Valerio Moretti

Towards a sustainable agro-forest landscape? assessing land degradation (1950–2010) and soil quality in Castelporziano forest and peri-urban Rome, Italy

Vulnerability to land degradation was assessed for three reference years (1960, 1990 and 2010) together with land-use changes (1949–2008) in Rome’s metropolitan area (central Italy) to identify the relationship between urban expansion and the soil-landscape system. The study area includes traditional rural landscapes (the so called ‘Agro Romano’) around Rome and Castelporziano–Castelfusano woodland, one of the largest coastal forests in Italy. The Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) framework has been used for deriving a composite index of land vulnerability on a local scale. Together with a marked increase in land vulnerability, results suggest the existence of strong relationships between land degradation, soil quality and land-use changes. The highest growth rate in the level of land vulnerability was observed in built-up areas and cropland while coastal woodlands maintained a relatively high soil quality over time. Conservation of relict forest ecosystems and traditional crop mosaic, both considered as ‘buffer zones’ contrasting land degradation, appears a key issue when developing multi-target strategies for sustainable land management in large peri-urban regions.

Climate variability, soil aridity, and growth rate of Pinus pinea L. in Castelporziano forest: an exploratory data analysis

Sensitivity to climate change and anthropogenic disturbance is a typical feature of Mediterranean forests growing under dynamic and manipulated environmental conditions. In the present study, a large sample of stone pines (Pinus pinea L.) was analyzed in five sites of Castelporziano and Castelfusano forests (Rome, central Italy) to assess tree-growth variability (1964–2009) with the aim to derive information on long-term climatic trends possibly reflected in the radial growth response. The multivariate exploratory analysis of tree ring widths, which were standardized to remove the age trend, showed a marked spatial variability among sites and a heterogeneous time pattern that allows for the classification of the investigated years into three homogeneous groups: 1964–1974, 1975–1997, and 1998–2009. The years 1975 and 1998 were identified as the candidate break points in the local climate regime. Coherence of the 1998 break point was verified by comparing two time intervals (1981–1997 and 1998–2011) of the meteorological time series of precipitation and temperatures available for Castelporziano station. Results indicate a significant shift toward aridity and warming in the area supporting the information obtained from the analysis of dendro-chronological time series. Implications of the spatio-temporal monitoring of climate variations through indirect sources are discussed in the light of conservation of the residual pristine forest of Castelporziano taken as a paradigmatic example for other Mediterranean coastal forests.

Exploring time-series of selected air pollution elements in Castelporziano, Rome: the impact on soil and forest ecosystem

The present study assesses time-series data derived from a 3-year monitoring campaign of heavy metals in atmospheric wet and dry depositions in a coastal forest ecosystem in central Italy. Monitoring atmospheric deposition is a key issue when evaluating the impact of anthropogenic sources, and their absolute and potential toxicities to humans and other living organisms. Information from a permanent assessment of heavy metals is therefore crucial for the evaluation of environmental quality. Time trends in heavy metal atmospheric concentrations in Castelporziano forest (Rome), a natural ecosystem in central Italy, are considered a reliable indicator reflecting differences in spatial and temporal distribution of pollution sources. Preliminary analysis of atmospheric depositions in various sites of the forest highlights the influence of anthropogenic factors and of transport processes in both the short- and long-range distances. Further studies are recommended to investigate the relation between atmospheric deposition, meteorological variables, and runoff tree water. The use of other heavy metal indicators from specific sources of pollution, such as arsenic, is also discussed.

Analisi esplorativa delle deposizioni atmosferiche in un ecosistema forestale costiero dell'Italia centrale

Exploratory analysis of atmospheric pollution in a coastal forest ecosystem in central Italy. The study of spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metals in the atmosphere through the continuous assessment of deposition is of great interest for the analysis of anthropogenic pressure on the environment and the potential toxicity to humans and other living organisms. Information based on reliable estimates of heavy metals is therefore crucial for the evaluation of environmental quality. Trends in heavy metal concentration in atmospheric depositions on a coastal forest ecosystem (Castelporziano, Rome) are analyzed in the present study based on a three-year monitoring fi eld survey over three sites representative of different woodland characteristics in the area. Our results highlight both the infl uence of transportation processes in the short and medium distance based on the human pressure refl ecting urban expansion and infrastructure development on the fringe of Castelporziano pristine forest. Further studies investigat- ing the latent correlation with meteorological variables at various temporal scales are needed to provide a comprehensive picture of environmental conditions in a forest ecosystem subjected to increasing human pressure. Analysis of runoff water quality and the determination of other heavy metals, such as arsenic, may identify additional sources of pollution impacting soil and forest ecosystem.Exploratory analysis of atmospheric pollution in a coastal forest ecosystem in central Italy - The study of spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metals in the atmosphere through the continuous assessment of deposition is of great interest for the analysis of anthropogenic pressure on the environment and the potential toxicity to humans and other living organisms. Information based on reliable estimates of heavy metals is therefore crucial for the evaluation of environmental quality. Trends in heavy metal concentration in atmospheric depositions on a coastal forest ecosystem (Castelporziano, Rome) are analyzed in the present study based on a three-year monitoring field survey over three sites representative of different woodland characteristics in the area. Our results highlight both the influence of transportation processes in the short and medium distance based on the human pressure reflecting urban expansion and infrastructure development on the fringe of Castelporziano pristine forest. Further studies investigating the latent correlation with meteorological variables at various temporal scales are needed to provide a comprehensive picture of environmental conditions in a forest ecosystem subjected to increasing human pressure. Analysis of runoff water quality and the determination of other heavy metals, such as arsenic, may identify additional sources of pollution impacting soil and forest ecosystem.