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Quantifying actual evapotranspiration (ETa) over natural vegetation is crucial in evaluating the water status of ecosystems and the water-use patterns in local or regional hydrological basins. Remote sensing-based surface energy balance models have been used extensively for estimating ETa in agro-environments; however, the application of these models to natural ecosystems is still limited. The surface energy balance algorithm for land (SEBAL) physical-based surface energy balance model was applied to estimate the actual evapotranspiration over a heterogeneous coverage of Mediterranean maquis in a natural reserve in Sardinia, Italy. The model was applied on 19 Landsat 5 and 8 images from 2009 to 2014, and the results were compared to the data of a micrometeorological station with eddy covariance flux measurements. Comparing the SEBAL-based evaporative fraction (ΛS) to the corresponding tower-derived evaporative fractions (ΛT) showed good flux estimations in the Landsat overpass time (Coefficient of determination R 2 = 0.77, root mean square error RMSE = 0.05 and mean absolute error MAE = 0.076). Three methods were evaluated for upscaling instantaneous latent heat flux (λE) to daily actual evapotranspiration (ETa,D). The upscaling methods use the evaporative fraction (Λ), the reference evapotranspiration fraction (EFr) and the ratio of daily to instantaneous incoming shortwave radiation (Rs24/Rsi) as upscaling factors under the hypothesis of diurnal self-preservation. A preliminary analysis performed using only in-situ measured data demonstrated that the three factors were relatively self-preserved during the daytime, and can yield good ETa,D estimations, particularly when obtained at near the Landsat scene acquisition time (≈10:00 UTC). The upscaling factors obtained from SEBAL retrieved instantaneous fluxes, and some ancillary measured meteorological data were used to upscale SEBAL-estimated instantaneous actual λ to daily ET. The Λ EFr and Rs24/Rsi methods on average overestimated the measured ETa,D by nearly 20, 61 and 18%, respectively. The performance of the Λ and Rs24/Rsi methods was considered satisfactory, bearing in mind the high variable ground cover and the inherent variability of the biome composition, which cannot be properly represented in the Landsat moderate spatial resolution. In this study, we tested the potential of the SEBAL model application in a complex natural ecosystem. This modeling approach will be used to represent the spatial dynamics of ET, which will be integrated into further environmental and hydrological applications.
Hassan Awada; Simone Di Prima; Costantino Sirca; Filippo Giadrossich; Serena Marras; Donatella Spano; Mario Pirastru. Daily Actual Evapotranspiration Estimation in a Mediterranean Ecosystem from Landsat Observations Using SEBAL Approach. Forests 2021, 12, 189 .
AMA StyleHassan Awada, Simone Di Prima, Costantino Sirca, Filippo Giadrossich, Serena Marras, Donatella Spano, Mario Pirastru. Daily Actual Evapotranspiration Estimation in a Mediterranean Ecosystem from Landsat Observations Using SEBAL Approach. Forests. 2021; 12 (2):189.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHassan Awada; Simone Di Prima; Costantino Sirca; Filippo Giadrossich; Serena Marras; Donatella Spano; Mario Pirastru. 2021. "Daily Actual Evapotranspiration Estimation in a Mediterranean Ecosystem from Landsat Observations Using SEBAL Approach." Forests 12, no. 2: 189.
The wine market is increasing in economic importance, so it is crucial for producers to be competitive, efficient, and productive. In addition, climate change requires the adoption of adaptive strategies for a more efficient management of natural resources. Especially in semi-arid regions, the limitation in water availability for crop farming requires adaptive strategies aiming to optimize water productivity. Knowing the optimal moment for irrigation and the water amount to apply is essential information for deficit irrigation of wine grapes. Stem water potential measurements, using the pressure chamber approach, provide an accurate technique for determining plant water status and timing irrigation. In combination with accurate ET measurements, the plant-based measurements offer the information needed to establish water saving deficit irrigation schedules. Collecting stem water potential data, however, is time-consuming and labour-intensive. This work presents the preliminary results of a comparison between new plant-based sensors, which continuously monitor the water status using an automated platform. A field study was conducted on a representative vineyard located in the Mediterranean Basin (Sardinia, Italy). Sensor data were compared to measurements of stem water potential. Two treatments were employed in the experiment: i) mild to moderate water stress conditions were applied from fruit set until ripening; ii) no irrigation from bunch closure until harvest, which resulted in moderate to severe water deficit conditions. In both treatments, stem water potential measurements were monitored weekly on adult leaves with a pump-up pressure chamber, while the T-Max method was used to determine the xylem sap flow. Leaf thickness, an indirect measurement of leaf turgor, was measured with a commercial sensor. Preliminary results showed a good potential for these promising techniques that may monitor proxies of the vine water status in an automated way, giving useful and user-friendly information for planning efficient irrigation schedules. In addition, micrometeorological measurements provide a method for assessing the actual ET rates between irrigation events, and this effort will be studied in future field experiments. Preliminary results showed a good potential for these promising techniques that may monitor proxies of the vine water status in an automated way that, in conjunction with reliable ET estimates, provide the information needed to determine user-friendly information for planning efficient irrigation schedules for deficit irrigated wine grapes.
Donatella Spano; Mauro Locascio; Serena Marras; Richard L Snyder; Massimiliano Giuseppe Mameli; Daniela Satta; Ana Fernandes De Oliveira; Massimo Barbaro; Paolo Meloni; Costantino Sirca. Automated water status monitoring in grapevines. 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleDonatella Spano, Mauro Locascio, Serena Marras, Richard L Snyder, Massimiliano Giuseppe Mameli, Daniela Satta, Ana Fernandes De Oliveira, Massimo Barbaro, Paolo Meloni, Costantino Sirca. Automated water status monitoring in grapevines. . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDonatella Spano; Mauro Locascio; Serena Marras; Richard L Snyder; Massimiliano Giuseppe Mameli; Daniela Satta; Ana Fernandes De Oliveira; Massimo Barbaro; Paolo Meloni; Costantino Sirca. 2020. "Automated water status monitoring in grapevines." , no. : 1.
The expected increase in population and the pressure posed by climate change on agricultural production require the assessment of future yield levels and the evaluation of the most suitable management options to minimize climate risk and promote sustainable agricultural production. Crop simulation models are widely applied tools to predict crop development and production under different management practices and environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to parameterize CSM-CERES-Wheat and CSM-CERES-Maize models, implemented in the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) software, to predict phenology and grain yield of durum wheat, common wheat, and maize in different Italian environments. A 10-year (2001–2010) dataset was used to optimize the genetic parameters for selected varieties of each species and to evaluate the models considering several statistical indexes. The generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation method, and trial and error approach were used to optimize the cultivar-specific parameters of these models. Results show good model performances in reproducing crop phenology and yield for the analyzed crops, especially with the parameters optimized with the trial and error procedure. Highly significant (p ≤ 0.001) correlations between observed and simulated data were found for both anthesis and yield in model calibration and evaluation (p ≤ 0.01 for grain yield of maize in model evaluation). Root mean square error (RMSE) values range from six to nine days for anthesis and from 1.1 to 1.7 t ha-1 for crop yield and index of agreement (d-index) from 0.96 to 0.98 for anthesis and from 0.8 to 0.87 for crop yield. The set of genetic parameters obtained for durum wheat, common wheat, and maize may be applied in further analyses at field, regional, and national scales to guide operational (farmers), strategic, and tactical (policy makers) decisions.
Valentina Mereu; Andrea Gallo; Donatella Spano. Optimizing Genetic Parameters of CSM-CERES Wheat and CSM-CERES Maize for Durum Wheat, Common Wheat, and Maize in Italy. Agronomy 2019, 9, 665 .
AMA StyleValentina Mereu, Andrea Gallo, Donatella Spano. Optimizing Genetic Parameters of CSM-CERES Wheat and CSM-CERES Maize for Durum Wheat, Common Wheat, and Maize in Italy. Agronomy. 2019; 9 (10):665.
Chicago/Turabian StyleValentina Mereu; Andrea Gallo; Donatella Spano. 2019. "Optimizing Genetic Parameters of CSM-CERES Wheat and CSM-CERES Maize for Durum Wheat, Common Wheat, and Maize in Italy." Agronomy 9, no. 10: 665.
Climate change in Mediterranean countries is anticipated to have a strong impact on water availability by exacerbating drought conditions and water scarcity. In this context, efficient irrigation practices are becoming essential for sustaining crop production. This work assesses vulnerability of irrigated agriculture for six irrigation districts and their associated reservoirs in Mediterranean areas across Italy under climate change (1976–2005 versus 2036–2065; RCP 4.5 and 8.5), evaluating changes in irrigation requirements, evaporation from reservoirs, and the availability of freshwater supplies. Irrigation requirements are estimated through a crop water model (SIMETAW_R) integrated into a GIS platform, while inflows to reservoirs are hydrologically modelled as partitioning of precipitation contributing to runoff. Results are aggregated into indicators that show the general decreasing resilience and increasing vulnerability of irrigated agriculture under climate change conditions in each case study. The highest percentage of allowable water losses for irrigation is estimated in the Cuga-Alto Temo system, during the prolonged drought period, to be able to satisfy irrigation demand for less than a year. Climate change may only partially affect irrigation in resilient systems, in which storage capacity and the water level entering into the reservoir are considerably higher than the water distribution volumes.
Sara Masia; Janez Sušnik; Serena Marras; Simone Mereu; Donatella Spano; Antonio Trabucco. Assessment of Irrigated Agriculture Vulnerability under Climate Change in Southern Italy. Water 2018, 10, 209 .
AMA StyleSara Masia, Janez Sušnik, Serena Marras, Simone Mereu, Donatella Spano, Antonio Trabucco. Assessment of Irrigated Agriculture Vulnerability under Climate Change in Southern Italy. Water. 2018; 10 (2):209.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSara Masia; Janez Sušnik; Serena Marras; Simone Mereu; Donatella Spano; Antonio Trabucco. 2018. "Assessment of Irrigated Agriculture Vulnerability under Climate Change in Southern Italy." Water 10, no. 2: 209.
This study analyses trends of mean (Tm), maximum (Tx), minimum (Tn), dew point (Td), and wet-bulb temperatures (Tw) on an annual, seasonal, and monthly time scale over Spain during the period 1981–2010. The main purpose was to determine how temperature and humidity changes are impacting on Tw, which is probably a better measure of climate change than temperature alone. In this study, 43 weather stations were used to detect data trends using the nonparametric Mann-Kendall test and the Sen method to estimate the slope of trends. Significant linear trends observed for Tm, Tx, and Tn versus year were 56, 58, and 47 % of the weather stations, respectively, with temperature ranges between 0.2 and 0.4 °C per decade. The months with bigger trends were April, May, June, and July with the highest trend for Tx. The spatial behaviour of Td and Tw was variable, with various locations showing trends from −0.6 to +0.3 °C per decade for Td and from −0.4 to +0.5 °C per decade for Tw. Both Td and Tw showed negative trends for July, August, September, November, and December. Comparing the trends versus time of each variable versus each of the other variables exhibited poor relationships, which means you cannot predict the trend of one variable from the trend of another variable. The trend of Tx was not related to the trend of Tn. The trends of Tx, Tm, and Tn versus time were unrelated to the trends versus time of either Td or Tw. The trend of Tw showed a high coefficient of determination with the trend of Td with an annual value of R2 = 0.86. Therefore, the Tw trend is more related to changes in humidity than temperature.
R. Moratiel; B. Soriano; Ana Centeno; D. Spano; R.L. Snyder. Wet-bulb, dew point, and air temperature trends in Spain. Theoretical and Applied Climatology 2016, 130, 419 -434.
AMA StyleR. Moratiel, B. Soriano, Ana Centeno, D. Spano, R.L. Snyder. Wet-bulb, dew point, and air temperature trends in Spain. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 2016; 130 ():419-434.
Chicago/Turabian StyleR. Moratiel; B. Soriano; Ana Centeno; D. Spano; R.L. Snyder. 2016. "Wet-bulb, dew point, and air temperature trends in Spain." Theoretical and Applied Climatology 130, no. : 419-434.
Despite growing evidence of changes in plant functional traits (FT) along environmental gradients, the way they shape species niches (i.e. how they alternatively influence the limits, width and environmental optimums of species niche) remains only partially understood. Thus, Species Distribution Models were developed and evaluated using distribution data from the Spanish Forest Inventory for 21of the most common Mediterranean woody species, and used to derive different environmental characteristics of species niche, which were then correlated against species-specific values of 14 FT and combinations of relatively orthogonal FT. Species leaf traits, and in particular Specific Leaf Area (SLA), were highly correlated with species niche characteristics regarding aridity (especially with the more arid limit). Hydraulic traits, i.e. the water potential at which a species loses 50% of xylem hydraulic conductivity due to cavitation (PLC50), and species hydraulic safety margins (SM), were better correlated with species aridity niche optimums. Overall, the best model fits, particularly regarding species’ optimum and maximum aridity limit, were obtained when SLA and hydraulic traits (either PLC50 or SM) were used in combination. The study shows how in the Mediterranean region a single trait may be able to explain broad differences in species distributions, but also that the coordination of relatively independent traits achieves a more accurate representation of their environmental limits, particularly at the dry end of the species’ range. The approach used in this study relies on the physiological limits of a species and, to a certain extent, on the mechanisms behind them, adding robustness and accuracy to predict species distribution and mortality under climate change scenarios.
José María Costa-Saura; Jordi Martínez-Vilalta; Antonio Trabucco; Donatella Spano; Simone Mereu. Specific leaf area and hydraulic traits explain niche segregation along an aridity gradient in Mediterranean woody species. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 2016, 21, 23 -30.
AMA StyleJosé María Costa-Saura, Jordi Martínez-Vilalta, Antonio Trabucco, Donatella Spano, Simone Mereu. Specific leaf area and hydraulic traits explain niche segregation along an aridity gradient in Mediterranean woody species. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 2016; 21 ():23-30.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé María Costa-Saura; Jordi Martínez-Vilalta; Antonio Trabucco; Donatella Spano; Simone Mereu. 2016. "Specific leaf area and hydraulic traits explain niche segregation along an aridity gradient in Mediterranean woody species." Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 21, no. : 23-30.
Present water shortage is one of the primary world issues, and according to climate change projections, it will be more critical in the future. Since water availability and accessibility are the most significant constraining factors for crop production, addressing this issue is indispensable for areas affected by water scarcity. Current and future issues related to “water scarcity” are reviewed in this paper so as to highlight the necessity of a more sustainable approach to water resource management. As a consequence of increasing water scarcity and drought, resulting from climate change, considerable water use for irrigation is expected to occur in the context of tough competition between agribusiness and other sectors of the economy. In addition, the estimated increment of the global population growth rate points out the inevitable increase of food demand in the future, with an immediate impact on farming water use. Since a noteworthy relationship exists between the water possessions of a country and the capacity for food production, assessing the irrigation needs is indispensable for water resource planning in order to meet food needs and avoid excessive water consumption.
Noemi Mancosu; Richard L. Snyder; Gavriil Kyriakakis; Donatella Spano. Water Scarcity and Future Challenges for Food Production. Water 2015, 7, 975 -992.
AMA StyleNoemi Mancosu, Richard L. Snyder, Gavriil Kyriakakis, Donatella Spano. Water Scarcity and Future Challenges for Food Production. Water. 2015; 7 (12):975-992.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNoemi Mancosu; Richard L. Snyder; Gavriil Kyriakakis; Donatella Spano. 2015. "Water Scarcity and Future Challenges for Food Production." Water 7, no. 12: 975-992.
Wildfire simulators based on empirical or physical models need to be locally calibrated and validated when used under conditions that differ from those where the simulators were originally developed. This study aims to calibrate the FARSITE fire spread model considering a set of recent wildfires that occurred in northern Iranian forests. Site-specific fuel models in the study areas were selected by sampling the main natural vegetation type complexes and assigning standard fuel models. Overall, simulated fires presented reliable outputs that accurately replicated the observed fire perimeters and behavior. Standard fuel models of Scott and Burgan (2005) afforded better accuracy in the simulated fire perimeters than the standard fuel models of Anderson (1982). The best match between observed and modeled burned areas was observed on herbaceous fuel models. Fire modeling showed a high potential for estimating spatial variability in fire spread and behavior in the study areas. This work represents a first step in the application of fire spread modeling in northern Iran for wildfire risk monitoring and management.
R. Jahdi; Michele Salis; A. A. Darvishsefat; Mir Abolfazl Mostafavi; Fermin J Alcasena; Vahid Etemad; Olga M. Lozano; Donatella Spano. Calibration of FARSITE simulator in northern Iranian forests. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 2015, 15, 443 -459.
AMA StyleR. Jahdi, Michele Salis, A. A. Darvishsefat, Mir Abolfazl Mostafavi, Fermin J Alcasena, Vahid Etemad, Olga M. Lozano, Donatella Spano. Calibration of FARSITE simulator in northern Iranian forests. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. 2015; 15 (3):443-459.
Chicago/Turabian StyleR. Jahdi; Michele Salis; A. A. Darvishsefat; Mir Abolfazl Mostafavi; Fermin J Alcasena; Vahid Etemad; Olga M. Lozano; Donatella Spano. 2015. "Calibration of FARSITE simulator in northern Iranian forests." Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 15, no. 3: 443-459.
Wildfire simulators based on empirical or physical models need to be locally calibrated and validated when used under conditions that differ from those where the simulators were originally developed. This study aims to calibrate FARSITE fire spread model considering a set of recent wildfires occurred in Northern Iran forests. Site specific fuel models in the study areas were selected by sampling the main natural vegetation type complexes and assigning standard fuel models. Overall, simulated fires presented reliable outputs that accurately replicated the observed fire perimeters and behavior. Standard fuel models of Scott and Burgan (2005) afforded better accuracy in the simulated fire perimeters than the standard fuel models of Anderson (1982). The best match between observed and modeled burned areas was observed on herbaceous type fuel models. Fire modeling showed a high potential for estimating spatial variability in fire spread and behavior in the study areas. This work represents a first step in the application of fire spread modeling on Northern Iran for wildfire risk monitoring and management.
R. Jahdi; M. Salis; A. A. Darvishsefat; F. J. Alcasena Urdiroz; V. Etemad; M. A. Mostafavi; O. M. Lozano; D. Spano. Calibration of FARSITE fire area simulator in Iranian northern forests. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences Discussions 2014, 1 .
AMA StyleR. Jahdi, M. Salis, A. A. Darvishsefat, F. J. Alcasena Urdiroz, V. Etemad, M. A. Mostafavi, O. M. Lozano, D. Spano. Calibration of FARSITE fire area simulator in Iranian northern forests. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences Discussions. 2014; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleR. Jahdi; M. Salis; A. A. Darvishsefat; F. J. Alcasena Urdiroz; V. Etemad; M. A. Mostafavi; O. M. Lozano; D. Spano. 2014. "Calibration of FARSITE fire area simulator in Iranian northern forests." Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences Discussions , no. : 1.
Patterns of urban development affect flows of material and energy within urban settlements and exchanges with their surroundings. In recent years the quantitative estimation of the components of the so-called urban metabolism has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers from different fields. To contribute to this effort we developed a modelling framework for estimating carbon exchanges in relation to alternative land-use scenarios. The framework bundles three components: (1) a Cellular Automata model for the simulation of the urban land-use dynamics; (2) a transportation model for estimating the variation of the transportation network load and (3) the Advanced Canopy-Atmosphere-Soil Algorithm (ACASA) model tightly coupled with the mesoscale weather forecasting model WRF. We present and discuss the results of an example application on the City of Florence.
Ivan Blecic; Arnaldo Cecchini; Matthias Falk; Serena Marras; David R. Pyles; Donatella Spano; Giuseppe A. Trunfio. Urban CO2 Planning: A Decision Support System. Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography 2013, 209 -224.
AMA StyleIvan Blecic, Arnaldo Cecchini, Matthias Falk, Serena Marras, David R. Pyles, Donatella Spano, Giuseppe A. Trunfio. Urban CO2 Planning: A Decision Support System. Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography. 2013; ():209-224.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIvan Blecic; Arnaldo Cecchini; Matthias Falk; Serena Marras; David R. Pyles; Donatella Spano; Giuseppe A. Trunfio. 2013. "Urban CO2 Planning: A Decision Support System." Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography , no. : 209-224.
This chapter describes the five Mediterranean zones around the world and discusses vegetation and environmental factors, including climate, that make the Mediterranean Climate zones unique. Several key reports on the role of climate and climate change on phenological development of Mediterranean ecosystems are presented and discussed. The chapter talks about the impact of current and projected temperature and precipitation on phenology and emphasizes the importance of precipitation patterns on response to higher temperature. One conclusion is that more studies are needed on drought impact on phenology since water stress can increase plant temperature and result in even faster phenological development. Drought can speed up phenological development, but it can also impede growth and lead to reduced productivity.
Donatella Spano; Richard L. Snyder; Carla Cesaraccio. Mediterranean Phenology. Sabkha Ecosystems 2013, 173 -196.
AMA StyleDonatella Spano, Richard L. Snyder, Carla Cesaraccio. Mediterranean Phenology. Sabkha Ecosystems. 2013; ():173-196.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDonatella Spano; Richard L. Snyder; Carla Cesaraccio. 2013. "Mediterranean Phenology." Sabkha Ecosystems , no. : 173-196.
Urban metabolism considers a city as a system with flows of energy and material between it and the environment. Recent advances in bio-physical sciences provide methods and models to estimate local scale energy, water, carbon and pollutant fluxes. However, good communication is required to provide this new knowledge and its implications to endusers (such as urban planners, architects and engineers). The FP7 project BRIDGE (sustainaBle uRban plannIng Decision support accountinG for urban mEtabolism) aimed to address this gap by illustrating the advantages of considering these issues in urban planning. The BRIDGE Decision Support System (DSS) aids the evaluation of the sustainability of urban planning interventions. The Multi Criteria Analysis approach adopted provides a method to cope with the complexity of urban metabolism. In consultation with targeted end-users, objectives were defined in relation to the interactions between the environmental elements (fluxes of energy, water, carbon and pollutants) and socioeconomic components (investment costs, housing, employment, etc.) of urban sustainability. The tool was tested in five case study cities: Helsinki, Athens, London, Florence and Gliwice; and sub-models were evaluated using flux data selected. This overview of the BRIDGE project covers the methods and tools used to measure and model the physical flows, the selected set of sustainability indicators, the methodological framework for evaluating urban planning alternatives and the resulting DSS prototype.
Nektarios Chrysoulakis; Myriam Lopes; Roberto San José; Christine Susan Betham Grimmond; Mike B. Jones; Vincenzo Magliulo; Judith E.M. Klostermann; Afroditi Synnefa; Zina Mitraka; Eduardo A. Castro; Ainhoa González; Roland Vogt; Timo Vesala; Donatella Spano; Gregoire Pigeon; Peter Freer-Smith; Tomasz Staszewski; Nick Hodges; Gerald Mills; Constantinos Cartalis. Sustainable urban metabolism as a link between bio-physical sciences and urban planning: The BRIDGE project. Landscape and Urban Planning 2013, 112, 100 -117.
AMA StyleNektarios Chrysoulakis, Myriam Lopes, Roberto San José, Christine Susan Betham Grimmond, Mike B. Jones, Vincenzo Magliulo, Judith E.M. Klostermann, Afroditi Synnefa, Zina Mitraka, Eduardo A. Castro, Ainhoa González, Roland Vogt, Timo Vesala, Donatella Spano, Gregoire Pigeon, Peter Freer-Smith, Tomasz Staszewski, Nick Hodges, Gerald Mills, Constantinos Cartalis. Sustainable urban metabolism as a link between bio-physical sciences and urban planning: The BRIDGE project. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2013; 112 ():100-117.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNektarios Chrysoulakis; Myriam Lopes; Roberto San José; Christine Susan Betham Grimmond; Mike B. Jones; Vincenzo Magliulo; Judith E.M. Klostermann; Afroditi Synnefa; Zina Mitraka; Eduardo A. Castro; Ainhoa González; Roland Vogt; Timo Vesala; Donatella Spano; Gregoire Pigeon; Peter Freer-Smith; Tomasz Staszewski; Nick Hodges; Gerald Mills; Constantinos Cartalis. 2013. "Sustainable urban metabolism as a link between bio-physical sciences and urban planning: The BRIDGE project." Landscape and Urban Planning 112, no. : 100-117.
The Advanced Canopy–Atmosphere–Soil Algorithm (ACASA) model is used to predict energy, water and carbon fluxes over a Mediterranean maquis site located in North-Western Sardinia (Italy) and the model performance is evaluated. Flux simulations are compared with Eddy Covariance field measurements collected from 2004 to 2007. The site experiences a drought season during the summer months in which the vegetation becomes water stressed. Results from the months of January, April, and July are analyzed to demonstrate the model behavior in different environmental conditions. In general, simulated and observed fluxes matched when both the thermal and moisture regime are optimal. During the July water stress period the model underestimated latent heat and carbon fluxes due to a strong stress response linked to soil properties and plant physiological characteristics. The selection of values for key parameters, e.g. maximum ideal photosynthetic capacity (RUBISCO), wilting point, soil water content, and root and leaf area ratio, is crucial to obtain close agreement between simulated and observed fluxes. The model was designed so that the most sensitive parameters are measurable quantities. Using the ACASA model to predict energy and mass fluxes between the vegetation and atmosphere appears promising in this context, and it could significantly improve our ability to estimate fluxes for use in future studies.
S. Marras; R.D. Pyles; Costantino Sirca; K.T. Paw U; R.L. Snyder; Pierpaolo Duce; D. Spano. Evaluation of the Advanced Canopy–Atmosphere–Soil Algorithm (ACASA) model performance over Mediterranean maquis ecosystem. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 2011, 151, 730 -745.
AMA StyleS. Marras, R.D. Pyles, Costantino Sirca, K.T. Paw U, R.L. Snyder, Pierpaolo Duce, D. Spano. Evaluation of the Advanced Canopy–Atmosphere–Soil Algorithm (ACASA) model performance over Mediterranean maquis ecosystem. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 2011; 151 (6):730-745.
Chicago/Turabian StyleS. Marras; R.D. Pyles; Costantino Sirca; K.T. Paw U; R.L. Snyder; Pierpaolo Duce; D. Spano. 2011. "Evaluation of the Advanced Canopy–Atmosphere–Soil Algorithm (ACASA) model performance over Mediterranean maquis ecosystem." Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 151, no. 6: 730-745.
The flows of carbon and energy produced by urbanized areas represent one of the aspects of urban sustainability that can have an important impact on climate change. For this reason, in recent years the quantitative estimation of the so-called urban metabolism components has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers from different fields. On the other hand, it has been well recognized that the structure and design of future urban development can significantly affect the flows of material and energy exchanged by an urban area with its surroundings. In this context, the paper discusses a software framework able to estimate the carbon exchanges accounting for alternative scenarios which can influence urban development. The modelling system is based on four main components: (i) a Cellular Automata model for the simulation of the urban land-use dynamics; (ii) a transportation model, able to estimate the variation of the transportation network load and (iii) the ACASA (Advanced Canopy-Atmosphere-Soil Algorithm) model which was tightly coupled with the (iv) mesoscale weather model WRF for the estimation of the relevant urban metabolism components. An in-progress application to the city of Florence is presented and discussed.
Ivan Blecic; Arnaldo Cecchini; Matthias Falk; Serena Marras; David R. Pyles; Donatella Spano; Giuseppe A. Trunfio. Towards a Planning Decision Support System for Low-Carbon Urban Development. Computer Vision 2011, 6782, 423 -438.
AMA StyleIvan Blecic, Arnaldo Cecchini, Matthias Falk, Serena Marras, David R. Pyles, Donatella Spano, Giuseppe A. Trunfio. Towards a Planning Decision Support System for Low-Carbon Urban Development. Computer Vision. 2011; 6782 ():423-438.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIvan Blecic; Arnaldo Cecchini; Matthias Falk; Serena Marras; David R. Pyles; Donatella Spano; Giuseppe A. Trunfio. 2011. "Towards a Planning Decision Support System for Low-Carbon Urban Development." Computer Vision 6782, no. : 423-438.
In recent years, the availability of near real-time and forecast standardized reference evapotranspiration (E0) has increased dramatically. Use of the E0 information in conjunction with calibration coefficients that adjust for differences between the vegetation and the reference surface provides a method to greatly improve the estimates of actual evapotranspiration (Ea) from landscapes (or ecosystems). Difficulties in estimating evapotranspiration (ET) of well-watered vegetation in an ecosystem depend on local advection and edge effects, wide variations in radiation resulting from undulating terrain, wind blockage or funnelling, and differences in temperature due to spatial variation in radiation, wind, etc. Estimating the ET of an ecosystem that is water stressed is even further complicated because of stomatal closure and reduced transpiration. The Ecosystem Water Program (ECOWAT) was developed to help improve estimates of Ea of ecosystems by accounting for microclimate, vegetation type, plant density, and water stress. The first step in estimating Ea is to calculate E0 using monthly climate data from one representative weather station in the study area. Then, local microclimate data are used to determine a standardized reference evapotranspiration for the local microclimate (Em). The ratio Km = Em/E0 is calculated and applied as a microclimate correction factor to estimate Em. The product of Em and a vegetation coefficient (Kv = Ev/Em) is used to estimate the evapotranspiration of the ecosystem vegetation (Ev) under well-watered conditions with a full-canopy cover within the same microclimate. Next, a coefficient for plant density (Kd), which is based on the percentage ground cover, is used to adjust the full-canopy Ev to the evapotranspiration of a sparse canopy from a well-watered ecosystem (Ew). A stress (Ks) coefficient, which varies between 1.0 with no stress to 0.0 with full stress, is determined as a function of available water in the root zone. The predicted actual ecosystem evapotranspiration (Ep) is estimated as Ep = Ew × Ks. In this paper, we present how the ECOWAT model works and how it performs when the predicted actual evapotranspiration (Ep) is compared with measured actual evapotranspiration (Ea) collected in several Mediterranean ecosystems (three in Italy and two in California) over a number of years. The potential use of ECOWAT in integrated fire danger systems is discussed.
D. Spano; R.L. Snyder; C. Sirca; Pierpaolo Duce. ECOWAT—A model for ecosystem evapotranspiration estimation. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 2009, 149, 1584 -1596.
AMA StyleD. Spano, R.L. Snyder, C. Sirca, Pierpaolo Duce. ECOWAT—A model for ecosystem evapotranspiration estimation. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 2009; 149 (10):1584-1596.
Chicago/Turabian StyleD. Spano; R.L. Snyder; C. Sirca; Pierpaolo Duce. 2009. "ECOWAT—A model for ecosystem evapotranspiration estimation." Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 149, no. 10: 1584-1596.
Inger Kappel Schmidt; C Beier; P De Angelis; P Duce; B Emmett; G Kroel-Dulay; J Peñuelas; D Spano; A Tietema. Climate change experiments in vulnerable ecosystems across Europe. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2009, 6, 1 .
AMA StyleInger Kappel Schmidt, C Beier, P De Angelis, P Duce, B Emmett, G Kroel-Dulay, J Peñuelas, D Spano, A Tietema. Climate change experiments in vulnerable ecosystems across Europe. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2009; 6 (30):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleInger Kappel Schmidt; C Beier; P De Angelis; P Duce; B Emmett; G Kroel-Dulay; J Peñuelas; D Spano; A Tietema. 2009. "Climate change experiments in vulnerable ecosystems across Europe." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 6, no. 30: 1.
Sandro Dettori; M. Cillara; G. Deplano; M.R. Filigheddu; C. Sirca; D. Spano; A. Usai; A. Franceschini. Danni da neve e rischi conseguenti nelle sugherete del nord Sardegna. Atti del Terzo Congresso Nazionale di Selvicoltura 2009, 1 .
AMA StyleSandro Dettori, M. Cillara, G. Deplano, M.R. Filigheddu, C. Sirca, D. Spano, A. Usai, A. Franceschini. Danni da neve e rischi conseguenti nelle sugherete del nord Sardegna. Atti del Terzo Congresso Nazionale di Selvicoltura. 2009; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSandro Dettori; M. Cillara; G. Deplano; M.R. Filigheddu; C. Sirca; D. Spano; A. Usai; A. Franceschini. 2009. "Danni da neve e rischi conseguenti nelle sugherete del nord Sardegna." Atti del Terzo Congresso Nazionale di Selvicoltura , no. : 1.
Experiments to measure the evapotranspiration of an improved, irrigated pasture were conducted at the University of California, Davis, CA field station and over a commercial irrigated pasture on Twitchell Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta using the surface renewal (SR) method. In Davis, the SR method was used to determine well-watered crop evapotranspiration (ETc) over short grass, and the results were compared with the ASCE-EWRI standardized reference evapotranspiration (ET0) for a short canopy to establish that a crop coefficient Kc=1.00 is appropriate for estimating well-watered pasture ETc . In the Twitchell Island study, surface renewal was used to determine the actual evapotranspiration (ETa) from a commercial pasture. A stress coefficient of Ks=ETa∕ET0≈0.90 was observed during the high ET period (ET0>7mmday−1) from about mid-June through mid-July for the Twitchell Island pasture. Otherwise, the pasture was mainly unstressed, so the Ks=1.0 . Thus, assuming no future changes in irrigation management, using ET0 from Twitchell Island, a Kc=1.00 , and Ks=1.00 will provide good estimates of ETa during low to moderate ET periods and Ks≈0.90 should be used when ET0>7.0mmday−1 . In general, a thermocouple for SR measurements costs about $100, whereas the price for a sonic anemometer varies between $3,000 and $20,000, so the SR method provides a low-cost method to measure ETa .
R. L. Snyder; D. Spano; Pierpaolo Duce; K. T. Paw U; M. Rivera. Surface Renewal Estimation of Pasture Evapotranspiration. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering 2008, 134, 716 -721.
AMA StyleR. L. Snyder, D. Spano, Pierpaolo Duce, K. T. Paw U, M. Rivera. Surface Renewal Estimation of Pasture Evapotranspiration. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. 2008; 134 (6):716-721.
Chicago/Turabian StyleR. L. Snyder; D. Spano; Pierpaolo Duce; K. T. Paw U; M. Rivera. 2008. "Surface Renewal Estimation of Pasture Evapotranspiration." Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering 134, no. 6: 716-721.
Bachisio Arca; Pierpaolo Duce; Grazia Pellizzaro; Maurizio Laconi; Michele Salis; Donatella Spano. Evaluation of FARSITE simulator in Mediterranean shrubland. Forest Ecology and Management 2006, 234, S110 .
AMA StyleBachisio Arca, Pierpaolo Duce, Grazia Pellizzaro, Maurizio Laconi, Michele Salis, Donatella Spano. Evaluation of FARSITE simulator in Mediterranean shrubland. Forest Ecology and Management. 2006; 234 ():S110.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBachisio Arca; Pierpaolo Duce; Grazia Pellizzaro; Maurizio Laconi; Michele Salis; Donatella Spano. 2006. "Evaluation of FARSITE simulator in Mediterranean shrubland." Forest Ecology and Management 234, no. : S110.
Richard L. Snyder; Pierpaolo Duce; Donatella Spano. Evapotranspiration estimation for fire danger models. Forest Ecology and Management 2006, 234, S62 -62.
AMA StyleRichard L. Snyder, Pierpaolo Duce, Donatella Spano. Evapotranspiration estimation for fire danger models. Forest Ecology and Management. 2006; 234 ():S62-62.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRichard L. Snyder; Pierpaolo Duce; Donatella Spano. 2006. "Evapotranspiration estimation for fire danger models." Forest Ecology and Management 234, no. : S62-62.