Roberto Fratini

Use of cellular automata in the study of variables involved in land use changes: an application in the wine production sector.

The study of changes in land use has been included lately in territorial processes in order to optimize future management decisions. The different functions that the territory plays (production, aesthetic, and natural functions, etc.) make planning choices more difficult. This work focuses on the selection and combination of a set of indicators to analyze the variables through which the changes occur in the land used in viticulture for wine production. The proposed approach makes use of the Geographic Information System (GIS) in the development of a map of land use scenario. It is applied to a case study through a model involving cellular automata (CA) implemented with maps of suitability for viticulture and Markov chains. The use in this case of the CA is aimed at validating the scenario map in order to deduce the variables and the orientations of the farmers in the field of wine production.

Il valore d’uso delle aree verdi: la stima dell’universo dei fruitori di alcuni parchi urbani fiorentini

The importance of the valuation of public goods is growing. In fact, only by determining the economic value of these assets is possible to determine the efficiency of the investments and of the maintenance. The problems in estimating the total economic value relate to two fundamental aspects: the choice and implementation of the more accurate evaluation methodology and the identification of the universe of users. In literature, in fact, the issue of the universe is often resolved by considering the number of potential users (be they the inhabitants of a city, a neighborhood, a street, etc..) and not the actual visitors. This leads to an underestimation or an overestimation of the use value of public goods. The objective of this research is to focus on this issue by proposing a specific methodological approach to correctly estimate the universe of the actual users of different urban green areas of Florence.

Economic analysis to support the implementation of Directive 60/2000 EC in the context of the plant nurseries of Pistoia (Italy)

La gestione dell’acqua in agricoltura e un tema che interessa da tempo il mondo istituzionale e accademico. In ambito politico, la direttiva 2000/60/CE pone l’accento sulla necessita di mettere in atto, da parte degli Stati membri, adeguate politiche in grado di orientare gli utilizzatori ad una gestione efficiente e sostenibile dell’acqua. In questo contributo verra esaminato un caso di studio particolarmente interessante per quanto riguarda l’uso dell’acqua in agricoltura, ovvero il vivaismo pistoiese. Saranno quindi presentati i risultati relativi all’analisi delle aziende vivaistiche della provincia di Pistoia in merito al loro utilizzo della risorsa idrica. Inoltre sara introdotto il tema delle analisi economiche nella gestione dell’acqua ad uso irriguo e, a tale riguardo, saranno indicati i possibili strumenti per una gestione sostenibile dell’acqua nel vivaismo pistoiese.

The recreational value of forests under different management systems

Forest degradation is a severe threat to the provision of ecosystem services, such as timber production, biodiversity and hydrogeological protection. Forest abandonment is one of the main causes of forest degradation in Mediterranean areas where the low value-added of forest activities affects economic sustainability. This issue requires urgent restoration actions which must be supported by cost–benefit analysis that comprises all forestry activities that generate income, including the recreational ones. In effect, while the impact of forest management systems on timber production is well studied, the impact of recreational values is not. The present article intends to demonstrate that different forms of forest management result in a differing willingness to pay (WTP) for maintaining the recreational use of forests. We collected 248 questionnaires from respondents who confirmed their WTP for the maintenance of the recreational function of forests under three management systems: coppice, active conversion to high forest, and the natural evolution of forests. Moreover, we tested the influence of certain socio-demographic variables on individual WTP. Users elicited a high preference for conversion to high forest, while natural evolution was the least preferred management system. Moreover, males and users with higher levels of education had a greater WTP for conversion to the high forest approach.

Geographical Analysis of Agro-Environmental Measures for Reduction of Chemical Inputs in Tuscany

The agro-environmental policies included in rural development plans are getting increasing importance in European Community strategies. These policies represent the meeting point between demand and supply of positive externalities. The difficulty of assessing real environmental efficiency is one of the elements characterizing agro-environmental measures. This difficulty is related to the identification of suitable parameters for evaluating farms according to their impact on the territory. This impact is mainly related both to chemical inputs and to the territorial characteristics of the farm. Different types of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are currently used in production processes; however, the analysis has focused only on nitrates, as they represent the most critical types of chemicals related to soil pollution. A case study is provided by analysis of agro-environmental measures in Tuscany for the reduction of nitrates in organic and integrated farms. Using spatial multicriteria analysis, integrated and organic farms were classified according to their geographical locations and their release of nitrates into the soil. This classification permits the highlighting of farms that make the greatest economic efforts to reduce pollution and therefore it could determine environmental benefits. Considering that the trend of policy strategies is toward a reduction of monetary resources, the classification could help decision makers choose the right allocation of future resources.

SWOT-AHP Dynamic Approach to Define Medium Term Strategies to Develop Forest Quality Chain and Forest Energy Chain in Tuscany

The aim of the study is directed to define medium-long term political strategies that focus on the qualitative and quantitative improvement of the Tuscany wood productions, at the same time guaranteeing a profitability to the forest workers , as well as revitalization of the quality woods productions. The proposal approach is based on a dynamic SWOT-AHP analysis: the criteria of the analysis have been examined considering three different situations: the existing one, medium and long term scenarios. This integrated application led to the definition of extremely efficacious strategic analyses. In this case the formalization through a dynamic model, able to quantify the relevance of each component, gives to the final beneficiaries an exhaustive tool for territorial planning.

Forest Certifications in Sustainable Forest Management: Concerns Associated to its Application in A Forested Area of Tuscany

Forest certification was launched over a decade ago to help protect forests from destructive logging prac- tices. The systems adopted by the Italian forests, are based on an independent evaluation, or a certification of an external body. This study aims to define the direct and indirect costs that a logging company must address to achieve forest certi- fication. The reference is to Tuscany (Italy) and some types of forestry enterprise. The study examines the direct and indirect costs to accede to the process of forest certification.

VALUTAZIONE TECNICA E FINANZIARIA DEI DANNI PROVOCATI DA HETEROBASIDION ANNOSUM IN UNA PIANTAGIONE DI DOUGLASIA IN CALABRIA

In questa nota sono stati analizzati i danni economici causati da marciume radicale, in una piantagione di douglasia, sul massiccio Silano (Cosenza). Si e proceduto al calcolo del valore di macchiatico al 35° anno di una fustaia attaccata dal patogeno fungino Heterobasidion annosum, confrontandola con quello di una fustaia al 50° anno in cui si ipotizzano interventi di lotta biologica, con preparati disponibili in commercio, fin dal 35° anno. L’intervento di taglio anticipato presenta un macchiatico negativo mentre l’eventuale taglio al 50° anno accompagnato da trattamenti con prodotti biologici puo presentare una soddisfacente remunerativita finanziaria. Dall’indagine emerge pertanto la possibilita di intervenire su questi soprassuoli in modo tale da ottenere risultati selvicolturali e finanziari soddisfacenti per l’imprenditore forestale.

MODELLI DI ANALISI TERRITORIALE DEI CONFLITTI SOCIO ECONOMICI FRA SVILUPPO E CONSERVAZIONE AMBIENTALE ( 1 )

Il contributo propone lo sviluppo di una metodologia diretta ad analizzare le potenzialita del territorio in termini di sviluppo locale e di risoluzione dei conflitti che possono derivare dall’uso delle risorse naturali in esso contenute. In considerazione del rilevante ruolo assolto dal settore agricolo in termini di manutenzione e preservazione dell’ambiente e delle realta sociali in esso presenti, lo studio ha inoltre sviluppato un’approfondita analisi delle caratteristiche strutturali delle imprese agricole, ponendo particolare attenzione al ruolo multifunzionale svolto all’interno del territorio. Secondo le definizioni ormai ampiamente accettate dalla comunita scientifica, al settore agricolo sono infatti attribuibili tre funzioni principali: la funzione ambientale, la funzione economica e la funzione sociale. In ambito ambientale assume particolare rilevanza la gestione delle superfici forestali e seminaturali (cespuglieti, prati, ecc.) attuata dalle diverse imprese agricole. In considerazione di tutto cio, il lavoro ha quindi sviluppato un modello predittivo capace di stimare, attraverso la georeferenziazione delle variabili socio-economiche (censimento dell’agricoltura 2000), le modificazioni di uso del suolo conseguenti all’introduzione della riforma di medio termine, e di identificare le zone ove sussistono le maggiori esigenze di «gestione dell’evoluzione dei terreni agricoli»; dall’altro lato, ha definito, attraverso modelli di analisi multicriteriale geografica, le aree di potenziale conflitto di sviluppo fra diverse direttrici (agricolo, residenziale ed industriale). Le basi teoriche cui fanno riferimento tali approcci, traggono origine dalle recenti proposte della ecological economics e della landscape ecology. La ricerca, sviluppata nel contesto territoriale del Circondario Empolese - Val d’Elsa, ha assunto particolare rilevanza soprattutto in considerazione del fatto che e la prima volta, a livello nazionale, che vengono georeferenziate le informazioni del Censimento dell’Agricoltura a livello di foglio di mappa catastale. Cio e stato possibile grazie alla presenza, sull’ultimo censimento, della sezione 9, dove le superfici aziendali vengono anche identificate in ragione della loro collocazione catastale.