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Landslides represent one of the most critical issues for landscape managers. They can cause injuries and loss of human life and damage properties and infrastructure. The spatial and temporal distribution of these detrimental events makes them almost unpredictable. Studies on landslide susceptibility assessment can significantly contribute to prioritizing critical risk zones. Further, landslide prevention and mitigation and the relative importance of the affecting drivers acquire even more significance in areas characterized by seismicity. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between a set of environmental variables and the occurrence of landslide events in an area of the Apulia Region (Italy). Logistic regression was applied to a landslide-prone area in the Apulia Region (Italy) to identify the main causative factors using a large dataset of environmental predictors (47). The results of this case study show that the logistic regression achieved a good performance, with an AUC (Area Under Curve) >70%. Therefore, the model developed would be a useful tool to define and assess areas for landslide occurrence and contribute to implementing risk mitigation strategy and land use policy.

Forests provides major ecosystem services worldwide. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest (BAF) has been dramatically devastated, with fragmentation processes jeopardizing its long-term sustainability. This study investigated the structure and successional dynamics in BAF natural regeneration along an anthroposequence characterized by increasing human disturbance histories as: secondary (SF) disturbed (DF) late forest (LF). We aimed to understand how and the degree to which BAF fragmentation and human disturbance affected plants, soils, and the whole soil-plant relationships and feedbacks. We investigated the natural regeneration conditions of plants (using plant classification and quali-quantitative analyses) and soil chemistry (including pH-CaCl

Background Wildfires play a key role in shaping Mediterranean landscapes and ecosystems and in impacting species dynamics. Numerous studies have investigated the wildfire occurrences and the influence of their drivers in many countries of the Mediterranean Basin. However, in this regard, no studies have attempted to compare different Mediterranean regions, which may appear similar under many aspects. In response to this gap, climatic, topographic, anthropic, and landscape drivers were analyzed and compared to assess the patterns of fire ignition points in terms of fire occurrence and frequency in Catalonia (Spain), Sardinia, and Apulia (Italy). Therefore, the objectives of the study were to (1) assess fire ignition occurrence in terms of probability and frequency, (2) compare the main drivers affecting fire occurrence, and (3) produce fire probability and frequency maps for each region. Results In pursuit of the above, the probability of fire ignition occurrence and frequency was mapped using Negative Binomial Hurdle models, while the models’ performances were evaluated using several metrics (AUC, prediction accuracy, RMSE, and the Pearson correlation coefficient). The results showed an inverse correlation between distance from infrastructures (i.e., urban roads and areas) and the occurrence of fires in all three study regions. This relationship became more significant when the frequency of fire ignition points was assessed. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between fire occurrence and landscape drivers according to region. The land cover classes more significantly affected were forest, agriculture, and grassland for Catalonia, Sardinia, and Apulia, respectively. Conclusions Compared to the climatic, topographic, and landscape drivers, anthropic activity significantly influences fire ignition and frequency in all three regions. When the distance from urban roads and areas decreases, the probability of fire ignition occurrence and frequency increases. Consequently, it is essential to implement long- to medium-term intervention plans to reduce the proximity between potential ignition points and fuels. In this perspective, the present study provides an applicable decision-making tool to improve wildfire prevention strategies at the European level in an area like the Mediterranean Basin where a profuse number of wildfires take place.

Soil rebuilding represents a major challenge in the recovery of abandoned quarries. In this study, we explored the possibility of using reconstructed Technosols, to achieve soil rebuilding goals at an abandoned quarry site. We first investigated the use of a mixture containing commercial manure and limestone debris (LD) as pedotechnomaterials for an “ad hoc” (re)constructed Technosol (CT), for the recovery of an opencast limestone quarry in one of most concentrated quarry areas in the world. In a field experiment, we tested and monitored different pedotechnosystems (PTSs) made up of constructed Technosol + pasture species + different Mediterranean plant species. Specifically, a control (CT, without any additional treatments) was compared to treatments with organic amendment (CTOA) and conventional fertilizers (CTCF). Data were collected over a 12-month period and included crop performance, plant nutritional state, soil physical-chemical parameters, and metabolites. Analysis of variance compared differences among treatments, while factor analysis (FA) interpreted multiple relationships while explaining observed variability. Results showed that CTOA had better soil physical-chemical properties, greater plant growth, and overall superior agronomic performances compared to all other treatments due to the improved substrate conditions. According to FA, these results appear related to the creation of fertile soil conditions, with most of the investigated metabolites (i) playing a pivotal role in observed outcomes, together with (ii) a clear potential in being considered as a reliable fingerprint for investigating plant responses in constructed PTSs. The proposed pedotechniques in CTOA development show a great potential for the full recovery of abandoned limestone quarries in degraded Mediterranean areas by providing an excellent medium for plant growth, facilitating environmental reclamation.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:48:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-01-01 With its accumulation in upland rice, cadmium (Cd) can easily enter the human food chain, which poses a global health threat considering nearly half of the human population depends on rice as a staple food source. A study was conducted to (1) evaluate Cd accumulation by rice cultivars, grown in Cd-polluted Tropical Oxisols, with different levels of Cd tolerance; (2) quantify Cd transfer from soil to rice shoots and grain; and (3) estimate daily Cd intake by humans. Three rice cultivars, characterized by low (Cateto Seda–CS), medium (BRSMG Talento–BT), and high (BRSMG Caravera–BC) Cd uptake capacity, were investigated. Rice cultivars were exposed to increasing soil Cd concentrations (0.0, 0.7, 1.3, 3.9, 7.8, and 11.7 mg kg−1). Analysis was performed on soil, shoots, and grain. Shoot biomass and grain yield decreased with increasing Cd supply, suggesting the following Cd tolerance: CS > BT > BC. Cadmium concentrations in shoots and grain increased when exposed to Cd. Only CS did not exceed the maximum Cd limit permitted in food (0.40 mg kg−1), when rates up to 1.3 mg kg−1 of Cd were applied to soil. Considering daily rice consumption levels in Brazil, Cd intake often exceeds maximum tolerable levels. Continuous monitoring of soil Cd concentrations is a pivotal step in avoiding hazards to humans. Such monitoring is important on a global scale since outside of Asia, Brazil is the leading rice-producing and rice-consuming country. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] Department of Plant Protection Rural Engineering and Soils School of Engineering São Paulo State University School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences São Paulo State University, Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n Centre of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture Universidade de São Paulo Federal Institute of São Paulo Indian River Research and Education Centre Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences University of Florida Department of Biology and Chemistry California State University Dipartimento Di Architettura Design E Urbanistica Università Degli Studi Di Sassari Desertification Research Centre Università Degli Studi Di Sassari Department of Plant Protection Rural Engineering and Soils School of Engineering São Paulo State University School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences São Paulo State University, Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:29:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-05-01 Exploitation of tuff deposits represents an intensive and destructive human activity that can completely modify natural soils, sometimes leading to their total disappearance. Soil reclamation of quarry areas can usually be done by soil rebuilding, employing complex and expensive techniques. In this research, we aimed to evaluate reconstructed Technosols and associated vegetation, called pedotechnosystem (PTS) and their development and behaviour for tuff quarry reclamation for both environmental rehabilitation and agricultural purposes. Technosols were investigated under three different conditions: i) a control consisting of a constructed Technosol (CT) without additional treatments; ii) CT treated with conventional mineral fertilization (CTCF); and, iii) CT treated with a composted mix of commercial organic amendments (CTOA). Different open-air mesocosms (pots) were investigated and evaluated in terms of: i) development, production, and metabolomic profile of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), olive (Olea europaea L.), and grapevine (Vitis Vinifera L. ssp. Sativa) in a mixture with a pasture species: ii) the Technosols physical-chemical responses. Specifically, after 15 months, all investigated PTS were evaluated in terms of: i) pasture species total dry matter (TDM) production, height (H), stem diameter (D) and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) content of dry matter; ii) physical-chemical analyses of all investigated substrates; iii) olive, grape, and rosemary characterization by analysing N, P, and K content in dry leaves as well as their metabolomic profile. Statistical differences among treatments were ascertained through ANOVA, while observed variability was interpreted using a principal factor analysis (PFA). Use of CTOA resulted in statistically (p < 0.05) higher performances in terms of TDM as well as P contents in harvested pasture species. In CTOA, more favourable pH conditions (near neutral) for plant growth were observed; additionally, such PTS showed the best performances in terms of soil organic matter (SOM), total N, and P as well as an improvement for most of the investigated organic fractions and relative humification indexes. Identified metabolites varied greatly by species, underscoring the capability of metabolites in fingerprinting different species and related responses to environmental stress factors. Results from PFA showed that: i) CTOA produced better growing conditions and agronomic performance among all investigated PTS; ii) metabolomic profiles are a reliable fingerprint for investigating plant responses to environmental stress and can help differentiate behaviour that follows. Overall, the research demonstrated that CTOA represents a low-cost easily applicable technique for soil rebuilding in tuff quarry areas. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali Biologiche e Farmaceutiche Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Vivaldi n° 43 Dipartimento di Architettura e Disegno Industriale Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” Abazia di San Lorenzo, via San Lorenzo Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IRSA-CNR), V.le F. de Blasio, 5 Department of Plant Protection Rural Engineering and Soils São Paulo State University, Av. Brazil Sul n◦ 56 Center of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Centenário n◦ 303 USDA-NRCS Ecological Sciences Division Dipartimento di Architettura Design e Urbanistica Università Degli Studi di Sassari, Via Piandanna No 4 Desertification Research Centre Università Degli Studi di Sassari, Viale Italia No 39 Department of Plant Protection Rural Engineering and Soils São Paulo State University, Av. Brazil Sul n◦ 56

Naturally infertile soils require large amounts of mineral fertilizers to obtain the desired crop yield. In the Cerrado region of Brazil, there is a need to investigate the potential of organic fertilizers to sustainably increase crop productivity and food security. A field study was conducted over two experimental seasons to evaluate the agronomic effectiveness of composted sewage sludge (CSS) as a fertilizer for soybean cultivation in infertile tropical soils. A 4 &times, 2 + 2 factorial randomized complete block design was applied with the following treatments: (i) CSS: 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, and 12.5 Mg ha&minus, 1 on a wet basis applied according to two different methods: whole area (WA) or between rows (BR), (ii) comparison with two alternative treatments: a control with no CSS and mineral fertilizer application, and an area treated with conventional fertilizers only. All the treatments were compared in terms of micronutrient concentrations in surface soil and plant leaves, plant development, crop productivity, and yield. Bi- (ANOVA, correlation matrix, and polynomial regression analysis) and multivariate (PCA, principal factor analysis) statistics were applied to determine statistical differences and relationships/observed variability among the treatments. Results showed that at higher CSS-WA rates: (i) soil and leaf micronutrient concentrations increased, (ii) there was an increase in soybean yield by 12 and 20%, respectively, as compared to control and conventional fertilization, (iii) soybean yield was 67% higher than the mean soybean yields for Brazil. Research outcomes confirm the benefits of CSS application on infertile agricultural soils in the Cerrado region, representing a strong alternative source of micronutrients in the CSS with respect to conventional fertilizers.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T02:44:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-10-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) ASCRS Research Foundation Sewage sludge can be used as a source of organic matter and nutrients, whereas sugarcane bagasse can be used as a decompaction material; by composting a mixture of the two, a low-cost substrate for forest nurseries can be obtained. This research investigated the use of composted sewage sludge with sugarcane bagasse (CSB) as a commercial substrate in nurseries to grow seedlings of the hybrid clone Eucalyptus urograndis. Several CSB treatments were evaluated in comparison with a control (no P addition) and a commercial substrate (CS). Before composting, CSB was conditioned with P to increase its final concentration: CSB+1.5, 3.0, and 4.5% triple superphosphate (TP) or reactive phosphate (RP). After 120 d, the Eucalyptus response to all eight substrates was assessed by: i) plant morphological traits (H, height; D, diameter; SB, shoot biomass; RB, root biomass; TB, total dry biomass; GCI, green color intensity; and root system quality) and ii) chemical parameters of shoots and roots. Significant differences among treatments were ascertained using an ANOVA, and variability was interpreted using principal factor analysis (PFA). The treatment with CSB+3% TP (TP3.0) exhibited statistically (p < 0.05) higher performance in regards to morphological parameters (H, D, SB, TB) and the nutrient contents of shoots and roots (N, P, Ca, Na, Mn, Zn, and Cu) than the other treatments and control. The results suggest that B and K could play a fundamental role in both the observed variability and the improved plant performance in the TP3.0 substrate. PFA also showed i) the key role of OM as the primary source/sink of some pivotal macronutrients/heavy metals and ii) the existence of important antagonistic/synergistic effects between elements as a primary driver affecting the concentration/behavior of elements in the shoot/root system. Overall, the research demonstrated that with an addition of only 3.0% TP, the CSB performance was better than the most commonly used and widespread commercial substrate in industrial forest nurseries. Dipartimento di Architettura Design e Urbanistica Università Degli Studi di Sassari, Via Piandanna No 4 Department of Forest Soil and Environmental Sciences College of Agricultural Sciences São Paulo State University (UNESP) Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali Biologiche e Farmaceutiche Università Della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Vivaldi No 43 Desertification Research Centre Università Degli Studi di Sassari, Viale Italia No 39 Department of Forest Soil and Environmental Sciences College of Agricultural Sciences São Paulo State University (UNESP)

Today, a forest is also understood as a real social actor with multiple-scale influences, capable of significantly conditioning the social, economic, and cultural system of a whole territory. The aim of this paper is to reconstruct and interpret the population&rsquo, s perception of the silvicultural activities related to traditional use of forest resources of the southwestern Sardinian Marganai State Forest. The &ldquo, Marganai case&rdquo, has brought to the attention of the mass media the role of this forest and its silviculture. The research was carried out via semi-structured interviews with the main stakeholders in the area. The qualitative approach in the collection and analysis of the information gathered has allowed us to reconstruct the historical-cultural and social cohesion function that the forest plays in rural communities. The results highlight that the main risks concern the erosion of the cultural forest heritage due to the abandonment of the rural dimension (mainly by the new generations, but not only), with the consequent spread of deep distortions in the perception, interpretation, and necessity of forestry activities and policy.

The practice of coppicing is debated in the literature for the risk factors associated with soil erosion. Although erosion experiments provide useful data for estimating the susceptibility to soil erosion, there are many open questions that cannot be solved in isolated experiments, but which can be assessed by activating a long-term monitoring process. In this way, it is possible to correctly frame the spatial and temporal scale of soil erosion in coppice forests. The aim of the work is to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of remote sensing data in combination with field data, for monitoring the evolution of forest stands interested by coppicing in relation to soil erosion. We have installed a long-term monitoring network for erosion estimation, while Sentinel-2C satellite data were used for the period 2016-2018. Starting from this dataset, a selection of vegetation indices was calculated and compared to the morphological and topographical parameters of the study area, as well as the above-ground data collected during field activities. Using the Canonical Correspondences Analysis (CCA) the relationships between the matrix of vegetation indices, topographic and vegetational parameters and the respective performances of this protocol have been explored in order to describe the evolution of the forest stands in the study area associated to soil losses.

Sardinia (Italy), the second largest island of the Mediterranean Sea, is a fire-prone land. Most Sardinian environments over time were shaped by fire, but some of them are too intrinsically fragile to withstand the currently increasing fire frequency. Calcareous pedoenvironments represent a significant part of Mediterranean areas, and require important efforts to prevent long-lasting degradation from fire. The aim of this study was to assess through an integrated multiple approach the impact of a single and highly severe wildland fire on limestone-derived soils. For this purpose, we selected two recently burned sites, Sant'Antioco and Laconi. Soil was sampled from 80 points on a 100 × 100 m grid – 40 in the burned area and 40 in unburned one – and analyzed for particle size fractions, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, total N, total P, and water repellency (WR). Fire behavior (surface rate of spread (ROS), fireline intensity (FLI), flame length (FL)) was simulated by BehavePlus 5.0.5 software. Comparisons between burned and unburned areas were done through ANOVA as well as deterministic and stochastic interpolation techniques; multiple correlations among parameters were evaluated by principal factor analysis (PFA) and differences/similarities between areas by principal component analysis (PCA). In both sites, fires were characterized by high severity and determined significant changes to some soil properties. The PFA confirmed the key ecological role played by fire in both sites, with the variability of a four-modeled components mainly explained by fire parameters, although the induced changes on soils were mainly site-specific. The PCA revealed the presence of two main “driving factors”: slope (in Sant'Antioco), which increased the magnitude of ROS and FLI; and soil properties (in Laconi), which mostly affected FL. In both sites, such factors played a direct role in differentiating fire behavior and sites, while they played an indirect role in determining some effects on soil.

The soil–culture relationship has been investigated from various points of view. Surprisingly, however, there is a marked absence of papers investigating the way such a fragile resource has been re...

This study aimed to assess the impacts of composted sewage sludge and steel mill slag on urban soil fertility and tree growth. The research was conducted in an urban area (Botucatu, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil) characterised by extremely unfertile urban soils and with high production of these wastes. Plant growth, soil physico-chemical properties, and chemical composition of leafs were analysed during a 12-month field experiment. Principal factor analysis (PFA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were applied in the evaluation of the investigated soil-plant system. The results showed that soil fertility was increased by the combination of applied waste materials, which provided good conditions for full plant development and maintenance. PFA showed that the variability of the investigated model was mainly due to the role of soil organic matter as source/sink of soil heavy metals. CCA showed that the investigated soil-plant system was characterised by time-dependent evolution, with an equilibrium reached during the final stages, suggesting that the obtained results may be realistic from a long-term perspective. This study provides evidence that composted sewage sludge and steel mill slag are acceptable alternatives for improving urban soil quality and tree growth. The reuse of these wastes could provide a low-cost alternative for their complex and expensive management and disposal with, additionally, the possibility of turning currently bulky refuse material into a commodity.

Wildfires are a major disturbance in the Mediterranean Basin and an ecological factor that constantly alters the landscape. In this context, it is crucial to understand where wildfires are more likely to occur as well as the drivers guiding them in complex landscapes such as the Mediterranean area. The objectives of this study are to estimate wildfire probability occurrence as a function of biophysical and human-related drivers, to provide an assessment of the relative impact of each driver and analyze the performance of machine learning techniques compared to traditional regression modeling. By employing an Artificial Neural Network model and fire data (2004–2012), we estimated wildfire probability across two geographical regions covering most of the Italian territory: Alpine and subalpine region and Insular and peninsular region. The high classification accuracy (0.68 for the Alpine and subalpine region and 0.76 for the Insular and peninsular region) and good performances of the technique (AUC values of 0.82 and 0.76, respectively) suggest that our model can be used in the areas studied to assess wildfire probability occurrence. We compared our model with a logistic function, which showed a weaker predictive power (AUC values of 0.78 for the Alpine and subalpine region and 0.65 for the Insular and peninsular region) compared to the Artificial Neural Network. In addition, we assessed the importance of each variable by isolating it in the model. The importance of an individual variable differed between the two regions, underscoring the high diversity of wildfire occurrence drivers in Mediterranean landscapes. Results show that in the Alpine and subalpine region, the presence of forest is the most important variable, while climate resulted as being the most important variable in the Insular and peninsular region. The majority of areas recently affected by large wildfires in both regions have been correctly classified by the ANN model as ‘high fire probability’. Hence, the use of an Artificial Neural Network is efficient and robust for understanding the probability of wildfire occurrence in Italy and other similar complex landscapes.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T17:33:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-01-01 Phenolic compounds (PCs) - with special reference to secondary plant metabolites - were characterised in two Mediterranean olive groves (Olea europaea L.). Representative pedological profiles were dug to identify and characterise the pedotype. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were carried out on soil core samples gathered at fixed depths (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) and olive leaf methanol extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The total PCs content reflected the soil organic carbon distribution, especially carbon of humic and fulvic acids, corroborating their crucial role in humification pathways. Among the analysed plant secondary metabolites, luteolin-4'-O-glucoside and verbascoside were the most abundant in leaves and soils, respectively. Most of the easily hydrolysed/metabolised phenols were not found in soils. Rutin and verbascoside, despite containing glucose, strongly persisted in the soil environment, probably due to their allelopathic effect. Oleuropein was not found in soils because it is highly soluble and mobile in the soil environment. Furthermore, the presence of clay in soil seemed to determine the accumulation of specific PCs. Our data suggest that PCs persistence in soil seems to be mainly determined by a balance between physicochemical and biochemical instability and allelopathic stability rather than their abundance in the plant. Univ Campania Luigi Vanvitellil, Dept Environm Biol & Pharmaceut Sci & Technol, Caserta, Italy Sao Paulo State Univ, Sch Engn, Dept Plant Protect Rural Engn & Soils, Sao Paulo, Brazil Univ Sassari, Dept Architecture Design & Urban Planning, Sassari, Italy Sao Paulo State Univ, Sch Engn, Dept Plant Protect Rural Engn & Soils, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-04T12:34:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-03-10 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Sewage sludge (SS) reuse in forest plantation as soil fertilizer/amendment has tremendously increased in recent years. However, SS may have high concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTE), representing a potential risk for soil and the whole ecosystem. This paper was aimed to assess the toxicity of PTE in unfertile tropical soils amended with SS in a commercial Eucalyptus plantation, with an integrated multiple approaches combining: i) the use of a battery of bioassays (Daphnia magna, Pseudokcrichirella subcapitata, Lactuca sativa, and Allium cepa); and ii) the evaluation of some PTE (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and their availability into the pedoenvironment. Differences in total and available PTE between SS doses and time of treatments were evaluated using ANOVA; correlations between PTE and bioassays by a sparse partial robust M-regression (SPRM), while multiple correlations among parameters were performed by principal factor analysis (PFA). Results show that PTE contents in soils tended to increase with SS application doses. However this cannot be assumed as a general rule since in all the investigated treatments the PTE concentrations were consistently below both soil natural background concentrations and quality reference values. Bioassays showed a generalized low eco- and genotoxicity of SS with an increase in toxicity at increasing SS doses but with a clear decreasing trend as time went by. A. cepa was the most sensitive bioassay followed by P. subcapitata > D. magna > L. sativa. Overall, the results indicate that in realistic open field conditions SS risk may be lower than expected due to dynamic decrease in PTE toxicity with time after application. This study has an important implication that open-field trials should be strongly encouraged for evaluating environmental risk of SS application in forestry. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Nucl Energy Agr, BR-13400970 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Groningen, Gelifes Microbial Ecol Cluster, NL-9747 AG Groningen, Netherlands Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Plant Protect Rural Engn & Soils, Sch Engn, BR-15 38500 Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil Univ Sassari, Dipartimento Agr, Via Colombo 1, I-08100 Nuoro, Italy Vienna Univ Technol, CSTAT Computat Stat, Inst Stat & Math Methods Econ, Wiedner Hauptstr 8-10, A-1040 Vienna, Austria Biossolido Agr & Ambiente Ltda, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Biossolo Serv Agron & Ambientais Ltda, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Florida, Inst Food & Agr Sci, Indian River Res & Educ Ctr, Ft Pierce, FL 34945 USA Univ Sassari, Dipartimento Architettura Design & Urbanist, Via Colombo 1, I-08100 Nuoro, Italy Univ Sassari, Desertificat Res Ctr, Viale Italia 39, I-07100 Sassari, Italy Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Plant Protect Rural Engn & Soils, Sch Engn, BR-15 38500 Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 2004/15097-0 CNPq: 485205/2012-2 CNPq: 312728/2017-4 FAPESP: 2006/52174-9 FAPESP: 2017/26375-1 CAPES: 001

Local knowledge refers to the understandings, skills, and philosophies developed by societies with long histories of interaction with their environment. Place names (toponyms) can be considered an important mirror of the local knowledge and perceptions about the surrounding living space. The aim of this research has been to investigate, through an integrated ethnopedological approach, the meaning and distribution of toponyms, with particular (but not sole) reference to pedonyms (toponyms connected to soil resources) used in the traditional and recent cartography of Sardinia (southern Italy). As a paradigmatic case study, the toponyms belonging to an important sub-region of Sardinia, the Gulf of Oristano (central-western Sardinia), have been investigated. To draw appropriate comparisons between local and scientific knowledge, the research was conducted through the following approach: i) toponymy research and collection from different sources; ii) database creation and toponym translation; iii) categorization of toponyms; iv) soil field investigation and analysis of several physical–chemical parameters; and v) graphical, statistical (including multivariate analysis), and cartographic data processing. Generally speaking, the research shows that toponymy cannot be intended merely as a contextual geographic practice aiming to attribute a specific place name to a predefined geographical space. It rather represents a complex and articulated dynamic objectivation (in terms of the conversion of a concept or abstraction into an object) of a geographic entity. This process is the consequence of a strong, deep, and often conflicting interaction among humans, culture, and the surrounding environment. During the Anthropocene period, the influence of human activities on toponymy has been so intensive that many place names are now coined to mainly indicate the “artificial” man-made features of an intensively anthropized environment. Such “technogenic toponyms” could represent the “written witness” of the Anthropocene during subsequent eras.

We have recently been made aware by the Forests Editorial Offices of some errors and omissions in the Introduction Section 1 [...]

The present investigation aims at modeling the kinetics of elements (Fe, Mg, K, Ca, Na, Al, and Si) release from zeolitic-rich Phlegraean Yellow Tuff weathered by tannic acid solutions at different concentration. Three equations were tested&mdash, power function, the Weber&ndash, Morris model, and the Elovich equation. Power function was revealed to be an excellent empirical equation well fitted to the experimental data. Its numerical parameters were suitable predictive tools, highlighting both the intensity and modality of weathering processes. By paralleling the dissolution rates, it was possible to allow rock-sources from which elements were released during three distinct weathering stages&mdash, (i) the first stage was dominated by biotite and amorphous weathering, (ii) the second stage also started with the breakdown of zeolite framework, and (iii) in the third stage, the whole of weathering/release process approached a steady state. Finally, these outcomes may be used to forecast the pedogenic/nutritional potential of zeolitic-rich tuffs as pedotechnical matrices in restoration design.

This review focuses on what are referred to as “anthropogenic soils” (AS). It investigates and clarifies their descriptions, definitions, and classifications in terms of the following: (i) historical temporal trends in AS research worldwide, (ii) geographic distribution at various scales, (iii) dominant research themes, (iv) main site features, and (v) dominant anthropogenic processes. To assess the current status of AS research from an international perspective, an inventory of published studies on AS and related grey literature was prepared and compiled in an annotated bibliography, supported by an electronic database and coupled with a geographic information system. From an initial raw collection of over 3000 issues, 925 references published in the last 70 years (1945–2014) were considered a “representative population” of research focused on AS proper. Analysis of this source of information reveals that AS research is becoming increasingly consolidated. Indeed, it now represents an innovative field among soil sciences, expanding its conceptual scope and scientific production. AS research is spread over 64 different countries, mainly in Europe and North America. The USA is the most investigated country, with AS studies becoming extremely popular from 1965 to 1974 and increasing considerably thereafter. In all other countries, AS investigations only became very popular in the decade 1995–2004. On a worldwide scale, the most investigated urban areas (UA) are Berlin, Moscow, and New York City, while several important metropolises have been partially or entirely neglected. Interestingly, the review shows that although humans are able to significantly alter, transform, manipulate, and damage soil, with an incredible number of negative effects, the transformation of “natural” soils into AS may also have unexpected benefits. It is hypothesized that AS research will become increasingly popular within the international scientific community over the next decades, with particular reference to those characterizing UA (such as Technosols). Finally, it is scientifically recognized worldwide how much AS can deviate from natural soils (in terms of physicochemical features, pedogenic processes, matter and energy fluxes). Therefore, we suggest definitively highlighting such differences, defining those parts of the pedosphere characterized by AS cover as the “anthropedosphere.”

In taking an integrated ethnopedological approach, this study aims to investigate the meaning of the distribution of the toponyms used in traditional and recent cartography of Sardinia (southern Italy). It is particularly, but not only, focused on those related to soil resources. Sardinia is particularly interesting in this respect, as its unique history, geography, and linguistic position makes it one of the Italian and Mediterranean regions with the greatest number of toponyms. This research investigated the toponyms belonging to an important sub-region of Sardinia, called Ogliastra (central-eastern Sardinia). The research was conducted through the following integrated approach: i) toponymy research and collection from different sources; ii) database creation and translation of toponyms from the Sardinian language (SL); iii) categorization of toponyms; and iv) graphical, statistical, and cartographic data processing. Distribution and diversity of toponyms were assessed using the compiled database, coupled with a geographical information system (GIS). Of around 7700 toponyms collected, 79% had already been reported in SL, while just 21% were in Italian. Of the toponyms in SL, 77% are of known meaning and 54% of these toponyms were characterized by a meaning directly and/or indirectly connected to specific environmental features. On the whole, morphology would appear to be the primary environmental factor able to explain the complex, articulated presence, distribution, and typology of the investigated toponyms. A least squares regression analysis of pedodiversity vs. topodiversity shows a very closed distribution, with an impressive high correlation index (R2 = 0.824). The principal factor analysis (PFA) shows that such a connection may be morphologically based, thereby confirming that pedodiversity and topodiversity are strongly linked each other. Overall, the research shows that an integrated ethnopedological approach, combining indigenous and scientific knowledge may be of great interest in order to mitigate the impressive phenomena of the indigenous knowledge lost.