1,721,105 research outputs found
Ecological changes in the Venice lagoon ecosystem over the past 50 years in relation to fishing activity, nutrient enrichment and alien species invasion
No full textLooking for balance: Ecosystem Services and landscape features in the valli da pesca of the Venice lagoon
No full textThe Venice lagoon - the largest Mediterranean coastal lagoon connected to the Adriatic Sea – comprises a set of 30 “valli da pesca ”, sort of artificial ecosystems that mime the ecological processes of a transitional water environment through the management of water flows and landscape arrangement. Born centuries ago to maximize provisioning Ecosystem Services (ESs), such as fishing and hunting, the valli da pesca today represent an important element within the context of the lagoon conservation. In order to analyze the role played and the effects of different management strategies, nine ESs (climate regulation, water purification, lifecycle support, aquaculture, hunting, edible plants & honey, tourism, information for cognitive development, and birdwatching) have been analyzed along with landscape indicators. We found that different management conditions influence the landscape pattern so much so the valli da pesca that maximize the same ES appear to have similar landscape indicators (e.g., landscape heterogeneity, land and water ratio, saltmarshes and land ratio, and freshwater and brackish water ratio). Moreover, the comparison between managed and non-managed valli da pesca highlights the importance of the private contribution to the maintenance and conservation, since the abandoned ones show a loss of landscape heterogeneity and provisioning ESs. Nevertheless, the persistence of geographical and morphological connections intrinsic to the very nature of these ecosystems still emerges, if considering the spatial distribution of multiple ESs capacity and flow: indeed, the provisioning ESs which are not taking place in the abandoned valli da pesca seem to be replaced by cultural ones, so that the total ESs capacity and the total flow among all the areas appear to be balanced in depicting their contribution to human wellbeing. The results are discussed considering the relevance to the ecosystem-based management of the Venice lagoon and considering the effects of private land conservation both on ESs and landscape features
The paradoxical need for human intervention in the conservation of natural environments in Venice lagoon
No full textThe Venice lagoon—the largest Mediterranean coastal lagoon—is characterized by the presence at its edges of 31 “valli da pesca”, types of artificial ecosystems that mime the ecological processes of a transitional aquatic ecosystem. Constituted by a series of regulated lakes bounded by artificial embankments, the valli da pesca were established centuries ago to maximize provisioning Ecosystem Services (ESs), such as fishing and hunting. As time passed, the valli da pesca underwent an intentional isolation process leading to private management. Nonetheless, the valli da pesca are still exchanging energy and matter with the “open’ lagoon and today represent an essential element within the context of lagoon conservation. This study aimed to analyze the possible effects of artificial management on both ESs supply and landscape arrangements by assessing 9 ESs (climate regulation, water purification, lifecycle support, aquaculture, waterfowl hunting, wild food, tourism, information for cognitive development, and birdwatching), along with eight landscape indicators. Obtained results suggested that the valli da pesca are today ruled under five different management strategies, according to the maximized ES. Management conditions influence the landscape pattern and achieve a series of “side effects” on the other ESs. The comparison between the managed and abandoned valli da pesca highlights the importance of anthropogenic interventions for conserving these ecosystems, as the abandoned valli da pesca show a loss of ecological gradients, landscape heterogeneity, and provisioning ESs. Nevertheless, the persistence of intrinsic geographical and morphological characteristics still prevails regardless of intentional landscape molding. The result is that the provisioning ESs capacity per unit area is higher in the abandoned valli da pesca than in the open lagoon, emphasizing the importance of these confined areas of the lagoon ecosystem. Considering the spatial distribution of multiple ESs, the provisioning ESs flow that does not occur in the abandoned valli da pesca seems to be replaced by the flow of cultural ESs. Thus, the ESs spatial pattern highlights a balancing effect between different ESs categories. The results are discussed considering the trade-offs generated by private land conservation, anthropogenic interventions, and their relevance for the ecosystem-based management of Venice lagoon
Pesca artigianale e gestione della fascia costiera: due tipologie di habitat a confronto
No full textAnalysis and management of multiple ecosystem services within a social-ecological context
Full text linkThe assessment of ecosystem services (ESS) requires approaches that are capable to deal with the complexity of social-ecological systems (SES). A new viewpoint is proposed, in which the social-ecological perspective of Ostrom’s SES framework is used to describe the flow of ESS, through the identification of the social and ecological elements involved. Two types of ESS flow emerge from this analysis, depending on the way in which the elements of ESS supply (resource system and resource units) and demand (actors) interact: (i) a “direct flow type” in which the resource units deliver the ESS through some specific ecological functions (e.g. wetlands providing carbon sequestration), and (ii) a “mediated flow type” in which the resource units become themselves the ESS when “used” by means of human activities (e.g. fish harvested through fishing activities). The identification of activities is crucial to understand the interactions between ESS, because of the feedbacks they produce on the ecosystem functioning and thus on the provision of the same or other ESS. In addition, these feedbacks can depend on temporal aspects of ESS provision. On these regards, a hypothesis is proposed according to which a time lag can exist between the ESS supply-side and flow in human-modified SES. Altogether, this social-ecological analysis of ESS can contribute to focus the management strategies on the control of impacting activities and on the maintenance of those processes which underpin ESS’ provision, thus contributing to the implementation of an ecosystem-based management of SES. These aspects are discussed in the light of the Venice lagoon example.The assessment of ecosystem services (ESS) requires approaches that are capable to deal with the complexity of social-ecological systems (SES). A new viewpoint is proposed, in which the social-ecological perspective of Ostrom's SES framework is used to describe the flow of ESS, through the identification of the social and ecological elements involved. Two types of ESS flow emerge from this analysis, depending on the way in which the elements of ESS supply (resource system and resource units) and demand (actors) interact: (i) a "direct flow type" in which the resource units deliver the ESS through some specific ecological functions (e.g. wetlands providing carbon sequestration), and (ii) a "mediated flow type" in which the resource units become themselves the ESS when "used" by means of human activities (e.g. fish harvested through fishing activities). The identification of activities is crucial to understand the interactions between ESS, because of the feedbacks they produce on the ecosystem functioning and thus on the provision of the same or other ESS. In addition, these feedbacks can depend on temporal aspects of ESS provision. On these regards, a hypothesis is proposed according to which a time lag can exist between the ESS supply-side and flow in human-modified SES. Altogether, this social-ecological analysis of ESS can contribute to focus the management strategies on the control of impacting activities and on the maintenance of those processes which underpin ESS' provision, thus contributing to the implementation of an ecosystem-based management of SES. These aspects are discussed in the light of the Venice lagoon example. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Vulnerabilità della piccola pesca costiera del nord Adriatico ai cambiamenti climatici
No full textWithin the context of global warming, the western coast of the northern Adriatic Sea can be regarded as an extremely vulnerable area. By analysing the composition of landings from small-scale fisheries in terms of thermal affinity groups, we highlighted the potential vulnerability of these activities, being catches mainly composed by cold and temperate affinity species
Sustainable Campus in a Historical Town: The “Ca’ Foscari University of Venice” Case Study
No full textVenice is a place of strong contrasts and contradictions. Depending on the point
of view, Venice can be described as an example of sustainability, in terms of the
presence of an urban tissue co-evolved with surrounding lagoon, or of
unsustainable exploitation, e.g. hosting millions of tourists per year in spite of
an extremely fragile tissue. Within this context, what is the University role, if
any, and what does it mean sustainable Campus? Being located in a very ancient
town, the Campus is necessarily spread across the town, with almost 30 venues,
often hosted in historical buildings, some old of centuries. Since 2010,
Ca’ Foscari assumed Sustainability as one of the pillar of its developing strategy
for the future, directly assuming it in the Statute. In that year, indeed, the
Sustainable Ca’ Foscari project was inaugurated, aiming to include sustainability
as a guiding principle for all University activities. The sustainability program is
based on two different mainstreams, considering both the top-down and the
bottom-up approaches. On one side, the work on structures and infrastructures,
on the other, the involvement of both people living the Campus and constituting
the University community, and those living outside it, that is Venetian society.
In this paper, a description of the main activities and their possible effects on the
city is reporte
Vulnerability of the Northern Adriatic Sea Fishery to Climate Change
No full textWithin the context of marine environments, nekton assemblages are recognised to provide several kinds of ecosystem services, both fundamental and demand–derived. They contribute, indeed, to enhance the biodiversity, the ecological processes and
finally the system resilience. They also directly support the production of goods, such as in the case of renewable resources exploited by commercial fisheries. The problem of the impacts of climate change on this component of marine ecosystems,
with the related consequences on ecosystem services, becomes therefore an interesting issue. In this context, the northern Adriatic Sea, hosting several species adapted to boreal climatic conditions, can be considered a good case study. By
analysing the composition of landings from fisheries in terms of thermal affinity groups, we highlighted the potential vulnerability of these activities. Catches, indeed, were shown to be mainly composed of cold and temperate affinity species, whereas
the contribution of warm ones resulted very low. Given the significant negative relationships between the cold and temperate groups with the recorded variations of the thermal regime and the latest projections by the IPCC in terms of ocean temperature raise, fishing activities, both professional and recreational, can be expected to experience severe consequences
Exploring the interplay of landscape changes and ecosystem services maximization in man-managed lagoon areas
No full textCoastal lagoons have long been subject to continuous changes caused by mutual interactions with human activities. Monitoring such changes becomes critical, particularly when modifications in landscape and land cover classes can affect their capacity to ensure Ecosystem Services (ESs). In the Venice lagoon, some confined areas called “valli da pesca” supply provisioning ESs, namely aquaculture and hunting, but also other ESs important for the entire lagoon, such as regulating and cultural ones. Being heavily modified ecosystems under human control, valli da pesca underwent considerable morphological evolution depending on the maximized ES and the applied management. Using remote sensing data from different sources, we reconstructed changes in land cover and landscape elements in valli da pesca over the last century. By calculating landscape indicators related to land, saltmarshes, and water, we found that landscape features were initially similar for all the valli da pesca. Then, a process began between 1975 and 1987, in which management devoted to maximizing different ESs shaped the land cover in specific patterns. This study confirms the importance of these areas in the context of the entire lagoon and suggests the need to monitor their land cover changes to avoid the depletion of their capacity to conserve landscape elements and the related ESs. In this task, remote sensing data represents an important source of historical data that can deepen the knowledge about human-Nature interactions, capable of tracing the landscape evolution and the dynamics in the ESs supply as responses to human interventions
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