This paper deals with channel evolution over the past 200 yr in 12 selected streams in northern and central Italy and aims at reconstructing the evolutionary trends (e.g., trends of channel width and bed elevation) and understanding the causes of channel adjustments. The selected streams have been studied using various sources and methods (historical maps, aerial photographs, topographic surveys, and geomorphological surveys). The selected rivers have undergone almost the same processes in terms of temporal trends; however, the magnitude of adjustments varies according to several factors, such as original channel morphology. Initially, river channels underwent a long phase of narrowing (up to 80%) and incision (up to 8–10 m), which started at the end of the nineteenth century and was intense from the 1950s to the 1980s. Then, over the last 15–20 yr, channel widening and sedimentation, or bed-level stabilization, have become the dominant processes in most of the rivers. Different human interventions have been identifi ed as the causes of channel adjustments in Italian rivers (sediment mining, channelization, dams, reforestation, and torrent control works). Such interventions have caused a dramatic alteration of the sediment regime, whereas effects on channel-forming discharges have seldom been observed. Some notable implications for river management and restoration are (1) the state of rivers before major human disturbances and channel adjustments can rarely be taken as a reference, as at present rivers are far from their pristine condition; and (2) sediment management is and will be a key issue in such fl uvial systems

In the mountain region of Aosta Valley, NW Italy, grapevine were, in the past, traditionally grown on terraces supported by dry stone walls. Since the 1960s, terrace systems were gradually abandoned in favour of an up and down slope row orientation. Tillage and chemical weeding are common soil management techniques adopted in vineyards with high slope gradient, to maintain bare soil. Both techniques expose, to varying degrees, the soil to degradation, favouring runoff and soil losses. Although many studies have focused on the effects of soil water erosion in vineyards, there is still a gap in the evaluation of long‐term soil erosion rates in vineyards located on very steep slopes (higher than 35%). In order to evaluate long‐term soil erosion on a very steep vineyard, a study was carried out on a 44‐year‐old vineyard located at about 900 m asl. The vine rows were oriented up and down the slope, which is about 50% (29°). The inter‐row soil management of the vineyard included chemical weeding and, in the first year after plantation, the adoption of irrigation and hilling‐up/taking‐out the soil around the vines. The soil loss was determined adopting the technique of botanical benchmark. According to this methodology, the estimated total soil lost over 44 years was about 692 Mg ha−1, with average annual soil loss of 15·7 Mg ha−1 year−1, confirming that the water and management practices adopted in the vineyard, besides the high slope gradient, have played a relevant role in determining the high erosion rate. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A National Research Council, Research Institute for Hydrogeological Protection (IRPI) study on Italian monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage List has revealed that many are affected by geological, geomorphological, and engineering geological problems. These monuments are static entities set in an environment that often manifests highly dynamic processes. As part of the efforts to protect sites of cultural and natural heritage, this study has applied a preliminary and empirical Geographical Information System-based method developed to characterize the environmental hazards at the sites where the monuments are located. Because the study of hydrogeological degradation falls within the province of IRPI, this hazard zoning focuses on river and mountain slope dynamics specifically concerning landslides and floods.

Abstract. Flood processes and effects are examined, concerning two rivers in an urbanized area in North-Western Italy (Piedmont -Cuneo Plain). In May 2008, some areas in Northern Italy were struck by intense and persistent rainfall. In the Cuneo province (Southern Piedmont), floodplain with some urban areas was inundated over ca. ten square kilometres, and the city of Savigliano (about 21 000 inhabitants) was particularly hit by flood. A purposely-made historical research has evidenced approximately fifty flood events as having occurred since 1350 in the Savigliano area. Based upon historical data, both documents and maps, GIS (Geographical Information System) technique and field surveys were used to quantitatively assess the growing urbanization of the city and to describe flood processes and effects over years. This work aims to describe the dynamic behaviour of the 2008 flood, also comparing it to past events, in particular those that occurred in 1896. It is emphasized how the knowledge of past events can be helpful in reducing urban flooding.