Land consumption and climate change have intensified natural disasters in urban areas. In response to these emergencies under the European 2030 Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals have been established to improve ecosystem protection and increase resilience and adaptation to natural disasters globally (Goal 13 “Climate action” and Goal 15 “Life on land”). In order to implement governance tools appropriately, it is necessary to know the relationships among the drivers, the changes in the state of urban ecosystems and agro-ecosystems, and the impact on the supply of goods and services at spatial and temporal scales. In this paper, Land-Use and Land-Cover Changes (LULCCs) in the metropolitan area of Rome have been investigated, with the purpose of detecting the synergistic variations in the supply of the flood mitigation and agricultural production ecosystem services (ES). The methodology is based on a GIS (Geographic Information System) analysis that identifies the transformation processes and permanencies related to land-cover. The variation in flood mitigation services was quantified through the use of the Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Model (UFRM) from the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) suite, while the variation in agricultural production through productivity coefficients was associated with changes in land-uses. Finally, an analysis of LULC-induced synergies and trade-offs between the two services was performed. The results show a net negative change in ES supply, caused mainly by urbanization at the expense of agricultural land. This decrease in ES supply is not offset by other LULCC transitions. In addition, the analysis of synergies and trade-offs between flood mitigation ES and agricultural production ES (in arable land, orchards, vineyards, and olive groves) shows that the reduction of agricultural land negatively affects both ES. The innovative contribution of this paper lies in setting an integrated methodology that is able to investigate how LULCC influences both hydraulic safety and food security. Findings can be useful to support planning of enhancing the role of agriculture in metropolitan areas.

Changes in land use and land cover (LULC) are caused by several factors, including climate change, socio-demographic dynamics, human pressures and urban sprawl. These factors alter the structure and functionality of ecosystems and their capacity to provide ecosystem goods and services to society. The study of LULC changes is important for understanding the dynamics of relationships between environmental, social and economic components and for analyzing the factors affecting natural capital. Including ecosystem services (ES) in spatial planning tools and sectoral policies is useful for improving governance. In this paper, the impact of LULC changes on ES provision has been estimated. To this end, we carried out a literature review (Step 1) to select the biophysical and economic coefficients of ES supply by land cover classes and collect them in a database (Step 2). We subsequently aggregated the economic and biophysical coefficients by macro classes (Step 3) and, using the benefit transfer approach, we estimated the change in the supply of ESs concerning permanence and transition phenomena in Italy from 1990 to 2018 (Step 4). The transition phenomena analysis also allowed us to evaluate the consequences of urbanization and urban green space governance on ES supply. Indeed, these urban green spaces can help reduce risks to people’s health and safety and mitigate the effects induced by climate change. In total, approximately 800 coefficients (biophysical and economic) of ESs supplied by Corine Land Cover classes were acquired. The results show a reduction in the annual supply of ecosystem services of EUR 927 million (2022) caused by LULC changes between 1990 and 2018. This research proposes a methodology to improve knowledge of ESs concerning anthropogenic impacts and to support land-use planning policies regarding Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals.

In recent decades, modeling approaches of ecosystem services (ES) have been used extensively at the international level, providing useful tools during the decision-making process by integrating both physical and economic information, thus improving its management. The relationship between supply and demand may impact social welfare: for example, a deficit in ES could negatively influence demand (either potential or effective). For this reason, the relational study between supply and demand is necessary for the sustainable management of natural resources; particularly since the demand for some ES must be fulfilled not only on a local scale but also globally (as in the case of regulatory ES). This paper proposes an ES analysis framework that links the flow of services (supply) generated by the interaction between natural, human and social capital with consumption (demand) connected to potential beneficiaries. Specifically, we analyze three ES: Forage production, regulation of local climate (PM₁₀), and carbon sequestration in three national parks (Aspromonte National Park, Circeo National Park, and Appennino Tosco Emiliano National Park). The use of synthetic (biophysical) indicators, on a spatial basis, made it possible to quantify the supply and demand of specific catchments with the aim of accounting for the surplus/deficit through the calculation of the ES supply and demand ratio (ESDR). In fact, sustainable land management requires a balance between supply and demand in relation to the different needs of the stakeholders and local community. The relationship between supply and demand of ES can help identify resource use trade-offs, thus rendering the achievement of management and protection objectives more efficient. Lastly, through the use of monetary coefficients, it was possible to calculate the benefits of increasing the awareness of public decision-makers of ES’s value and the importance of implementing integrated strategies for environmental protection and enhancement.

In their work, scientists are responsible for stating a purpose, defining experimental conditions, producing data, describing and analyzing these data by statistical means, arguing by comparison with the literature, and drawing conclusions. When a manuscript is submitted for publication, no assessment of the direct and indirect environmental impacts of producing the work is reported. In this context, the aim of our study is to suggest schematic methods to assess, reduce, and mitigate the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by three different papers (two scientific articles and a conference proceeding) previously published by the same authors. The results reported here show proposals and actions to contribute to the reduction of environmental impacts: a preliminary assessment of the inputs and outputs was initially converted into CO₂ equivalents (CO₂ eq.) and, subsequently, into partial mitigation action through the allocation of the planting of additional plants. Furthermore, real traceability and an opportunity to verify the close connection between initial works (papers and conference book) causing the environmental impact and new green life are suggested. Finally, we propose a new label (S-Paper to T-Plant) for eco-friendly guidelines.

This paper examines how spatial dynamics have impacted natural capital and the provision of ecosystem services. The units outlined by the National Strategy for Inland Areas (SNAI) have been used as the territorial units for this study. The SNAI is a public policy focused on enhancing the quality of services to citizens (such as transportation, healthcare, and education). It proposes the economic revitalization of inland areas undergoing processes of marginalization. Our focus on inland areas stems from two primary reasons: first, no previous studies in Italy have analyzed the changes in ecosystem services in SNAI areas; and second, SNAI areas are well-suited to providing ecosystem services that are in demand by urban areas. Although this study does not cover all aspects inherent to the topic, it represents a starting point aimed at understanding the links between environmental and socio-economic dynamics and ecosystem service changes. This is essential for both current and future generations. By analyzing the processes of permanence and transformation, modifications in the supply–demand balance have hereby been studied, as well as the economic variations in ecosystem services. The period considered runs from 1990 to 2018. These findings could help governmental institutions in developing sustainable governance models, in line with spatial policies and strategies.

This study aims to explore the relationship between the provision of ecosystem services (ESs) and other territorial characteristics. Taking Italian Metropolitan Regions (MRs) as case studies, the gradient of specialization providing a set of ESs in different territorial contexts is examined using the National Strategy for Internal Areas (SNAI) territorial classification. The main objective of this research is to understand whether there is a spatial pattern of location of different ESs within metropolitan SNAI areas. Inspired by Von Thünen’s spatial economic theories, this study explores how proximity to urban centers influences land use and ES specialization. Through land use analysis and the calculation of a SI, we evaluate patterns in ES supply, based on a benefit transfer approach. The results show that the MRs provide about EUR 14.6 billion per year in benefits, equivalent to 15% of the national wealth in environmental goods and services. At the SNAI area scale, internal areas have the highest average economic values per hectare, while the central areas have lower economic values. This trend is confirmed by the calculation of the specialization index (SI) in line with Von Thünen’s theorem as follows: central areas are specialized in the provision of bundles of ESs related to intensive land use (e.g., food production), while the peripheral areas are specialized in the supply of regulation ESs related to more natural areas. The findings underline significant policy implications for metropolitan planning, stressing the need for the balanced management of ESs to address urban demands and enhance resilience. This research contributes to understanding the spatial dynamics of ES supply, offering a basis for tailored interventions in metropolitan and national contexts.