1,720,971 research outputs found
Cropland vs Forests: Landscape Composition and Land-use changes in Peri-urban Rome (1949-2008)
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A Diachronic Classification of Peri-urban Forest Land Based on Vulnerability to Desertification
No full textLand vulnerable to desertification increased in the Mediterranean basin since World War II due
to several interacting factors including climate variations, land-use changes and growing human pressure. It
was hypothesized that the increase in the level of land vulnerability is not distributed homogeneously over
time and space while impacting preferentially landscapes surrounding large urban agglomerations. This
hypothesis was tested diachronically (1960-2010) in the peri-urban area of Rome (Central Italy) to clarify
how different factors causing land vulnerability to desertification impact a fragile landscape close to the city
with one of the largest coastal forest in Italy. Four partial indicators (climate quality, soil quality, vegetation
quality, land management quality) developed within the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) framework and
measuring the level of land vulnerability have been calculated at a detailed spatial scale. The highest growth rate
in land vulnerability has been observed in cropland while coastal woodlands showed a relatively high and
stable land quality over time. Conservation strategies of relict forest ecosystems considered as ‘buffer zones’
contrasting land degradation processes are particularly important in Mediterranean peri-urban regions
What Type of Soil Was Consumed in the Metropolis of the Mediterranean Area? Land Quality and the Forms of Urbanization
No full textMediterranean European cities have undergone a transition from compact growth to a more discontinuous and dispersed spatial pattern during the last decades. It is characterized by the irregular expansion of low-density settlements. In many urban areas, the expansion of compact settlements first consumed low-quality soils and moderately degraded landscapes (pastures, abandoned fields and low-intensity agricultural areas) bordering large cities. Also, a progressive increase of the consumption of fertile and in good environmental condition agricultural land has been observed, more and more distant from the urban nuclei, as a result of the sprawl not only causing the fragmentation of natural ecosystems and semi-natural, but also deteriorating the productive capacity and potential of the agrosystems, and the esthetical value of the rural landscape. Representing these dynamics a serious threat to the cohesion and stability of local communities as well as to the quality and diversity of the landscapes. In this chapter, we explore the link that exists between the spread of urbanized soil and the context in which it occurs, investigating how the various forms of urban expansion affect land quality at the metropolitan scale. This exploratory analysis will be treated in the following sub-paragraphs, illustrating the methodology, the study area and the results that emerged
Mediterranean Europe, a Fragile Landscape: Metropolitan Growth and Urban Sprawl
No full textIn addition to having a high degree of freedom and self-organization, the Mediterranean city has been outlined as the place where a high degree of spatial, cultural, but also institutional disorder is achieved. The city is sometimes read in its many components as represented by a “difficult order to understand”. Therefore, in this chapter, we try to define and describe the main aspects and issues of this fragile landscape. We will discuss the difference between the formation of the metropolis and the settlement disorder, paying attention to some examples from Easter Mediterranean, Italy, Spain, Southern France or Greece. Moreover, the socio-economic structure of Barcelona, Rome and Athens will be used as an example to explain the metropolitan growth and urban sprawl. They appear very different, although they are all located in the Mediterranean basin. Each one has a unique and different territorial configuration and the phenomenon of urban sprawl has adapted differently, following the economic and social connotations of the countries under investigation
Soil sealing footprint as an indicator of dispersed urban growth: a multivariate statistics approach
No full textThe present study introduces a set of indicators derived from high-resolution land-use maps with the aim to illustrate the spatial distribution, intensity, and diversity of sealed soils in a Mediterranean region (Rome, Italy) shifting from a mono-centric spatial organization toward a dispersed urban agglomeration. A multivariate approach provides a comprehensive assessment of Rome ‘sealing footprint’, classifying local districts according to different imperviousness profiles. Results illustrate the rearrangement of the land-use structure determined by suburbanization with higher soil consumption and lower land-use efficiency. The approach is considered a promising tool to inform policies for a spatially balanced and land-saving urban development
Toward a Sustainable Use of Land: Urbanization, Policies and (Mis)Understanding of Degradation Processes
No full textThe structure and composition of the landscape continuously evolve in space and time, influencing the physical, chemical and biological processes of the soil. These influences contribute significantly to the complex interactions between the natural environment and anthropic activities, shaping the characteristics and properties of the lands in various ways (the spatial diversification of the properties of the soil and its compaction are typical examples). In this chapter, land degradation and land quality concepts will be defined and discussed considering the issues that processes represent a threat to the sustainability and production capacity of agricultural activity. In a context in which the economy, society and the environment tend to become increasingly integrated and interconnected dimensions, issues related to sustainable development are becoming increasingly important. For this reason, we also discuss the different policies emitted by the European Union on soil protection. Soil is not subject to a complete and coherent set of rules in the Union. Existing EU policies in areas such as agriculture, water, waste, chemicals and the prevention of industrial pollution contribute indirectly to soil protection. The European Union's agenda for research and innovation policy on nature-based solutions and the renaturalization of cities aims to position the EU as a leader in the process of “innovation with nature”, for more sustainable societies and resilient. Also, the concept of “Nature-Based Solutions” (NBS), which is relatively new and has been introduced to promote nature as a means of providing solutions in mitigation measures and adaptation challenges to climate change was defined. Finally, the case of Italy was analyzed to demonstrate how land degradation processes and land quality can be estimated
An integrated evaluation of soil resource depletion from diachronic settlement maps and soil cartography in peri-urban Rome, Italy
No full textEsplorando la Complessità Urbana. Le implicazioni economiche, sociali e territoriali per una nuova sostenibilità della crisi
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