Urban sprawl and desertification risk: unraveling the latent nexus in a mediterranean country

Egidi, Gianluca; Quaranta, Giovanni; Salvia, Rosanna; Salvati, Luca; Včeláková, Renata; Cudlín, Pavel

doi:10.1080/09640568.2021.1886913

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…These findings may also contribute to inform specific measures and actions oriented toward a "Zero Net" Land Degradation Strategy (i.e., referring to the notion of land degradation neutrality (LDN) recently introduced by the United Nations Committee to Combat Desertification, UNCCD) addressing the speci-ficity of the Italian socioeconomic contexts (Egidi et al, 2021). Future research should also investigate how the changing level of risk-as it was documented in our study-can impact LDN ambitions and possible policy achievements, in Italy as well as in other Mediterranean countries affected by a similar risk level (e.g., Egidi et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…For each observation year (1961,1991,2011), municipalities were classified as exposed or not exposed to desertification risk based on the criterion illustrated above (e.g., a municipality with an average ESAI > 1.375 was regarded as "exposed" because it is, on average, under "critical" land conditions). Descriptive statistics were proposed for each socioeconomic risk criterion (six variables, see above) comparing the appropriate statistics (e.g., averages, percentages) in "exposed" versus "nonexposed" areas (Egidi et al, 2021(Egidi et al, , 2022.…”

Section: Risk Dimensions and Socioeconomic Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Assuming the increased impact of both exogenous processes (e.g., climate warming) and endogenous forces (e.g., social, cultural, institutional and political change, evolution of productive structures, global economic and financial crises) on land resource quality (e.g., Barbati et al., 2013), a more precise identification of the multiple factors underlying desertification risk is a policy‐relevant issue (Egidi et al., 2021; Kacem et al., 2021; Karamesouti et al., 2018). Human dimensions are demonstrated to play a major role shaping desertification risk in Southern Europe (Egidi et al., 2022; Morianou et al., 2021; Wilson & Juntti, 2005). For instance, population concentration in fragile areas exacerbates the background environmental conditions toward a tangible risk of desertification (Gavalas et al., 2014; Iosifides & Politidis, 2005; Reynolds & Stafford‐Smith, 2002; Romm, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Framing socioecological complexity: The long‐term evolution of multiple dimensions of desertification risk in Italy

Salvati

2022

Risk Analysis

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Desertification risk depends on the interplay of biophysical and socioeconomic drivers, among which climate change, soil depletion, landscape modifications, and biodiversity decline are key factors of change in Southern Europe. The present study introduces a diachronic analysis of desertification risk in Italy adopting a multidimensional approach based on four dimensions (ecological, economic, demographic, and administrative) assessed at three dates (1961, 1991, and 2011). These risk components were evaluated separately in Southern Italy, a formerly affected region (sensu United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification), and Northern/Central Italy, a nonaffected region in the country. All risk measures document how the divide between affected and nonaffected regions in Italy has gradually reduced. Because of local warming and rising human pressure, Northern Italy has recently displayed a level of desertification risk close to those observed in Southern Italy over the last 30 years. These results suggest a thorough revision of the national classification of risky areas, that may inform more specific mitigation and adaptation policies responding effectively to recent socioenvironmental trends and local (economic) dynamics. The intrinsic system's evolution observed at both regional and national level in Italy may be generalized to a broader European context. Our work finally documents the appropriateness of a multidimensional definition of desertification risk grounded on the joint analysis of ecological, demographic, economic, and administrative indicators. A comprehensive knowledge of socioeconomic patterns and processes of change contributes to more precise scenario modeling and design of integrated strategies mitigating desertification risk.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Risk Dimensions and Socioeconomic Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Framing socioecological complexity: The long‐term evolution of multiple dimensions of desertification risk in Italy

Salvati

2022

Risk Analysis

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“…As major land-use changes are expected in the future as a result of climate change (Cudlín et al, 2020), national and regional policies have to face with environmental degradation spirals through effective (i.e., spatially explicit and temporally coherent) measures managing the intimate factors of ecological instability delineated in our study (Skaloš et al, 2014). Among others, land abandonment and forest degradation in uplands/mountainous districts, agriculture intensification and the consequent pollution in lowlands, as well as urban growth, infrastructural development and landscape fragmentation in accessible (and economically dynamic) districts require an integrated, trans-scalar policy response at both normative (i.e., administrative) and functional (i.e., landscape) intervention level (Egidi et al, 2022;Smiraglia et al, 2016;Zambon et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Toward spatially polarized human pressure? A dynamic factor analysis of ecological stability and the role of territorial gradients in Czech Republic

Pechanec

Prokopová

Salvati

et al. 2023

Environ Monit Assess

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multidimensional, diachronic analysis of 28 indicators of territorial disparities, and ecological stability in 206 homogeneous administrative units of Czech Republic over almost 30 years (1990-2018). Mixing time-invariant factors with time-varying socio-environmental attributes, a dynamic factor analysis investigated the latent relationship between ecosystem functions, environmental pressures, and the background socioeconomic characteristics of the selected spatial units. We identified four geographical gradients in Czech Republic (namely elevation, economic agglomeration, demographic structure, and soil imperviousness) at the base of territorial divides associated with the increased polarization in areas

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“…The process of land desertification has emerged as a critical ecological and social issue with significant implications for the survival and progress of humanity 1 . The desertification area in the world has reached more than 400 million hm 2 , of which the seriously desertified land is nearly 20 million hm 2 , and is still expanding at the rate of 300,000 hm 2 per year 2 , 3 . China faces a scarcity of land resources, with a per capita cultivated land area that is only a quarter of the world average 4 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The soft rock can promote the improvement of aeolian sandy soil in Mu Us Sandy Land, China

Guo

Zhang

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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This study focuses on the significance of improving the land degradation of Mu Us Sandy Land to increase cultivated land area and promote ecological green development. The research objects were four kinds of mixed soils, and rhizosphere soils were collected during the crop harvesting period. The volume ratio of soft rock to sand was 0:1 (control check, CK), 1:5 (composite soil one, PS1), 1:2 (composite soil two, PS2), and 1:1 (composite soil three, PS3). The results showed that the large aggregates were primarily mechanically stable aggregates, while the small aggregates were mainly water-stable aggregates. The soft rock promoted the increase of clay and silt content in sandy soil, and the soil texture changed from sand to loam. The contents of organic matter, available phosphorus, and available potassium increased significantly under PS2 and PS3 treatments, but there was no significant difference between them. Total nitrogen had no significant difference among treatments. Actinobaciota, Proteobateria, and Chloroflexi were the dominant bacteria in rhizosphere soil, accounting for about 75% of all microorganisms. At the Genus level, the soft rock contributes to richer species composition. The diversity index, evenness index, and richness index was higher in PS1, and the available phosphorus and available potassium content promoted the increase of diversity. Therefore, when the proportion of soft rock and sand compound soil is between 1: 5 and 1: 2, it can be used as an important basis and technical parameter for Mu Us Sandy Land improvement.

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Urban sprawl and desertification risk: unraveling the latent nexus in a mediterranean country

Cited by 9 publications

References 76 publications

Framing socioecological complexity: The long‐term evolution of multiple dimensions of desertification risk in Italy

Framing socioecological complexity: The long‐term evolution of multiple dimensions of desertification risk in Italy

Toward spatially polarized human pressure? A dynamic factor analysis of ecological stability and the role of territorial gradients in Czech Republic

The soft rock can promote the improvement of aeolian sandy soil in Mu Us Sandy Land, China

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