The development of low-cost and relatively simple tools to identify emerging land degradation across complex regions is fundamental to plan monitoring and intervention strategies. We propose a procedure that integrates multi-spectral satellite observations and air temperature data to detect areas where the current status of local vegetation and climate shows evident departures from the mean conditions of the investigated region. Our procedure was tested in Basilicata (Italy), which is a typical bio-geographic example of vulnerable Mediterranean landscape. We grouped Landsat TM/ETM+ NDVI and air temperature (T) data by vegetation cover type to estimate the statistical distributions of the departures of NDVI and T from the respective land cover class means. The pixels characterized by contextual left tail NDVI values and right tail T values that persisted in time (2002–2006) were classified as critical to land degradation. According to our results, most of the critical areas (88.6%) corresponded to forests affected by erosion and to riparian buffers that are shaped by fragmentation, as confirmed by aerial and in-situ surveys. Our procedure enables cost-effective screenings of complex areas able to identify raising hotspots that require urgent and deeper investigations.

The use of satellite data to detect forest areas impacted by extreme events, such as droughts, heatwaves, or fires is largely documented, however, the use of these data to identify the heterogeneity of the forests’ response to determine fine scale spatially irregular damage is less explored. This paper evaluates the health status of forests in southern Italy affected by adverse climate conditions during the hot and dry summer of 2017, using Sentinel-2 images (10m) and in situ data. Our analysis shows that the post-event—NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) decrease, observed in five experimental sites, well accounts for the heterogeneity of the local response to the climate event evaluated in situ through the Mannerucci and the Raunkiaer methods. As a result, Sentinel-2 data can be effectively integrated with biological information from field surveys to introduce continuity in the estimation of climate change impacts even in very heterogeneous areas whose details could not be captured by lower resolution observations. This integration appears to be a successful strategy in the study of the relationships between the climate and forests from a dynamical perspective.

Soil erosion is one of the most widespread soil degradation phenomena worldwide. Mediterranean landscapes, due to some peculiar characteristics, such as fragility of soils, steep slopes, and rainfall distribution during the year, are particularly subject to this phenomenon, with severe and complex issues for agricultural production and biodiversity protection. In this paper, we present a diachronic approach to the analysis of soil loss, which aims to account for climate variability and land cover dynamics by using remote data about rainfall and land cover to guarantee sufficient observational continuity. The study area (Basilicata, Southern Italy) is characterized by different local climates and ecosystems (temperate, Csa and Csb; arid steppic, Bsk; and cold, Dsb and Dsc), and is particularly suited to represent the biogeographical complexity of the Mediterranean Italy. The well-known Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was applied by integrating information from remote sensing to carry out decadal assessments (1994, 2004, 2014, and 2021) of the annual soil loss. Changes in the rainfall regime and vegetation cover activity were derived from CHIRPS and Landsat data, respectively, to obtain updated information useful for dynamical studies. For the analyzed region, soil loss shows a slight reduction (albeit always remarkable) over the whole period, and distinct spatial patterns between lowland Bsk and Mediterranean mountain Dsb and Dsc climate areas. The most alarming fact is that most of the study area showed soil erosion rates in 2021 greater than 11 t/ha*y, which is considered by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) the threshold for identifying severe erosion phenomena. A final comparison with local studies shows, on average, differences of about 5 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ (minimum 2.5 and maximum 7) with respect to the local estimates obtained with the RUSLE model. The assessment at a regional scale provided an average 9.5% of soil loss difference for the arable lands and about 10% for all cultivated areas. The spatial-temporal patterns enhance the relevance of using the cover management factor C derived from satellite data rather than land cover maps, as remote observations are able to highlight the heterogeneity in vegetation density within the same vegetation cover class, which is particularly relevant for agricultural areas. For mountain areas, the adoption of a satellite-gridded rainfall dataset allowed the detection of erosion rate fluctuations due to rainfall variability, also in the case of sparse or absent ground pluviometric stations. The use of remote data represents a precious added value to obtain a dynamic picture of the spatial-temporal variability of soil loss and new insights into the sustainability of soil use in a region whose economy is mostly based on agriculture and the exploitation of natural resources.

Seasonality is a fundamental feature of environmental systems which critically depend on the climate annual cycle. The regularity of the precipitation regime, in particular, is a basic factor to sustain equilibrium conditions. An incomplete or biased understanding of precipitation seasonality, in terms of temporal and spatial properties, could severely limit our ability to respond to climate risk, especially in areas with limited water resources or fragile ecosystems. Here, we analyze precipitation data from the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) at 0.05⁰ resolution to study the spatial features of the precipitation seasonality across different climate zones in Central-Southern Europe during the period 1981–2018. A cluster analysis of the average annual precipitation cycle shows that seasonality under the current climate can be synthesized in the form of a progressive deformation process of the annual cycle, which starts from the northernmost areas with maximum values in summer and ends in the south, where maximum values are recorded in winter. Our analysis is useful to detect local season-dependent changes, enhancing our understanding of the geography of climate change. As an example of application to this issue, we discuss the seasonality analysis in a simulated scenario based on IPCC projections.

The magnitude and frequency of Extreme Weather Events (EWEs) are increasing, causing changes in species distribution. We assessed the short-term effects of a late spring frost on beech forests, using satellite images to identify damaged forests and changes in v-egetation phenology, as well as to support the analyses on associated moth communities. The EWE caused crown dieback above 1400 m of altitude, recovered only after several weeks. Nine stands for moth sampling, settled in impacted and non-impacted forests, allowed us to study changes in moth communities and in the wingspan of the most impacted species. The EWE modified community structures, reducing the abundance of beech-feeder species, but leaving species richness unaltered. Operophtera fagata and Epirrita christyi, dominant before the EWE, lost 93% and 89% of their population, respectively. We found a general increase in the average wingspan for these species, caused by the loss of small specimens in most impacted forests, suggesting a re-colonization from non-impacted forests. According to our results, populations of some species could be more resilient than others after an EWE due to their different dispersal ability. Forest ecosystems appear to be dynamic entities able to cope with extreme weather events but, likely, only if they continue to occur in the future at the current rate.

Forest ecosystems are increasingly subject to disturbances, such as extreme (climate) events, fires and pathological outbreaks, which exert significant (and still poorly quantified) economic impacts, despite their intrinsic resilience. How forest management addresses these challenges will have profound effects on human health, environmental diversity, (ecological and economic) productivity and the ability of forest ecosystems to recovery from exogenous shocks. Assuming forests as ensuring ecosystem services that are vital to society and human well-being, in addition to providing wood material, a better knowledge of forest ecosystems appears a key requirement to delineate a developmental strategy that guarantees environmental protection objectives and achievement of climate and energy targets. In the context of Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the information available on forest management practices in Europe still seems not completely suitable to provide a comprehensive overview of ecosystem conditions, their economic value, and their biodiversity. Based on a literature review, the present contribution focuses on recent dynamics of the forestry sector in Europe, delineating the inherent complexity in the environmental-economic nexus. Additionally, the extensive use of a key natural resource such as wood exerts social implications for local districts adapting to ecological change—from climate warming to landscape transformations. In line with earlier studies, our paper confirms the role of the technical-economic dimension of forestry in sustainable development paths of districts and regions, affecting together (i) short-term economic dynamics, (ii) the growth prospects of the sector, (iii) the organization of the supply chain, (iv) the interconnections between companies, and (v) investment strategies at large. One of the major issues is the low reliability of official statistics to provide a coherent picture of the actual status of forest resources. At the same time, forestry practices are pivotal in maintaining habitats and species while increasing the timber production that remains (too) sustainable. This is the policy direction constantly given by the European Commission to stimulate over time public bodies and private (in whose hands is about 60% of European forests) to start virtuous paths in the circular economy with considerable repercussions in terms of additional jobs, recycled materials, mt of CO₂ equivalent avoided, and increase in community added value. In this context, forestry should assure a more ‘holistic’ contribution to sustainable development paths at various spatial scales. This means concentrating on both economic and environmental targets based on the identification of significant (ecological-economic) dimensions that may delineate future lines of investigation and policy intervention, while increasing between member countries and regional authorities.