Impacts of Changing Livestock Farming Practices on the Biocultural Heritage and Landscape Configuration of Italian Anti-Apennine

Riccardo Primi (), Paolo Viola, Carlo Maria Rossi, Stefano Ripert, Maria Nicolina Ripa, Raffaello Spina and Bruno Ronchi
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Riccardo Primi: Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Paolo Viola: Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Carlo Maria Rossi: Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Stefano Ripert: Department of Agriculture, Environment and Food (DiAAA), University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Maria Nicolina Ripa: Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Raffaello Spina: Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Bruno Ronchi: Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-27

Abstract: This research article focuses on the evolution of a Mediterranean landscapes and the intricate interplay between natural and human-induced processes in the context of the Italian Anti-Apennine mountains. The study employs a multi-temporal approach to analyze changes in land use and landscape ecology, livestock activities, and agro-pastoral practices over seven decades. We noted a 18% decrease in animal units, particularly in goat and pig farming, accompanied by a 10% reduction in horse populations. Farmers’ adaptation strategies involve increasing animals per farm, aligning with broader agricultural trends toward intensification and specialization. In parallel, we observed a 22% reduction in grassland surfaces juxtaposed with an overall 15% increase in woodlands and shrublands, a 13% decreasing trend in habitat edge, and an overall 18% increase in patches aggregation at the landscape scale. The decline in anthropogenic pressures linked to depopulation triggered secondary successions, resulting in a 25% increase in homogeneous closed woodlands. These landscape alterations contribute to a 19% decrease in ecosystem heterogeneity and complexity, favoring ecological connectivity for forest-linked species but posing challenges for open meadow species. This, coupled with the loss of biocultural heritage, including traditional settlements dating back to the Bronze Age and Roman times, as well as pastoral traditions and knowledge, underscores the need to rethink future development strategies with a focus on retaining younger generations and preventing the loss of crucial ecosystem services.

Keywords: Mediterranean landscape; land use change; agro-pastoral practices; livestock management; biocultural heritage; sustainability; human-induced processes; land cover dynamics; rural landscapes; historical resource management; landscape ecology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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