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AMMINISTRAZIONE TRASPARENTE

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COLLEZIONE FIZPATRICK

Centro di Ricerca Interdipartimentale sulla "Earth Critical Zone" per il
supporto alla Gestione del Paesaggio e dell'Agro ambiente

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Categoria: Pubblicazioni Scientifiche

Categoria: Pubblicazioni Scientifiche

Climate change effects on the suitability of an agricultural area to maize cultivation: application of a new Hybrid Land Evaluation System

Antonello Bonfante, Eugenia Monaco, Silvia M. Alfieri, Francesca De Lorenzi, Piero Manna, Angelo Basile, Johan Bouma. 2015. Chapter Two – Climate Change Effects on the Suitability of an Agricultural Area to Maize Cultivation: Application of a New Hybrid Land Evaluation System, In: Donald L. Sparks, Editor(s), Advances in Agronomy, Academic Press, 2015, Volume 133, Pages 33-69, ISSN 0065-2113, ISBN 9780128030523

Evaluation of the effects of future climate change on grape quality through a physically based model application: a case study for the Aglianico grapevine in Campania region, Italy

A. Bonfante, S.M. Alfieri, R. Albrizioa, A. Basile, R. DeMascellis, A. Gambuti, P. Giorio, G. Langella, P. Manna, E.Monaco, L.Moio, F. Terribile. 2017. Evaluation of the effects of future climate change on grape quality through a physically based model application: a case study for the Aglianico grapevine in Campania region, Italy   Water deficit limiting yields is one of the negative aspects of climate change. However, this applies particularly when emphasis is on biomass production (e.g. for field crops), but not necessarily for plants where quality, not quantity is most relevant. For grapevine development, mild water stress occurring during specific phenological phases is an important factor when producing good quality wines. It induces the production of anthocyanins and aroma precursors and then could offer an opportunity to increase winegrower’s income. A multidisciplinary studywas carried out in Campania region (Southern Italy), an areawell known for high quality wine production. Growth of Aglianico grapevine cultivar, with a standard clone population on 1103 Paulsen rootstocks, was studied on two different types of soil: Calcisols and Cambisols occurring along a slope of 90 m length with 11% gradient. The agro-hydrological model SWAP was calibrated and applied to estimate soil-plant water status during three consecutive seasons (2011–2013). Crop water stress index (CWSI), as estimated by the model, was related to leaf water potential, sugar content of grape bunches and wine quality (e.g. content of tannins). For both soils, the correlations between quality measurements and CWSI were high (e.g. −0.97** with sugar; 0.895* with anthocyanins in the grape skins). The modelwas also applied to explore effects of future climate conditions (2021–2051) obtained from statistical downscaling of Global Circulation Models (AOGCM) and to estimate the effect of the climate on CWSI and hence on grape quality. Effects of climate change on grape quality indicate: (i) a resilient behavior of Calcisol to produce high quality wine, (ii) a good potentiality for improving the quality wine in Cambisol. The present study represents an example of multidisciplinary approach in which soil scientists, hydro-pedologists, crop modellers, plant physiologists and oenologists have integrated their knowledge and skills in order to deal with the complex interactions among different components of an agricultural system.

The hidden nature of parent material in soils of Italian mountain ecosystems

Mileti, F.A., Langella, G., Prins, M.A., Vingiani, S., Terribile, F. (2013). Geoderma, 207-208 (1), pp. 291-309. DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.05.006 Soils with andic features are known to be very important as regards both ecosystem fertility and susceptibility to land degradation. In recent years there has been an increasing number of finds of these soils in non-volcanic mountain ecosystems (NVME) in different parts of the world under different environmental settings. In Italian NVME there has been extensive investigation proving that these soils have a much wider distribution than previously thought. But despite these important findings, very little is known about their genesis or properties. Against this background, our investigation aims to question the nature of parent material in andic soils in Italian NVME; we consider this question fundamental for proper understanding of such soils. We address the question of the parent material by highlighting similarities/dissimilarities between soils and their underlying bedrocks and ascertaining whether soils developed as a result of in situ weathering or because of eolian inputs. The study was conducted on 41 soil profiles distributed throughout Italian NVME, performing an integrated analysis of (i) grain-size distribution (GSD) by laser granulometry, (ii) end-member modelling of obtained GSD, (iii) soil-bedrock differences in magnetic susceptibility, and (iv) soil-bedrock differences based on the geochemistry of 38 elements. The final results from these investigations show that the investigated soils are mainly derived from eolian sediments and that weathering of the underlying bedrock plays a minor role. Two main types of eolian parent materials seem to coexist in different proportions according to the soil type: eolian sediments with a similar composition of the underlying bedrock (termed autochthonous loess) and eolian sediments of volcanic type (pyroclasts). Autochthonous loess represents the main component of the parent material in the following studied soils: Aluandic Andosols, Cambisols, Phaeozems and Podzol (67%, 63%, 44% and 73%, respectively). All these soils exhibit low to moderate andic features. Volcanic-type eolian sediments constitute about 90% of the parent material in most andic soils that are Silandic Andosols, but occur in different proportions in most of the investigated soils. The nature of soil parent materials surprisingly follows a clear trend with latitude, with autochthonous loess characterizing most parent materials in northern Italy whilst volcanic sediments form most parent materials in the south. In accordance with their latitude, other soils exhibit an intermediate behaviour.

Weathering and particle entrapment at the rock-lichen interface in Italian volcanic environments

Vingiani, S., Terribile, F., Adamo, P. (2013). Geoderma, 207-208 (1), pp. 244-255.DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.05.015  The present work investigated the biogeophysical and biogeochemical weathering associated to the growth of epilithic lichens on recent lava flows from Mt. Etna (Sicily) and Mt. Vesuvius (Campania). The chosen lichen species were the crustose Lecidea fuscoatra, the foliose Xanthoparmelia conspersa and the fruticose Stereocaulon vesuvianum. An integrated approach based on the study of both disturbed and undisturbed samples of lichenized rock was applied in order to allow for the complexity of the rock–lichen interface environment in terms of micromorphological, mineralogical and chemical properties. To this aim, a number of rock blocks colonised by intact thalli of different lichen species were collected in order to have at least 10 thalli for each species in each environment. XRD and XRF analyses coupled to microscopic (OM), submicroscopic (SEM) and microanalytical (EDS) observations were the used techniques. In both study environments, the chemical, mineralogical and micromorphological properties of the incoherent materials found at the rock–lichen interface suggested that they mostly consist of rock fragments eroded from the surroundings and accumulated in cavities and fissures of the rough lava flows. According to the thallus morphology, the lichens colonising the lava preserve the interface materials from further wind and water erosion, provide such materials with organic matter and moisture, and entrap allochthonous quartz, sea salts, iron oxides and clay minerals. Calcium oxalate production by L. fuscoatra and X. conspersa, Al enrichment around S. vesuvianum hyphae and iron accumulation at the interface constitute evidence of lichen interaction with the underlying sediments. Larger differences between rock and interface materials occur at Vesuvius vs Etna site. In line with the young age of the lavas, recent lichen colonisation only results in a physical reorganisation and slight chemical modification of the materials accumulated at the rock–lichen interface, whose abundance should not be considered an indicator of bioweathering. In volcanic environments, the ability of lichens to retain a considerable amount of unconsolidated material. Approfondisci

Occurrence and origin of soils with andic properties in Calabria (southern Italy)

Vingiani, S., Scarciglia, F., Mileti, F.A., Donato, P., Terribile, F. (2014). Geoderma, 232-234, pp. 500-516. DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.06.001 Andic-like soils, along with Andosols, have previously been reported in non-volcanic ecosystems of the coastal and mountainous areas of the Calabria region (southern Italy), but little is known about their properties, soil formation processes and volcanic source areas. Chemical, mineralogical, microscopic, sub-microscopic and magnetic analyses were carried out on 8 soils which were selected from the major Calabrian geological sectors in order to assess relationships between parent material and bedrock. Soil chemical properties revealed an occurrence of andic or vitric properties in the studied soils as a whole, and the optical microscopy enabled to identify volcanic glass, micro-pumices and soil isotropic matrix, clearly indicating volcanic inputs. Three groups of soils, identified on the basis of the degree of andic properties, showed rather homogeneous also in terms of chemical properties, clay mineralogy and land use, as well as with regard to micromorphology and magnetic susceptibility. Part of the intra-group similarities was a consequence of similar distances between sites and volcanic source area, as suggested by the correlations found between ferrihydrite content, andic (i.e. % of ammonium oxalate extractable Al + 0.5 Fe and phosphate retention) and magnetic properties vs. distances from several Sicilian districts. The elemental composition obtained by SEM/EDS analyses of soil glass fragments supported these findings and related the origin of most of the studied soils to the high potassium calc-alkaline magmatism of the southernmost Eolian Islands (mainly Lipari and Vulcano), except for soils from the marine terraces of northern Calabria (PRA) and the Aspromonte Massif (DEL), which were both linked, albeit uncertainly, to Campanian volcanism. Soil magnetic properties were significantly (0.79**) correlated to the andic properties, so confirming the high performance of magnetic susceptibility as low cost proxy for the identification of volcanic constituents

Active Biomonitoring of Heavy Metals and PAHs with Mosses and Lichens: a Case Study in the Cities of Naples and London

Vingiani, S., De Nicola, F., Purvis, W. O., Concha-Graña, E.,Muniategui-Lorenzo, S., López-Mahía, P., Giordano, S., Adamo, P.(2015). Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 226 (8), 226-240. DOI: 10.1007/s11270-015-2504-5. Mosses and lichens are widely used to detect changes in the environmental concentrations of potential contaminants. Several studies have shown the usefulness of transplanted mosses and/or lichens to monitor air depositions of inorganic and organic pollutants at different scales. Here, we present the results of a biomonitoring study carried out in two cities, London (United Kingdom) and Naples (Italy), using four biomonitors (two lichens and two mosses). The lichens, Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf var. furfuracea and Parmelia sulcata Taylor, and mosses, Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw. and Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw., were exposed in bags in urban streets of Naples and London and in semi-rural and rural areas. Samples were analysed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V and Zn by atomic absorption spectrometry after acid digestion and for 16 EPA polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry after matrix solid-phase dispersion. For heavy metals, the comparison between the selected mosses indicated that, in all exposure sites, S. capillifolium had a better accumulation performance than H. cupressiforme, whereas for the lichens, it was P. furfuracea which accumulated higher concentrations of metals. Also for total PAHs, S. capillifolium showed a good accumulation capability compared to the other biomonitors investigated, especially compared to H. cupressiforme. It was observed an increasing heavy metal and PAH uptake by biomonitors from rural to urban sites, in both cities.

Tree or soil? Factors influencing humus form differentiation in Italian forests

Andreetta, A., Cecchini, G., Bonifacio, E., Comolli, R., Vingiani, S., Carnicelli, S. (2016). Geoderma, 264, pp. 195-204. DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.11.002. We aim to investigate the occurrence of forest humus forms (Moder, Amphi and Mull) in relation to environmental factors describing parent material, climate and tree species. Boosted regression trees (BRTs) were applied as modeling tool to analyze data of 238 plots of the BioSoil database covering the whole Italian forest territory. Though predictive ability was not very high, especially for the Amphi form, we could gain significant insight into factors controlling humus form differentiation. In the BRT analysis, the diversity of tree species was the most important predictor for Moder and Mull models and specific plant effects were evidenced. However, our results showed that the geographic distribution of Italian forest species was influenced by soil and climate conditions, partly explaining the high weight of tree species as factor. The importance of the soil nutritional status, due to parent material properties, in driving humus form differentiation was stated, highlighting the key role played by pH and calcium content, with the hitherto understated importance of phosphorus. This study further clarified the functioning of the still poorly understood Amphi form. Reduced effective soil volume (EfVol) combined with seasonality appeared to constrain pedofauna activity in otherwise favorable and nutrient rich systems, favoring the evolution of Amphi instead of Mull forms.

Soil properties and debris flows in Italy: potential relationships

Scognamiglio, S., Terribile, F., Iamarino, M., Orefice, N., Vingiani, S. (2016). Rendiconti on line della Società Geologica Italiana, vol. 41, pages: 199-202. DOI: 10.3301/ROL.2016.128. Debris flows are known to be very dangerous hazards that can produce fatalities and severe damages. In the Campania region they involve Andosols with a unique set of morphological, chemical, physical, and hydrological properties that give them high fertility but, at the same time, high fragility as concerns land degradation processes, such as erosion and landslides. Because of the shallow character of some debris flows (e.g. Campania), they can strongly involve and evolve in and over the soil cover. Therefore, a better understanding of the soil properties is crucial in an integrated approach finalized to evaluate the landslide susceptibility of mountain ecosystems. The aim of this work is to investigate the soil (chemical, physical, and hydrological) properties of the detachment areas of eight debris flows occurred in non-volcanic mountain ecosystems (NVME) of Italy in the last 70 years. In this framework, we will mainly focus on the assessment of the soil andic properties, in order to verify if in the studied landscapes the debris flows involve soils characterised by these properties, as it happens in the Campania region. The analyzed events occurred on moderate to high slope gradient (ranging from 25° and 50°) and at different altitudes. Despite the lithological heterogeneity of the bedrock, the analyzed soils show remarkably similar features. Specifically, soils are generally deep and characterized by well developed topsoils, demonstrating that investigated sites were not subjected to intense erosion, which would have been expected considering the slope gradient. Moreover, these soils are markedly chemically and physically fertile, as indicated by the high organic carbon content and the prevalent loamy texture. As concerns the soil type, the preliminary analyses show that the investigated non-volcanic soils have andic and vitric features (except for Ceriana). These findings shed new light on the similarity of the materials involved by debris flows both in volcanic and non-volcanic mountain ecosystems of Italy, suggesting a pedological control on the debris flow hazard