The Delphi method is a method of collecting and structuring knowledge from a group of experts using a questionnaire combined with a controlled opinion feedback. The present paper reviews the main principles of the Delphi method, and attempts to validate its results using data obtained by…
Hillslopes of the Radicofani area, in the upper valley of the Orcia River (southern Tuscany region, Italy), consist mainly of early Pliocene clayey sediments and are widely affected by frequent badland erosion. Reforestation with frugal conifers has been carried out in the area over the last…
The potential and limitations of the hyperspectral remote sensing MIVIS sensor (Multispectral Infrared Visible Imaging Spectrometer) in classifying heterogeneous landscapes are explored in this study. In order to quantify the discriminant information derived from selected MIVIS subsets we…
A better understanding of the spatial linkage between the distribution of land vulnerable to degradation and long-term population growth may contribute to sustainable land management of dry regions. Such a nexus has received increasing attention among politicians and local stakeholders, as its…
The Rio Mannu River Basin (Sardinia, Italy) is undergoing a process of agricultural intensification. Like many Mediterranean areas, this basin is characterized by water shortages and diffuse pollution from agricultural sources. Hence the objective of this study was to develop possible land use…
A study on different types of bioindicator was carried out to detect river habitat quality in Central Italy. It was investigated the effectiveness of different bioindication models based on three biotic components: (i) vascular plants – hemeroby index for aquatic (Hw) and terrestrial species (Hₛ…
The aims of this study are to describe the ecological classification of land in Italy and to show how the resulting land units can act as reliable frameworks for coarse scale environmental analyses that can be used to implement national conservation strategies. We first collected, homogenised…
Given the potential impacts of land cover changes on surface processes, accurate mapping of landscape dynamics is a crucial task in environmental monitoring. The use of commercial software for remote sensing of landscape changes requires appropriate expertise in sensor technology and computing…
In Mediterranean mountains, the abandonment of traditional land-uses is promoting a rapid forest expansion. This trend may be exacerbated by nature reserves, which further limit human disturbance in mountain contexts. We investigated whether ecological parameters, landscape structure, and…
The Fossa Bradanica in Basilicata (S Italy) is affected by almost 15% permanent Pleistocene and Holocene gullies. In the past decades climate versus land use management have dramatically increase both the soil loss rate and the muddy-flooding frequency. In this paper the impact of global change…
Over the last 50 years, the modernisation and mechanisation of agricultural techniques caused important habitat alterations in agricultural ecosystems that lead to the decline of farmland wildlife populations throughout Europe. During 2008 and 2009, we investigated the effects of Habitat…
Semi-natural dry grasslands are habitats of high conservation concern. These ecosystems have not been extensively explored in the Tyrrhenian sector of the Italian peninsula, particularly in the Submediterranean climatic region. In order to address this issue and to define the synecology,…