A decision-support system in ICZM for protecting the ecosystems: integration with the habitat directive

Abstract

This paper describes a decision-support system based on landscape ecology and focused on the study of ecosystems' health. System capabilities are illustrated with three cases of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM), in the Adriatic Sea (Italy): the lagoon of Venice and the Rimini and Ancona coastal areas. Indicators and indices are developed with a focus on sub-regional and local problems in coastal management, with a multi-scale approach based on landscape and seascape ecology. Land-use changes of the coastal areas were detected by analyzing two sets of satellite images. Indices combining satellite imagery, socio-economic and environmental indicators, and landscape and seascape maps were created, showing ecological changes, habitat loss and gaps in conservation policy. The approach used provides means for the identification of conflicts and for the assessment of sustainability. Results show that the lagoon of Venice plays an important role in mitigating and compensating the impacts of human activities, and needs to be protected and restored. The Rimini area shows high ecological footprint and development-intensity and low biocapacity. The Ancona area needs the protection of its natural coastal space from potential sources of anthropogenic impacts to maintain its sustainability. A model of environment changes is critical for formulating effective environmental policies and management strategies. The developed decision-support system provides a suitability map per each area analyzed, which can be used in order to maximize different policy objectives and reduce coastal conflicts.

Impacts of environmental factors on seed germination and seedling emergence of white clover (Trifolium repens L.)

“…Seed germination and seedling establishment are the most vulnerable plant growth stages to salinity stress (Munns and Tester, 2008; Masood et al, 2018). Salinity stress can cause a series of harmful events including ionic imbalances, nutritional imbalances, and excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (Parihar et al, 2015; Yadav et al, 2011). Moreover, the overaccumulation of Cl − and Na + can induce osmotic stress and reduce water uptake, resulting in physiological drought (Cheng et al, 2018; Munns and Tester, 2008).…”

From coastal management to environmental management: The sustainable eco-tourism program for the mid-western coast of Sardinia (Italy)

“…Studying the territory allowed the development of a series of alphanumerical matrices in GIS format, so as to represent the various types of land covering and their relative representativeness, within the physiographic unit and in absolute terms, within the whole territory in question (Guisan and Zimmermann, 2000). The GIS is a useful aid to interpreting the environmental variables when making decisions (Geneletti, 2004;Ioppolo et al, 2012;Marotta et al, 2011;Pernice et al, 2004). Moreover, according to Parravicini et al (2012) understanding the relationships between multiple human pressures and the status of ecosystems is crucial to develop spatial plans whose main goal is the cartographic visualization of the results of different management alternatives (Douvere, 2008).…”

A Framework for Sustainable Land Planning in ICZM: Cellular Automata Simulation and Landscape Ecology Metrics

“…In Table 1 we compare the ICZM Methodology of Marotta et al . [ 18 ] with the EEA DPSIR Framework [ 17 ] using three macro-steps.…”