Land set-up systems in Italy: A long tradition of soil and water conservation sewed up to a variety of pedo-climatic environments

Abstract

Land set-up systems in Italy were and, in a few cases, still are integral parts of agricultural landscapes. The soils of Italy mirror a wide variety of climates and morphologies and derive from a great diversity of parent materials influenced by different soil temperature and moisture regimes. Furthermore, their development was influenced by several anthropogenic activities over time including land settings. Land set-up systems have been widely used throughout the Italian soilscape to regulate surface and underground water and to improve the physical soil features in a way that ensures mixed herbaceous and tree-crops cultivation. In recent times, new technologies have been introduced in agroforestry exploitation of the land, while the ancient but tested hydraulic soil systems have been abandoned. As a result, a great part of Italian soilscapes is prone to water erosion and floods, an unforeseen impact, which can be counterbalanced by good soil management practices. Moreover, new pedotechniques have been recently adopted, transforming soils and landscapes, but generating sometimes soil degradation issues. After presenting the main features characterizing Italian soils and landscapes, we describe all the historical land set-up systems adopted over time, highlighting their positive functions in terms of both soil conservation and agricultural production. We also emphasise the importance of maintaining such land settings both as distinctive parts of cultural landscapes and strategies of soil conservation, and the need of developing new systems based on the principles of environmental sustainability.

Biofertilisation with a consortium of growth‐promoting bacterial strains improves the nutritional status of wheat grain under control, drought, and salinity stress conditions

“…Especially since the physiological demand for nutrient uptake under stress conditions can be greater than needed for high yield (Haneklaus et al, 2018). Moreover, the presence of adequate calcium ions in the soils in southern Italy, where lands are covered by carbonate and calcareous soils (Lo Papa et al, 2020), can alter the balance in adsorption between potassium and sodium ions under stress conditions in favour of potassium, and finally improve the accumulation of potassium, calcium, and nitrogen in the plants (Tuna et al, 2007).…”

The Evolution of Historic Agroforestry Landscape in the Northern Apennines (Italy) and Its Consequences for Slope Geomorphic Processes

“…Italy is among the European countries most affected by the natural hazard of slope instability, which leads to an increased risk of landslides [34]. In Northern and Central Italy, agroforestry was widespread in the past [35] but survives only in a few areas in the form of relics. The Italian term coltura promiscua indicates the typical association of trees, vines and arable crops.…”

Interpolating climate variables by using INLA and the SPDE approach

“…The country is characterized by a narrow and long shape of about 7500 km of coast line which extends into the Mediterranean sea, two large mountain systems (the Alps to the north, and the Apennines which run northwest to south along the country), a large plain (the Po Valley with a surface of 46,000 km 2 ) and two major islands (Sicily and Sardinia). This complex morphology leads to variegated and contrasted climate regimes (from warm temperate with dry summer to polar) which strongly influences the variability of soil moisture and temperature (Lo Papa et al, 2020).…”