Land use dynamics and soil quality in agro-forest systems: a country-scale assessment in Italy

Luca Salvati and Andrea Colantoni

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2015, vol. 58, issue 1, 175-188

Abstract: The present study compares the spatial distribution of selected rural land use classes in Italy with two soil indicators (a Soil Quality Index [SQI] and the Maximum potential Water Capacity of the soil [MWC]) at three points in time (1960, 1990 and 2006). Results of the analysis showed that landscape changes reflect a 'migration' of both semi-natural (forests, pastures) and agricultural (arable land, vineyards) uses towards areas with lower-quality soils. In particular, the agricultural 'mosaic' and shrubland-pasture classes that occupied land in 2006 had significant lower values of both the SQI and MWC compared to 1960. These processes may have implications for the stability of agro-forest ecosystems in the medium term. Due to its versatility, the procedure illustrated represents a monitoring tool for sustainable land management at the regional and country scales.

Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2013.849235

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