Italian dry-stone wall terracing represents one of the most iconic features of agricultural landscapes across Europe, with sites listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites and FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). The analysis of microclimate modifications induced by alterations of hillslope and by dry-stone walls is of particular interest for the valuation of benefits and drawbacks of terraces cultivation, a global land management technique. The aim of this paper is to perform a thermal characterization of a dry-stone wall terraced vineyard in the Chianti area (Tuscany, Italy), to detect possible microclimate dynamics induced by dry-stone terracing. The aerial surveys were carried out by using two sensors, in the Visible (VIS) and Thermal InfraRed (TIR) spectral range, mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), with two different flights. Our results reveal that, in the morning, vineyard rows close to dry-stone walls have statistically lower temperatures with respect to the external ones. In the afternoon, due to solar insulation, temperatures raised to the same value for each row. The results of this early study, jointly with the latest developments in UAV and sensor technologies, justify and encourage further analyses on local climatic modifications in terraced landscapes.

In the last few years, the number of worldwide operational X-band weather radars has rapidly been growing, thanks to an established technology that offers reliability, high performance, and reduced efforts and costs for installation and maintenance, with respect to the more widespread C- and S-band systems. X-band radars are particularly suitable for nowcasting activities, as those operated by the LaMMA (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the sustainable development) Consortium in the framework of its institutional duties of operational meteorological surveillance. In fact, they have the capability to monitor precipitation, resolving very local scales, with good spatial and temporal details, although with a reduced scanning range. The Consortium has recently installed a small network of X-band weather radars that partially overlaps and completes the existing national radar network over the north Tyrrhenian area. This paper describes the implementation of this regional network, detailing the aspects related with the radar signal processing chain that provides the final reflectivity composite, starting from the acquisition of the signal power data. The network performances are then qualitatively assessed for three case studies characterised by different precipitation regimes and different seasons. Results are satisfactory especially during intense precipitations, particularly regarding what concerns their spatial and temporal characterisation.

The paper discusses the first outcomes of an ongoing research activity aimed at developing a general BIM-based methodology for the organization and the management of the information needed for maintenance and safety assessment of museums. The Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze (Florence, Italy) which has a very complex spatial organisation as a result of transformations occurred over the centuries, has been considered as an illustrative application of the proposed methodology. One of the specific elements which characterize museums, compared to other buildings, is the issue of the relationship between the building itself and the artworks there contained. A specific element of the research is consequently the need not to limit the attention to only the building (i.e. the envelope), but to consider within the BIM also the presence of the art collections. Starting from a recent laser scanner survey, a BIM has been created and a semi-automatic workflow has been investigated to obtain a FE (Finite Element) model to be employed for static and dynamic structural analysis purposes. Currently, since the scans inevitably included the artworks, a test is underway to add in the BIM of the museum also its collections (M-BIM). Each element can be inserted as a BIM object including its geometric representation and physical data (dimensions, materials, weight…) and linked to different museum inventory and conservation databases for the museum management.

A 3D city model is a representation of an urban environment with a three-dimensional geometry of common urban objects and structures, with buildings as the most prominent feature. In the last decades, 3D city models appear to have been predominantly used for visualisation; however, nowadays they are being increasingly employed in a number of domains and for a broad range of tasks beyond visualisation. The MUIF (Modello Unico dell’Infrastruttura Fisica) project, here illustrated as a case study, refers to the implementation of a single spatial model of the infrastructure of Italy’s railway system (RFI). The authors describe preliminary results and the critical aspects of the study they are carrying out, explaining the processes and methodology to model all datasets into a single integrated spatial model as the reference base for future continuously updates. The case study refers to data collected by different sources and at various resolutions. An integrated spatial Database has been used for modelling topographic 3D objects, traditionally implemented in a 3D city model, as well as other specific 3D objects, related to the railway infrastructure that, usually, aren’t modelled in a 3D city model, following the same methodology as the first ones.

The democratization and accessibility of low-cost devices for image acquisition and the development of highly automated procedures for orientation and dense image matching allow almost every person to be a potential producer of photogrammetric models. The diffusion of image-based technologies to produce 3D models amongst wider audiences entails however some risks, as the lack of critical awareness of the final quality of the outputs. Information and education about potentialities and limitations of reality-based digitization by photogrammetry may help spreading procedures and methods for the correct use of this technology. This paper presents the results of one of the funded projects within the 2018 ISPRS Capacity Building Initiatives “Education and training resources on digital photogrammetry”. The production of multimedia material for supporting smart educational teaching and learning approaches will be reported, as well as experiences on their application on case studies. Blended innovative teaching and learning pedagogical approaches have been tested, as Flipped Classroom (FC), Learning-by-doing (LBD), Collaborative Learning (CL), and Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), supported by multimedia tools for capacity-building and knowledge transfer. The implementation of multimedia materials for supporting teaching strategies resulted in the production of updated and engaging resources, as videos, tutorials, and datasets to be used during courses, workshops, and seminars targeted to different user groups. The combination of teaching strategies and multimedia supporting materials were tested within national and international projects, from academic courses to complete non-experts, from activities on the field to online and distance learning.

Ink disease, primarily caused by the pathogen Phytophthora xcambivora, significantly threatens the health and productivity of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) orchards, highlighting the need for accurate detection methods. This study investigates the efficacy of machine learning (ML) classifiers combined with high-resolution multispectral imagery acquired via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to assess chestnut tree health at a site in Tuscany, Italy. Three machine learning algorithms—support vector machines (SVMs), Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB), and logistic regression (Log)—were evaluated against eight vegetation indices (VIs), including NDVI, GnDVI, and RdNDVI, to classify chestnut tree crowns as either symptomatic or asymptomatic. High-resolution multispectral images were processed to derive vegetation indices that effectively captured subtle spectral variations indicative of disease presence. Ground-truthing involved visual tree health assessments performed by expert forest pathologists, subsequently validated through leaf area index (LAI) measurements. Correlation analysis confirmed significant associations between LAI and most VIs, supporting LAI as a robust physiological metric for validating visual health assessments. GnDVI and RdNDVI combined with SVM and GNB classifiers achieved the highest classification accuracy (95.2%), demonstrating their superior sensitivity in discriminating symptomatic from asymptomatic trees. Indices such as MCARI and SAVI showed limited discriminative power, underscoring the importance of selecting appropriate VIs that are tailored to specific disease symptoms. This study highlights the potential of integrating UAV-derived multispectral imagery and machine learning techniques, validated by LAI, as an effective approach for the detection of ink disease, enabling precision forestry practices and informed orchard management strategies.