Monitoring and Recording Changes in Natural Landscapes: A Case Study from Two Coastal Wetlands in SE Italy

Valeria Tomaselli, Giuseppe Veronico and Maria Adamo
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Valeria Tomaselli: Department of Biology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy
Giuseppe Veronico: National Research Council-Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, CNR-IBBR, via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
Maria Adamo: National Research Council-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, CNR-IIA, via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-32

Abstract: This study analyzed and evaluated the changes that occurred in two coastal wetlands, characterized by complex and fragmented landscape patterns, in Southern Italy, which were monitored over a period of seven years from 2007 to 2014. Furthermore, the performances of two Land Cover (LC) and habitat taxonomies, compared for their suitability in mapping the identified changes, were assessed. A post-mapping method was adopted to detect the habitat/LC changes that occurred in the study period. Various changes were identified, both inter-class changes (class conversions) and intra-class changes (class modifications), and quantified by means of transition matrices. Conversions were easily mapped, while the modification mapping depended on the taxonomy adopted: the Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) allowed the detection of morpho-structural changes in woody vegetation, but the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) showed a higher thematic resolution for the salt marsh types. The detected changes were related to specific impacts, pressures and underlying factors. Landscape indices highlighted different trends in landscape richness and complexity in the two sites. Changes are occurring very quickly in the observed coastal sites and the ongoing dynamics are strictly related to their small size and complexity. For effective monitoring and detection of change in these environments, the coupling of EUNIS and LCCS is suggested.

Keywords: monitoring; landscape changes; habitat; land cover; vegetation; coastal wetlands (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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