and during the modernization process. Secondly, the actual extensions of each production unit and the ratio between the number
of farmers and arable land. Finally, we cannot but venture a tentative understanding of the hierarchy of new rural settlements – some acting as sovkhoz headquarters, others as smaller kolkhozy and communes.
What follows is an attempt to piece together a heterogeneous set of information with the help of historical maps, building on a methodology in use by the author since 2000 for studying Soviet avantgarde projects performed by iteratively cross-checking bibliographic sources, visual documentation, cartographic selection, interpretation, and elaboration. Historical maps became a tool to contextualize the projects’ actual impact on the places concerned.
In the case of the Salsk steppes, the key research output is a map showing the evolution of the main settlements from the early1920s until the late 1930s. Two sources have guided our work: the economic geographer Nikolay Baranskij (1956a), and Eisenstein’s documentary film Staroe i novoe (Old and New), depicting the situation ex ante, the political terms of collectivization and its protagonists. In addition, this contribution is mainly based on Russian sources, maps, journals, books and reports dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, as well as recent scholarly works.
This contribution expands the research carried out at Politecnico di Milano on sovkhoz-heritage sites near Zernograd
(lit. “city of grain”), the former Verblyud (lit. “camel”), whose populations, like that of many other medium size towns in the Rostov Region have both been shrinking (Meriggi, 2019).
This paper examines four rural areas and settlements along the Rostov-Salsk railway line: the Tselinskij rayon (Tselina District, former Zapadno-Konnozavodcheskiy rayon), 1922–6; the Stalin kolkhoz (originally the Sejatel’ Commune), 1930s to 1950s; the Gigant zernosovkhoz no.1 (Gigant State Grain Farm), 1928¦; and the Uchebno-opytnnyj zernosovkhoz no.2 (Educational-Experimental State Grain Farm, originally named Verblyud), 1929. It argues that, from the early 1920s to the late 1950s, the Salsk District became a testing ground for early Soviet rural planning and
architecture
Selection of wild ungulates by wolves Canis lupus (L. 1758) in an area of the Northern Apennines (North Italy)
No full textWe investigated the patterns of wild ungulate selection by wolves in an 860 km 2 study area of the Northern Apennines (North Italy), in order to detect seasonal variation in wolf diet and changes of feeding habits in relation to the increased abundance of wild ungulates. From June 2007 to May 2008 we collected wolf scats and recorded the signs of presence of wild ungulate species along 25 transects, representative of the different habitat types within the study area. We analysed the scats to identify the main food items used by wolves in each season and we compared the proportions of biomass of wild ungulate species in the diet (use) to those calculated from the signs of presence (availability). We recorded significant seasonal changes in wolf feeding habits, but the main food items were wild ungulates, mainly wild boars, and medium-sized mammals. Livestock (sheep, goats, and calves) were used only in summer and early autumn, during the grazing period, in small quantities. Comparing the current diet of wolves to that recorded in the past in the same study area highlighted significant differences for wild ungulates and livestock, the former being more used nowadays and the latter less. Our study showed that, in the Northern Apennines, the feeding behaviour of wolves has evolved towards a greater use of wild prey, so reducing the impact on livestock and consequently wolf-human conflicts. Moreover, predation by wolves was directed towards the most abundant species of wild ungulates. © 2012 Copyright 2011 Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica dell'Università, Firenze, Italia
Impact of Wolf on livestock in Northern Italy and prediction of predation risk
No full textMortality due to illegal killing by humans is still today one of the main risk factors for the wolf (Canis lupus) and the effective management of conflict between wolves and livestock breeding is a great concern for species conservation. We assessed the impact of wolf on livestock in an area of Northern Apennines analyzing data provided by the Provincial Administration of Piacenza and additional data directly collected through interviews to farmers during the period 2005-2012. We recorded : i) the number of farms that have suffered predation (classified by : livestock species, productive orientation, rearing method, level of surveillance and preventive methods), ii) the number of predation events and the number of preyed animals. The effects of management factors were evaluated by Likelihood Ratio (exact test with permutation) as regard the frequencies of predation and by Multifactorial Analysis of Variance as regard the average number of heads preyed upon for each event of predation. By Regression and Curve-fit Analyses we evaluated the relationships between the number of predation events and of the number of animals preyed and 21 variables characterizing the grazing areas. Then we formulated a predictive model of the predation probability,
through a forward stepwise Binary Logistic Regression Analysis with pasture characteristics as predictors. Livestock species, productive orientation, rearing and preventive methods resulted the most important factors affecting the frequency of predation events and the number of preyed animals. The average number of preyed heads per event increased during the study period and was greater for sheep than other species. The number of predation events showed significant
relationship with the pasture slope, the percentage of mixed deciduous forest, the percentage of total deciduous forest and the distance from villages. The number of preyed animals was significantly related with the pasture exposure and with the percentage of mixed deciduous forests.
In the model of predation risk entered the rearing methods, the shape index and the percentage of coniferous forest cover, both with a negative effect on the predation probability, whereas exposure
had a positive effect. 33.3% of the pastures resulted at low predation risk (Probability of predation = 0.0 - 0.3), 4.2% at medium predation risk (Probability of predation = 0.3 - 0.6), and 62.5% at high
predation risk (Probability of predation > 0.6). Overall, 64.6% of the pastures were potentially at risk of predation (Probability of predation > 0.5)
Wolf habitat suitability in an area of Northern Apennines : a multimodel approach
No full textThe Italian wolf population was near to the extinction at the beginning of the seventies of the past century, owing to indiscriminate hunting and poisoning. In 1972 the wolf was named protected species and since this moment the recolonization of the Italian Peninsula has begun, starting
from the remaining part of the range in Southern and Central Italy and reaching the Northern Apennines (N-Italy) during the eighties. This study was aimed to individuate suitable areas for wolves in the provinces of Pavia and Piacenza, that include a trait of the Apennines chain that
links the more extended wolf areas in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany to those of Liguria and Western Alps and where wolves suffer a high mortality due to illegal killings and accidents. From August 2011 to August 2012 we searched for wolf and wild ungulate signs of presence on 25 transect (total length 168 km) covered once a season and randomly located in an 860 km2 study area. We split the study area in 4-km2 cells by a grid spaced of 2 km and in each cell we measured the variables concerning altimetry, exposure, slope, and land use. We classified the cells crossed by transects as presence cells if wolf signs were found at least in a season and absence ones if no signs were found. We formulated habitat suitability models following an approach use vs.
availability by Binary Logistic Regression Analysis (BLRA), Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) and Maximum Entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) and by comparing presence cells with an equal number of randomly selected ones. Moreover we formulated a habitat suitability model
following an approach presence vs. absence by BLRA, using only the cells crossed by transects and comparing presence cells with absence ones. For the first approach only the environmental variables were used, while for the second we used also the abundance of wild ungulates. We
validated all the models by the K-Fold cross validation and ROC curves. The best model was that resulting from BLRA with presence vs. availability approach, and it was used to create a suitability map for the whole hill and mountainous area of the two provinces (2408 km2). Potential wolf range was 736 km2, i.e. 30.5% of available area. The suitability map can be used to the accomplishment of the actions to awaken public opinion towards the cohabitation with wolves
and to plan the methods and interventions of damage prevention to the animal husbandry, so reducing the conflicts between human activities and wolf presence. Moreover on the basis of the habitat suitability map a network of protected areas can be designed to improve wolf protection
and conservation policy
Design of the out-of-plane strengthening of masonry walls with fabric reinforced cementitious matrix composites
No full textFabric reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites, made of high strength textiles externally bonded with inorganic matrices, experimentally proved effective to enhance the capacity of masonry walls. With the aim of fostering the transfer of knowledge from scientific research to engineering practice, this paper proposes an approach for the design of the out-of-plane flexural strengthening of masonry walls by FRCM systems. The mechanical properties of the reinforcement are derived by combining the results of tensile tests on textile specimens and FRCM-to-substrate shear bond tests. An expression for the preliminary design of the reinforcement is proposed, according to a limit analysis approach, based on tensile and bond strength of FRCM. Whereas, for structural assessment, strain compatibility is enforced, and the bending moment capacity of the reinforced wall is based on FRCM stiffness, tensile and bond strains, consistently with existing building codes. An estimate of the out-of-plane displacement capacity is also developed, which is particularly useful in seismic assessment. A wide experimental database is used to validate theoretical relationships, tune calibration coefficients and derive safety factors, in accordance with the design-by-testing framework of Eurocode 0 for ultimate limit state design
Wolves and wild ungulates in the Ligurian Alps (Western Italy): prey selection and spatial-temporal interactions
No full textWe propose the integration of different noninvasive sampling methods to the study of predator-prey interactions. We analyzed the diet of the wolf (Canis lupus) to point out its elective prey and we investigated its spatial and temporal interactions with prey species from December 2012 to November 2014 in the Ligurian Alps (Southern Alps, Italy). In this area, the wolf is the only large predator, and there is a rich wild ungulate community consisting of four species. Our analyses showed that the most consumed species by wolves were the wild boar (Sus scrofa) and the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). To successfully hunt these species, wolves need to share their spatial range, searching for them in the most suitable habitat types and in the periods of the diel cycle during which they are mainly active. Fallow deer (Dama dama) and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) consumption was low, and wolves showed also relatively low overlap with these species. Our results suggest that wolves might be firstly specialized on wild boar predation, as they showed substantial spatial and temporal overlap with this species, and secondly on roe deer predation, especially during the denning season when they probably take advantage of the presence of fawns
Modeling a Red deer population reintroduced in an area of Northern Apennines (N-Italy)
No full textAt the beginning of the past Century only two remnant populations of red deer (Cervus elaphus) were present in Italy : one in the Eastern Alps (Monastero and Venosta valleys) and the other in the Po Plain near the coast of Adriatic Sea (Mesola Forest). The present Alpine population was originated by immigration from Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia (Central and Eastern Alps) and by reintroductions (Western Alps), whereas in the Apennines red deer was reintroduced since 1960-70. At present Apennine populations are fragmented and isolated even if an increasing trend of density and occupied range was recorded. We monitored from 2002 to 2012 a protected population of red deer reintroduced in late eighties in the hilly and mountainous areas of the Piacenza province (Northern Apennines), in order to detect changes
of population size and range, and to formulate a model of habitat suitability for the prediction of future expansion of population. We carried out counts of roaring males in September of each year and collected systematic observations all year round to define population structure and
reproductive success. We used species locations, to define yearly ranges and core areas by Kernel Analyses (KA) at 99% and 50%, curve fit regression to detect trend of the population and its range, and Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) to model habitat suitability and potential range. For ENFA we subdivided the study area in 4-km2 cells and in each cell we measured the altimetry, exposure, slope, and land use variables; the cells where at least one observation was collected in the study period were considered as presence ones. Finally we carried out Population Viability Analyses (PVA) to predict population trend and to explore the
harvesting possibility. Deer population showed a slow increasing trend (from 4 roaring males in 2002 to 70 in 2012). Only KA50% resulted in a low increasing trend (F=13.78; df=1; P=0.014; R2=0.73). ENFA showed a global marginality of 0.53 and a tolerance of 0.71. The main variables positively related to the marginality were broad-leaved and conifer forests, pastures, East aspect, altitudes from 1000 to 1800 m a.s.l., and slopes between 10° and 30°. The model provided a habitat suitability map that defined a potential red deer range of 580 km2 (22.4% of the Piacenza province). K-Fold cross validation and ROC curves showed a high predictive power of the model (Rho=0. 96; P<0.0001; AUC=0.99; P<0.0001). PVAs showed an increasing trend of the population without harvest from 300 to 900 individuals in 30 years (survival probability=1), an increase with a harvest equal to 5% (from 300 to 825 individuals;
survival probability=0.99), and a stability but with a low survival probability (0.63) with a harvest equal to10%. Red deer is an important big game species and it has a high conservation value being a selected prey by wolves; however if populations reach high densities they can
have a heavy impact on agriculture causing damages in particular on vineyards and orchards. Consequently it is important to maintain populations at sustainable densities by a slight harvesting
Design of the shear strengthening of masonry walls with fabric reinforced cementitious matrix
No full textFabric reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) composites are widely used for retrofitting existing structures, especially in earthquake prone areas. After nearly two decades of scientific studies, experimental evidence proves their effectiveness for enhancing the ultimate strength and displacement capacity of masonry walls. There remains a need to develop design guidelines for use in rehabilitation practice. This paper proposes a method for the design of the shear strengthening of masonry walls with FRCM, and provides the calibration of the partial coefficients for the calculation of the ultimate limit state. The design relationships are validated on the basis of an experimental database that includes 72 tests and are suitable for engineering purposes. The possibility of applying the same design format to the walls strengthened with composite reinforced mortar (CRM) is investigated, by considering 54 additional tests and comparing to FRCM retrofitted ones. Finally, the enhancement of displacement capacity achieved with FRCM and CRM, which is particularly useful for seismic retrofitting, is estimated, and a design value for the ultimate drift capacity is provided
Durability of Steel Reinforced Grout systems subjected to freezing and thawing conditioning.
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