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Worrying about ‘Vertical Landscapes’: Terraced Olive Groves and Ecosystem Services in Marginal Land in Central Italy

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Listed:
  • Elena Brunori

    (Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, Tuscia University, via San Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

  • Luca Salvati

    (CREA, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Viale S. Margherita 80, I-52100 Arezzo, Italy)

  • Angela Antogiovanni

    (Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, Tuscia University, via San Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

  • Rita Biasi

    (Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, Tuscia University, via San Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy)

Abstract

Terraced Mediterranean areas are distinctive man-made landscapes with historical and cultural relevance. Terraced land abandonment driven by physical and economic constraints had important ecological consequences. This study focuses on a marginal agricultural district in southern Latium, central Italy, where terracing dated back to the Roman period and olive groves are the main agricultural use. A diachronic assessment of land-use transformations was carried out to identify landscape dynamics and drivers of change around terraced land. Terraced landscape systems (TLS), derived from spatial aggregation of neighboring terraced patches, have been analyzed for landscape transformations considering slope as the main stratification variable. Structural and functional characteristics of TLS were analyzed using a landscape ecology approach. Soil bio-chemical indicators were finally assessed to study the impact of terraced olive agro-ecosystems on soil-related ecosystems services. The empirical findings outlined that TLS in central Italy are sensitive to urbanization and land abandonment. Cultivated terraces prevailed up to gentle-medium slope land, uncultivated and wooded areas dominated terraces on steep slopes. In this context, poly-cultural olive groves proved to be a cropping system particularly resilient to global change, irrespective of land slope. Terraced systems and extensive poly-cultural olive groves play a role in preserving ecosystem integrity, landscape quality, soil functionality and, therefore, environmental sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Brunori & Luca Salvati & Angela Antogiovanni & Rita Biasi, 2018. "Worrying about ‘Vertical Landscapes’: Terraced Olive Groves and Ecosystem Services in Marginal Land in Central Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:1164-:d:140860
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Luis Gomes & Tânia Nobre & Adélia Sousa & Fernando Rei & Nuno Guiomar, 2020. "Hyperspectral Reflectance as a Basis to Discriminate Olive Varieties—A Tool for Sustainable Crop Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, April.
    2. Aguilera, Eduardo & Díaz-Gaona, Cipriano & García-Laureano, Raquel & Reyes-Palomo, Carolina & Guzmán, Gloria I. & Ortolani, Livia & Sánchez-Rodríguez, Manuel & Rodríguez-Estévez, Vicente, 2020. "Agroecology for adaptation to climate change and resource depletion in the Mediterranean region. A review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    3. Enrico Pomatto & Marco Devecchi & Federica Larcher, 2022. "Coevolution between Terraced Landscapes and Rural Communities: An Integrated Approach Using Expert-Based Assessment and Evaluation of Winegrowers’ Perceptions (Northwest Piedmont, Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-27, July.
    4. Roxanne Suzette Lorilla & Konstantinos Poirazidis & Stamatis Kalogirou & Vassilis Detsis & Aristotelis Martinis, 2018. "Assessment of the Spatial Dynamics and Interactions among Multiple Ecosystem Services to Promote Effective Policy Making across Mediterranean Island Landscapes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-28, September.
    5. Borrello, M. & Cecchini, L. & Vecchio, R. & Caracciolo, F. & Cembalo, L. & Torquati, B., 2022. "Agricultural landscape certification as a market-driven tool to reward the provisioning of cultural ecosystem services," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    6. Enrico Pomatto & Paola Gullino & Silvia Novelli & Marco Devecchi & Federica Larcher, 2023. "Landscape Strategies for Terraced Landscapes in the European Alpine Region Using a Mixed-Method Analysis Tool," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-21, June.
    7. Hongbin Liu & Jie Lyu, 2021. "Drive Mechanisms of Soil Quality Changes in Peri-Urban Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-21, February.

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