Complex Adaptive Systems, soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification: A multivariate assessment of Italian agro-forest landscape.
Saved in:
| Title: | Complex Adaptive Systems, soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification: A multivariate assessment of Italian agro-forest landscape. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Salvati, Luca1 luca.salvati@entecra.it, Mavrakis, Anastasios2, Colantoni, Andrea3, Mancino, Giuseppe4, Ferrara, Agostino4 |
| Source: | Science of the Total Environment. Jul2015, Vol. 521, p235-245. 11p. |
| Subjects: | Soil degradation, Land use, Desertification, Multivariate analysis, Agroforestry, Forest management, Landscape protection |
| Abstract: | Degradation of soils and sensitivity of land to desertification are intensified in last decades in the Mediterranean region producing heterogeneous spatial patterns determined by the interplay of factors such as climate, land-use changes, and human pressure. The present study hypothesizes that rising levels of soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification are reflected into increasingly complex (and non-linear) relationships between environmental and socioeconomic variables. To verify this hypothesis, the Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) framework was used to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of eleven indicators derived from a standard assessment of soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification in Italy. Indicators were made available on a detailed spatial scale (773 agricultural districts) for various years (1960, 1990, 2000 and 2010) and analyzed through a multi-dimensional exploratory data analysis. Our results indicate that the number of significant pair-wise correlations observed between indicators increased with the level of soil and land degradation, although with marked differences between northern and southern Italy. ‘Fast’ and ‘slow’ factors underlying soil and land degradation, and ‘rapidly-evolving’ or ‘locked’ agricultural districts were identified according to the rapidity of change estimated for each of the indicators studied. In southern Italy, ‘rapidly-evolving’ districts show a high level of soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification during the whole period of investigation. On the contrary, those districts in northern Italy are those experiencing a moderate soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification with the highest increase in the level of sensitivity over time. The study framework contributes to the assessment of complex local systems' dynamics in affluent but divided countries. Results may inform thematic strategies for the mitigation of land and soil degradation in the framework of action plans to combat desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Science of the Total Environment is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 102458453 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Complex Adaptive Systems, soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification: A multivariate assessment of Italian agro-forest landscape. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Salvati%2C+Luca%22">Salvati, Luca</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> luca.salvati@entecra.it</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mavrakis%2C+Anastasios%22">Mavrakis, Anastasios</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Colantoni%2C+Andrea%22">Colantoni, Andrea</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mancino%2C+Giuseppe%22">Mancino, Giuseppe</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ferrara%2C+Agostino%22">Ferrara, Agostino</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Science+of+the+Total+Environment%22">Science of the Total Environment</searchLink>. Jul2015, Vol. 521, p235-245. 11p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Soil+degradation%22">Soil degradation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Land+use%22">Land use</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Desertification%22">Desertification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multivariate+analysis%22">Multivariate analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Agroforestry%22">Agroforestry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Forest+management%22">Forest management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Landscape+protection%22">Landscape protection</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Degradation of soils and sensitivity of land to desertification are intensified in last decades in the Mediterranean region producing heterogeneous spatial patterns determined by the interplay of factors such as climate, land-use changes, and human pressure. The present study hypothesizes that rising levels of soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification are reflected into increasingly complex (and non-linear) relationships between environmental and socioeconomic variables. To verify this hypothesis, the Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) framework was used to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of eleven indicators derived from a standard assessment of soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification in Italy. Indicators were made available on a detailed spatial scale (773 agricultural districts) for various years (1960, 1990, 2000 and 2010) and analyzed through a multi-dimensional exploratory data analysis. Our results indicate that the number of significant pair-wise correlations observed between indicators increased with the level of soil and land degradation, although with marked differences between northern and southern Italy. ‘Fast’ and ‘slow’ factors underlying soil and land degradation, and ‘rapidly-evolving’ or ‘locked’ agricultural districts were identified according to the rapidity of change estimated for each of the indicators studied. In southern Italy, ‘rapidly-evolving’ districts show a high level of soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification during the whole period of investigation. On the contrary, those districts in northern Italy are those experiencing a moderate soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification with the highest increase in the level of sensitivity over time. The study framework contributes to the assessment of complex local systems' dynamics in affluent but divided countries. Results may inform thematic strategies for the mitigation of land and soil degradation in the framework of action plans to combat desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Science of the Total Environment is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=102458453 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.094 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 11 StartPage: 235 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Soil degradation Type: general – SubjectFull: Land use Type: general – SubjectFull: Desertification Type: general – SubjectFull: Multivariate analysis Type: general – SubjectFull: Agroforestry Type: general – SubjectFull: Forest management Type: general – SubjectFull: Landscape protection Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Complex Adaptive Systems, soil degradation and land sensitivity to desertification: A multivariate assessment of Italian agro-forest landscape. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Salvati, Luca – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Mavrakis, Anastasios – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Colantoni, Andrea – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Mancino, Giuseppe – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ferrara, Agostino IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 15 M: 07 Text: Jul2015 Type: published Y: 2015 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00489697 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 521 Titles: – TitleFull: Science of the Total Environment Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
