Plant roots play a key role in stabilizing slopes, particularly in the Mediterranean region, characterized by rough and unstable terrain. However, forest species differ in their stabilizing capacities. The purpose of this study is to fill the gap of knowledge on root biomechanical properties of relevant Mediterranean trees and shrubs in relation to slope stability. Root specimens of typical montane Mediterranean tree and shrub species were sampled in Southern Italy. Root characteristics, such as tensile strength (T_r) and root area ratio (RAR), were assessed from live roots sampled in trenches, while root cohesion was calculated. Power law functions yielded the best fit for the relationship of T_r versus root diameter; however, no significant relationship was found between root strength and root moisture content. RAR varied amongst different tree and shrub species. Roots of Quercus cerris L. were the most resistant to breaking under tension, while roots of Ilex aquifolium L. had the highest tensile strength among all shrub species. Results provide quantitative information on the role of root systems of montane Mediterranean forest species in stabilizing soils and will improve modeling of landslide susceptibility to the prevention and mitigation of natural hazards in mountain environments.

Shallow landslides are an increasing concern in Italy and worldwide because of the frequent association with vegetation management. As vegetation cover plays a fundamental role in slope stability, we developed a GIS-based model to evaluate the influence of plant roots on slope safety, and also included a landslide susceptibility map. The GIS-based model, 4SLIDE, is a physically based predictor for shallow landslides that combines geological, topographical, and hydrogeological data. The 4SLIDE combines the infinite slope model, TOPMODEL (for the estimation of the saturated water level), and a vegetation root strength model, which facilitates prediction of locations that are more susceptible for shallow landslides as a function of forest cover. The aim is to define the spatial distribution of Factor of Safety (FS) in steep-forested areas. The GIS-based model 4SLIDE was tested in a forest mountain watershed located in the Sila Greca (Cosenza, Calabria, South Italy) where almost 93% of the area is covered by forest. The sensitive ROC analysis (Receiver Operating Characteristic) indicates that the model has good predictive capability in identifying the areas sensitive to shallow landslides. The localization of areas at risk of landslides plays an important role in land management activities because landslides are among the most costly and dangerous hazards.

Timber assortments are some of the most important goods provided by forests worldwide. To quantify the amount and type of timber assortment is strongly important for socio-economic purposes, but also for accurate assessment of the carbon stored in the forest ecosystems, regardless of their main function. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) became a promising tool for timber assortment assessment compared to the traditional surveys, allowing reconstructing the tree architecture directly and rapidly. This study aims to introduce an approach for timber assortment assessment using TLS data in a mixed and multi-layered Mediterranean forest. It consists of five steps: (1) pre-processing, (2) timber-leaf discrimination, (3) stem detection, (4) stem reconstruction, and (5) timber assortment assessment. We assume that stem form drives the stem reconstruction, and therefore, it influences the timber assortment assessment. Results reveal that the timber-leaf discrimination accuracy is 0.98 through the Random Forests algorithm. The overall detection rate for all trees is 84.4%, and all trees with a diameter at breast height larger than 0.30 m are correctly identified. Results highlight that the main factors hindering stem reconstruction are the presence of defects outside the trunk, trees poorly covered by points, and the stem form. We expect that the proposed approach is a starting point for valorising the timber resources from unmanaged/managed forests, e.g., abandoned forests. Further studies to calibrate its performance under different forest stand conditions are furtherly required.

Urban agriculture is an emerging challenge. Identifying suitable agrosystems that allow for the multiple functions of urban agriculture represents a key issue for the reinforcement of the agricultural matrix in cities, with the aims of counteracting and adapting to climate change and providing economic and social benefits. This study aims to produce a preliminary assessment of the adaptability of Italian native and non-native Vitis vinifera L. cultivars to the stressors of an urban environment. The investigation was carried out on the grapevine collection of the Botanical Garden of Rome (“Vigneto Italia”). A total of 15 grapevine varieties were selected for the evaluation of leaf chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll fluorescence under abiotic conditions during the growing season of 2021. Spectral signatures were collected from mature leaves, and several vegetation indices (LWI, MCARI, and WBI) were calculated. Our preliminary results highlighted differences in the behavior of the grapevine cultivars. The native ones showed a medium-high level for leaf chlorophyll content (greater than 350 mol m⁻²), good photosynthetic efficiency (QY > 0.75), and optimal stomatal behavior under drought stress (200 > gs > 50 mmol H₂O m⁻² s⁻¹). The data allowed for the classification of the tested genotypes based on their site-specific resistance and resilience to urban environmental conditions. The grapevine proved to be a biological system that is highly sensitive to climate variables, yet highly adaptable to limiting growing factors.