Evaluation of the Economic Convenience Deriving from Reforestation Actions to Reduce Soil Erosion and Safeguard Ecosystem Services in an Apulian River Basin

Giuliano Rocco Romanazzi, Giovanni Ottomano Palmisano (), Marilisa Cioffi, Claudio Acciani, Annalisa De Boni, Giovanni Francesco Ricci, Vincenzo Leronni, Francesco Gentile and Rocco Roma
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Giuliano Rocco Romanazzi: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Amendola 165/a, 70126 Bari, Italy
Giovanni Ottomano Palmisano: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Amendola 165/a, 70126 Bari, Italy
Marilisa Cioffi: Reagri S.r.l., via Chiatona 62, 74016 Massafra, Italy
Claudio Acciani: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Amendola 165/a, 70126 Bari, Italy
Annalisa De Boni: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Amendola 165/a, 70126 Bari, Italy
Giovanni Francesco Ricci: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Amendola 165/a, 70126 Bari, Italy
Vincenzo Leronni: Green Agency C.C., via A. De Curtis 14/g, 70023 Gioia del Colle, Italy
Francesco Gentile: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Amendola 165/a, 70126 Bari, Italy
Rocco Roma: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DISSPA), University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Amendola 165/a, 70126 Bari, Italy

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-32

Abstract: Soil erosion is a widespread problem leading to land degradation in many watersheds, including the Lato Basin, an Apulian permanent river that supplies water used for irrigation in many agricultural territories along the Ionian coast with considerable economic importance for crop production. The loss of fertile soil makes land less productive for agriculture; soil erosion decreases soil fertility, which can negatively affect crop yields. The present research aimed to determine soil loss (t/ha/year) in the Lato watershed in 2024, and then four ecosystem services—loss of carbon, habitat quality, crop productivity and sustainable tourism suitability—directly or indirectly linked to erosion, were defined and evaluated in monetary terms. These ecosystem service evaluations were made for the actual basin land use, and also for two hypothetical scenarios applying different afforestation strategies to the watershed. The first scenario envisages afforestation interventions in the areas with the highest erosion; the second scenario envisages afforestation interventions in the areas with medium erosion, cultivated with cereal crops. Each scenario was also used to evaluate the economic convenience and the effects of sustainable land management practices (e.g., reforestation) to reduce soil erosion and loss of ecosystem services. This study demonstrates that soil erosion is related to land use. It also underlines that reforestation reduces soil erosion and increases the value of ecosystem services. Furthermore, the economic analysis shows that crop productivity is the most incisive ecosystem service, as the lands with high productivity achieve higher economic values, making conversion to wooded areas economically disadvantageous if not supported with economic aid. The results of this study may help development of new management strategies for the Lato Basin, to be implemented through the distribution of community funds for rural development programs that consider the real economic productivity of each area through naturalistic engineering interventions. The reforestation measures need to be implemented over a long time frame to perform their functions; this requires relevant investments from the public sector due to cost management, requesting monetary compensation from EU funds for companies involved in forestation projects on highly productive areas that will bring benefits for the entire community.

Keywords: Lato River; soil erosion; land productivity loss; monetary evaluation; soil ecosystem services (ES); watershed management; European rural programs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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