169,963 research outputs found
European software tools for mapping Wildland Urban Interfaces in the Mediterranean context
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Soil carbon stocks and fluxes
No full textThe aim of this chapter was to quantify the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in the top 30 cm of mineral soil for the whole Italian territory, according to the different land use types of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cropland category (arable land, agroforestry, vineyards, olive groves, orchards and rice fields), as a basis for future land use scenarios and to address mitigation policy at country level. Besides, two independent studies addressing the current status and the future trends of SOC for the whole cropland category at regional level were reported. The subdivision of the cropland category into classes is functional to assess the impacts on the SOC stock due to land use changes from and to agricultural uses, providing the starting or ending point scenario. The differences emphasized for the soils of a subcategory under the different types of climate can be possibly used for future-oriented agricultural practices. The comparison of the total mean values of the different cropland subcategories shows significant differences in the SOC stock. Considering the year 2000 and applying to each subcategory area the specific average SOC stock value found in this study, the total amount of C stored in the upper 30 cm of the whole cropland category results to be 516.3 ± 156.9 Tg C. This amount represents about 17 % of the total SOC estimated for the top 50 cm of soils of total surface of Italy, which reports about 2,900 Tg C, thus indicating the importance to preserve the large amount of SOC stored in cropland category. In conclusion, given the few estimates available at European level, repeated SOC inventories aimed to define the SOC content in cropland soils are important for future stock change evaluatio
Use of Heavy Metals Contaminated Industrial Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) for Bioenergy Production
No full textWorldwide human-related activities have caused the heavy metals contamination of large areas. Nowadays, different soil remediation activities are undertaken to ameliorate contaminated soils. Among the various soil reclamation technologies, phytoremediation is considered one of the most cost-effective and eco-friendly practices, where the use of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has shown promising remediation potential. However, the proper management, disposal or valorization of the contaminated biomass represents a key point for the sustainability of the entire remediation process. This study aims to assess and evaluate the energy and environmental burdens of using heavy metals contaminated industrial hemp for bioenergy production. Specifically, the cumulative energy demand and climate change impact categories were selected from the life cycle assessment methodology. The data sample comes from real heavy metals contaminated sites, located in Sardinia (Italy), which have been subjected to soil reclamation by growing industrial hemp. The energy and environmental impacts of using the contaminated biomass as an energy resource were then modeled from a “field to wire” approach. The designed scenario analyzed the processes associated with field level, transportation, combustion of the contaminated biomass in a power plant and ash disposal. The results obtained underlined that the field level represents the main impacting process, while the electricity produced from the contaminated biomass allowed to save about 32 GJ ha−1 of primary energy while avoiding emissions of 642 kg CO2e per phytoremediated hectare. The study highlights that the use of heavy metals contaminated biomass for bioenergy production, improved the sustainability of soil reclamation activities turning unproductive lands into productive areas
An operational diagnostic chain, implemented within the Proterina –C project, to include weather measures in RISICO model
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Physiological responses of cork oak and holm oak to infection by fungal pathogens involved in oak decline
No full textThe aim of this research was to study the changes in net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance values in 3-year-old cork oak and holm oak seedlings growing in natural conditions and inoculated with Apiognomonia quercina, Biscogniauxia mediterranea, Botryosphaeria corticola and Pleurophoma cava. Throughout the 4-month experimental period, the evolution of visual external symptoms and the values of physiological variables were periodically recorded. All pathogens caused stem lesions around the infection point; however, the lesions caused by B. corticola were longer in both oak species. On cork oak seedlings, all pathogens induced a significant and gradual reduction in net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance values, whereas other physiological disturbances were induced only by B. corticola infections on holm oak seedlings
A detailed description of flowering stages in olive tree in relation to side tree crown exposure
No full textImpact of drought and increasing temperatures on soil CO2 emissions in a Mediterranean shrubland (gariga)
No full textIn arid and semiarid shrubland ecosystems of the Mediterranean basin, soil moisture is a key factor controlling biogeochemical cycles and the release of CO2 via soil respiration. This is influenced by increasing temperatures. We manipulated the microclimate in a Mediterranean shrubland to increase the soil and air night-time temperatures and to reduce water input from precipitation. The objective was to analyze the extent to which higher temperatures and a drier climate influence soil CO2 emissions in the short term and on an annual basis. The microclimate was manipulated in field plots (about 25 m2) by covering the vegetation during the night (Warming treatment) and during rain events (Drought treatment). Soil CO2 effluxes were monitored in the treatments and compared to a control over a 3-year period. Along with soil respiration measurements, we recorded soil temperature at 5 cm depth by a soil temperature probe. The seasonal pattern of soil CO2 efflux was characterized by higher rates during the wet vegetative season and lower rates during the dry non-vegetative season (summer). The Warming treatment did not change SR fluxes at any sampling date. The Drought treatment decreased soil CO2 emissions on only three of 10 occasions during 2004. The variation of soil respiration with temperature and soil water content did not differ significantly among the treatments, but was affected by the season. The annual CO2 emissions were not significantly affected by the treatments. In the semi-arid Mediterranean shrubland, an increase of soil CO2 efflux in response to a moderate increase of daily minimum temperature is unlikely, whereas less precipitation can strongly affect the soil processes mainly limited by water availability
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