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One of the main purposes of Ecohydraulics is to predict the effects of riparian vegetation on aquatic ecosystems within real water channels. The interaction between water flow and riparian plants significantly affects flow dynamics, hydraulic conveyance, and water quality of vegetated water bodies. This study aimed at quantifying analytically the uncertainty in flow average velocity estimations associated with the uncertainty of Leaf Area Index (LAI) of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel covering a vegetated channel. The impacts of this species on the hydrodynamics of vegetated streams are far to be completely understood. The uncertainty in flow average velocity was assessed through the first-order second-moment statistical method, by comparing direct and indirect LAI measurements of mature Phragmites australis plants. Indirect LAI values were obtained using the LICOR® LAI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer device. The results of this study suggest that the uncertainties in flow average velocity estimations are comparable to those associated with experimental measurements of streamwise velocity components retrieved in real vegetated flows fully covered by mature Phragmites australis plants.
G. F. C. Lama; A. Errico; V. Pasquino; S. Mirzaei; F. Preti; G. B. Chirico. Velocity uncertainty quantification based on Riparian vegetation indices in open channels colonized by Phragmites australis. Journal of Ecohydraulics 2021, 1 -6.
AMA StyleG. F. C. Lama, A. Errico, V. Pasquino, S. Mirzaei, F. Preti, G. B. Chirico. Velocity uncertainty quantification based on Riparian vegetation indices in open channels colonized by Phragmites australis. Journal of Ecohydraulics. 2021; ():1-6.
Chicago/Turabian StyleG. F. C. Lama; A. Errico; V. Pasquino; S. Mirzaei; F. Preti; G. B. Chirico. 2021. "Velocity uncertainty quantification based on Riparian vegetation indices in open channels colonized by Phragmites australis." Journal of Ecohydraulics , no. : 1-6.
Bankfull discharge estimation is a crucial step in river basin management. Such evaluation can be carried out using hydrological and hydraulic modelling to estimate flow-depths, flow velocities and flood prone areas related to a specific return period. However, different methodological approaches are described in the scientific literature. Such approaches are typically based either on the assumption that the bankfull discharge corresponds to a narrow range of return periods, or on the correlation to the river geomorphological or local descriptors, such as vegetation. In this study, we used high-resolution topographic data and a combined hydrological-hydraulic modelling approach in order to estimate bankfull discharge in the ungauged basin of Rio Torbido River (Central Italy). The field survey of plant species made it possible to investigate the link between the riparian areas and the bankfull discharge. Our results were in line with previous studies and showed a promising agreement between the results of the hydraulic modelling and the plant species present in the investigated river cross sections. The plant species position could be indeed used for a preliminary delineation of the riparian areas to be verified more deeply with the hydrological-hydraulic approach.
Ciro Apollonio; Andrea Petroselli; Paolo Cornelini; Vito Manzari; Federico Preti; Salvatore Grimaldi. Riparian vegetation as a marker for bankfull and management discharge evaluation: The case study of Rio Torbido river basin (central Italy). Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2021, 52, 1 .
AMA StyleCiro Apollonio, Andrea Petroselli, Paolo Cornelini, Vito Manzari, Federico Preti, Salvatore Grimaldi. Riparian vegetation as a marker for bankfull and management discharge evaluation: The case study of Rio Torbido river basin (central Italy). Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2021; 52 (2):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCiro Apollonio; Andrea Petroselli; Paolo Cornelini; Vito Manzari; Federico Preti; Salvatore Grimaldi. 2021. "Riparian vegetation as a marker for bankfull and management discharge evaluation: The case study of Rio Torbido river basin (central Italy)." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 52, no. 2: 1.
In the last few years, terraced landscapes have been receiving renovated interest all over the world (e
Federico Preti; Alessandro Errico; Giulio Castelli. Terraced Landscapes and Hydrological-Geological Hazards: Innovative Approaches and Future Perspectives. Water 2021, 13, 1728 .
AMA StyleFederico Preti, Alessandro Errico, Giulio Castelli. Terraced Landscapes and Hydrological-Geological Hazards: Innovative Approaches and Future Perspectives. Water. 2021; 13 (13):1728.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederico Preti; Alessandro Errico; Giulio Castelli. 2021. "Terraced Landscapes and Hydrological-Geological Hazards: Innovative Approaches and Future Perspectives." Water 13, no. 13: 1728.
Agricultural terraces are an important element of the Italian landscape. However, abandonment of agricultural areas and increase in the frequency of destructive rainfall events has made it mandatory to increase conservation efforts of terraces to reduce hydrological risks. This requires the development of new approaches capable of identifying and mapping failed or prone-to-fail terraces over large areas. The present work focuses on the development of a more cost-effective alternative, to help public administrators and private land owners to identify fragile areas that may be subject to failure due to the abandonment of terracing systems. We developed a simple field protocol to acquire quantitative measurements of the degree of damage—dry stone wall deformation—and establish a damage classification system. This new methodology is tested at two different sites in Tuscany, central Italy. The processing is based on existing DTMs derived from Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) data and open source software. The main GIS modules adopted are flow accumulation and water discharge, processed with GRASS GIS. Results show that the damage degree and terrace wall deformation are correlated with flow accumulation even if other factors other than those analyzed can contribute to influence the instability of dry stone walls. These tools are useful for local land management and conservation efforts.
Martina Cambi; Yamuna Giambastiani; Francesca Giannetti; Elena Nuti; Andrea Dani; Federico Preti. Integrated Low-Cost Approach for Measuring the State of Conservation of Agricultural Terraces in Tuscany, Italy. Water 2021, 13, 113 .
AMA StyleMartina Cambi, Yamuna Giambastiani, Francesca Giannetti, Elena Nuti, Andrea Dani, Federico Preti. Integrated Low-Cost Approach for Measuring the State of Conservation of Agricultural Terraces in Tuscany, Italy. Water. 2021; 13 (2):113.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMartina Cambi; Yamuna Giambastiani; Francesca Giannetti; Elena Nuti; Andrea Dani; Federico Preti. 2021. "Integrated Low-Cost Approach for Measuring the State of Conservation of Agricultural Terraces in Tuscany, Italy." Water 13, no. 2: 113.
The present work describes a transferability analysis for soil and water bioengineering techniques as an instrument for sustainable erosion control in Central and South America based on an empirical data base from the last decades. In total, 31 case studies in Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil generated a database from an area where soil and water bioengineering techniques are not commonly used. The Transferability Analysis is structured in seven steps: (1) Objectives of the procedure, (2) Impacts of the measure, (3) Identification of up-scaling/down-scaling needs (4) Identification of the main phases and its components, (5) Identification of the level of importance of the components, (6) Assessment of the components in the context of the Take-Up Site and (7) Conclusions. For the assessment of soil and water bioengineering via the Transferability Analysis, in step 4 the following main phases have been identified from the data base: (a) Planning Phase, (b) Construction Phase, (c) Use Phase, as well as (d) End of Life Phase of a construction. Within these categories, 14 components have been defined: (a) know-how of soil and water bioengineering techniques, local climate conditions, botany, hydraulics, pedology; (b) materials, qualified labor, equipment and mechanical instruments, economic resources; (c) monitoring, efficiency, sustainability, maintenance; (d) replicability. The following assessment of the components allowed to determine key barriers, as well as key support factors for the transfer of soil and water bioengineering. As a result, barriers appeared to be the components qualified labor, equipment/mechanical instruments, hydraulics, know-how in soil and water bioengineering and pedology. Neither barriers, nor supporting key factors resulted to be the components local climate conditions, economic resources and efficiency. Supporting key factors for the transfer were materials, monitoring, sustainability, maintenance and replicability. The most important key factor of success was assessed to be botany, as various plant species with important characteristics for soil and water bioengineering are available in Central and South America, able to compensate the constraints through barriers in certain cases.
Melanie Maxwald; Cesare Crocetti; Roberto Ferrari; Alessandro Petrone; Hans Rauch; Federico Preti. Soil and Water Bioengineering Applications in Central and South America: A Transferability Analysis. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10505 .
AMA StyleMelanie Maxwald, Cesare Crocetti, Roberto Ferrari, Alessandro Petrone, Hans Rauch, Federico Preti. Soil and Water Bioengineering Applications in Central and South America: A Transferability Analysis. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10505.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelanie Maxwald; Cesare Crocetti; Roberto Ferrari; Alessandro Petrone; Hans Rauch; Federico Preti. 2020. "Soil and Water Bioengineering Applications in Central and South America: A Transferability Analysis." Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10505.
This study presents a methodology for improving the efficiency of Baptist and Stone and Shen models in predicting the global water flow resistance of a reclamation channel partly vegetated by rigid and emergent riparian plants. The results of the two resistance models are compared with the measurements collected during an experimental campaign conducted in a reclamation channel colonized by Common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.). Experimental vegetative Chézy’s flow resistance coefficients have been retrieved from the analysis of instantaneous flow velocity measurements, acquired by means of a downlooking 3-component acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) located at the channel upstream cross section, and by water level measurements obtained through four piezometers distributed along the reclamation channel. The main morphometrical vegetation features (i.e., stem diameters and heights, and bed surface density) have been measured at six cross sections of the vegetated reclamation channel. Following the theoretical assumptions of the divided channel method (DCM), three sub-sections have been delineated in the reference cross section to represent the impact of the partial vegetation cover on the cross sectional variability of the flow field, as observed with the ADV measurements. The global vegetative Chézy’s flow resistance coefficients have been then computed by combining each resistance model with four different composite cross section methods, respectively suggested by Colebatch, Horton, Pavlovskii, and Yen. The comparative analysis between the modeled and the experimental vegetative Chézy’s coefficients has been performed by computing the relative prediction error (εr, expressed in %) under two flow rate regimes. Stone and Shen model combined with the Horton composite cross section method provides vegetative Chézy’s coefficients with the lowest εr.
Giuseppe Francesco Cesare Lama; Alessandro Errico; Simona Francalanci; Luca Solari; Federico Preti; Giovanni Battista Chirico. Evaluation of Flow Resistance Models Based on Field Experiments in a Partly Vegetated Reclamation Channel. Geosciences 2020, 10, 47 .
AMA StyleGiuseppe Francesco Cesare Lama, Alessandro Errico, Simona Francalanci, Luca Solari, Federico Preti, Giovanni Battista Chirico. Evaluation of Flow Resistance Models Based on Field Experiments in a Partly Vegetated Reclamation Channel. Geosciences. 2020; 10 (2):47.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiuseppe Francesco Cesare Lama; Alessandro Errico; Simona Francalanci; Luca Solari; Federico Preti; Giovanni Battista Chirico. 2020. "Evaluation of Flow Resistance Models Based on Field Experiments in a Partly Vegetated Reclamation Channel." Geosciences 10, no. 2: 47.
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.
Grazia Tucci; Erica Isabella Parisi; Giulio Castelli; Alessandro Errico; Manuela Corongiu; Giovanna Sona; Enea Viviani; Elena Bresci; Federico Preti. Multi-Sensor UAV Application for Thermal Analysis on a Dry-Stone Terraced Vineyard in Rural Tuscany Landscape. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 2019, 8, 87 .
AMA StyleGrazia Tucci, Erica Isabella Parisi, Giulio Castelli, Alessandro Errico, Manuela Corongiu, Giovanna Sona, Enea Viviani, Elena Bresci, Federico Preti. Multi-Sensor UAV Application for Thermal Analysis on a Dry-Stone Terraced Vineyard in Rural Tuscany Landscape. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information. 2019; 8 (2):87.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGrazia Tucci; Erica Isabella Parisi; Giulio Castelli; Alessandro Errico; Manuela Corongiu; Giovanna Sona; Enea Viviani; Elena Bresci; Federico Preti. 2019. "Multi-Sensor UAV Application for Thermal Analysis on a Dry-Stone Terraced Vineyard in Rural Tuscany Landscape." ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 8, no. 2: 87.
During 25 October 2011, an extremely intense rainfall event occurred in Eastern Liguria and Northern Tuscany. Severe damages were registered in the Monterosso and Vernazza basins, located in the famous area of Cinque Terre, which have been affected by hundreds of landslides, mud flows, and erosions. The main feature of the Cinque Terre landscape is the presence of terraced cultivations on steep slopes facing the sea. The area represents a remarkable cultural landscape, is a National Park, and is included in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO. This work aims to analyze the effect of abandoned terraced land on hydrogeological risks and in landslide prevention, by comparing what happened in Cinque Terre to other experiences presented in scientific literature. The cessation of maintenance of dry stone terraces due to the crisis of traditional agriculture was identified as the main cause of failure during the heavy rainfall event. However, we found some contrasting and, in some cases, unexpected results in the literature regarding the effects of the vegetation that develops on abandoned terraces. This paper compares different results in order to better understand what the future of terraced landscapes is and which are the best management strategies for such complex and fragile territories. In particular, where they represent a cultural heritage and a resource for the rural economy.
Mauro Agnoletti; Alessandro Errico; Antonio Santoro; Andrea Dani; Federico Preti. Terraced Landscapes and Hydrogeological Risk. Effects of Land Abandonment in Cinque Terre (Italy) during Severe Rainfall Events. Sustainability 2019, 11, 235 .
AMA StyleMauro Agnoletti, Alessandro Errico, Antonio Santoro, Andrea Dani, Federico Preti. Terraced Landscapes and Hydrogeological Risk. Effects of Land Abandonment in Cinque Terre (Italy) during Severe Rainfall Events. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (1):235.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMauro Agnoletti; Alessandro Errico; Antonio Santoro; Andrea Dani; Federico Preti. 2019. "Terraced Landscapes and Hydrogeological Risk. Effects of Land Abandonment in Cinque Terre (Italy) during Severe Rainfall Events." Sustainability 11, no. 1: 235.
Soil and water bioengineering is a technology that encourages scientists and practitioners to combine their knowledge and skills in the management of ecosystems with a common goal to maximize benefits to both man and the natural environment. It involves techniques that use plants as living building materials, for: (i) natural hazard control (e.g., soil erosion, torrential floods and landslides) and (ii) ecological restoration or nature-based re-introduction of species on degraded lands, river embankments, and disturbed environments. For a bioengineering project to be successful, engineers are required to highlight all the potential benefits and ecosystem services by documenting the technical, ecological, economic and social values. The novel approaches used by bioengineers raise questions for researchers and necessitate innovation from practitioners to design bioengineering concepts and techniques. Our objective in this paper, therefore, is to highlight the practice and research needs in soil and water bioengineering for reconciling natural hazard control and ecological restoration. Firstly, we review the definition and development of bioengineering technology, while stressing issues concerning the design, implementation, and monitoring of bioengineering actions. Secondly, we highlight the need to reconcile natural hazard control and ecological restoration by posing novel practice and research questions.
F. Rey; C. Bifulco; G.B. Bischetti; F. Bourrier; G. De Cesare; F. Florineth; F. Graf; M. Marden; S.B. Mickovski; C. Phillips; K. Peklo; J. Poesen; D. Polster; F. Preti; H.P. Rauch; P. Raymond; P. Sangalli; G. Tardio; A. Stokes. Soil and water bioengineering: Practice and research needs for reconciling natural hazard control and ecological restoration. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 648, 1210 -1218.
AMA StyleF. Rey, C. Bifulco, G.B. Bischetti, F. Bourrier, G. De Cesare, F. Florineth, F. Graf, M. Marden, S.B. Mickovski, C. Phillips, K. Peklo, J. Poesen, D. Polster, F. Preti, H.P. Rauch, P. Raymond, P. Sangalli, G. Tardio, A. Stokes. Soil and water bioengineering: Practice and research needs for reconciling natural hazard control and ecological restoration. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 648 ():1210-1218.
Chicago/Turabian StyleF. Rey; C. Bifulco; G.B. Bischetti; F. Bourrier; G. De Cesare; F. Florineth; F. Graf; M. Marden; S.B. Mickovski; C. Phillips; K. Peklo; J. Poesen; D. Polster; F. Preti; H.P. Rauch; P. Raymond; P. Sangalli; G. Tardio; A. Stokes. 2018. "Soil and water bioengineering: Practice and research needs for reconciling natural hazard control and ecological restoration." Science of The Total Environment 648, no. : 1210-1218.
Dry-stone wall agricultural terraces are widespread all over the world, and represent an effective retaining structure for farming purposes. However, dry-stone walls can be subjected to degradation and damages, with complex and expensive maintenance. Such high costs are the most relevant drivers of land abandonment in many agricultural areas of Europe and of other continents, resulting in a progressive loss of cultivable surface, cultural heritages and landscape traditional elements. Therefore, a more effective and efficient management of these systems is needed. As a contribution, in the present paper an innovative modelling approach system is proposed. The presented model is able to describe hydrological processes on a terraced slope, and to analyze the destabilizing pressures acting on the retaining dry-stone walls in the most critical portion of each terrace. The model structure is based on the results of multidisciplinary field monitoring campaigns on water circulation in terraced landscapes carried out on a terraced vineyard (Lamole, Tuscany, Italy). A monitoring station was set up on a recently reconstructed dry-stone wall, to measure the parameters influencing the pressures acting on the retaining structure. The results show a good capability of the model to predict the distribution and intensity of stresses on the instrumented dry-stone wall over time ad space. Such stresses were related to the earth pressure and to hydrostatic pressures (water accumulation), without the occurrence of soil saturation. Detecting the most failure-prone portions of a terraced system, this approach can support landowners and land planners in manage these complex and fragile environments.
Federico Preti; Alessandro Errico; Marco Caruso; Andrea Dani; Enrico Guastini. Dry-stone wall terrace monitoring and modelling. Land Degradation & Development 2018, 29, 1806 -1818.
AMA StyleFederico Preti, Alessandro Errico, Marco Caruso, Andrea Dani, Enrico Guastini. Dry-stone wall terrace monitoring and modelling. Land Degradation & Development. 2018; 29 (6):1806-1818.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederico Preti; Alessandro Errico; Marco Caruso; Andrea Dani; Enrico Guastini. 2018. "Dry-stone wall terrace monitoring and modelling." Land Degradation & Development 29, no. 6: 1806-1818.
Agricultural terraces are often subject to degradation issues related to water movement. A better understanding of the main hydrological processes that govern surface and subsurface water flow pathways and that are responsible for terrace failure and dry-stone wall collapse is essential for appropriate water resource management and rural landscape maintenance in terraced areas. However, a clear conceptualization of different hydrological functioning related to wall instability issues is still missing. In this study, we monitored a terrace system in a hilly site of central Italy cultivated with vineyards. We adopted a multidisciplinary approach based on soil analysis, different geophysical techniques, hydrological monitoring, high-resolution grid terrain analysis and field experiments (infiltration and flooding tests) aiming to: (i) obtain new information of terrace soil and subsoil structure; (ii) test the hypothesis on wall instability based on the formation of preferential flow and water accumulation behind the wall; and (iii) develop a conceptual model of water circulation in agricultural terraces. Our results indicate that terrace soil was highly heterogeneous, including discontinuities and piping systems that facilitated a rapid infiltration and the development of fast subsurface flow. Groundwater rise did not occur, as observed in other terraced sites, but infiltrated water accumulated behind dry-stone walls, increasing pore water pressure and inducing wall bulging and instability. Our findings provided new field evidences of water circulation and led to the definition of a novel paradigm of hydrological functioning of farming terraced systems for addressing more efficient management and maintenance issues in these vulnerable landscapes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Federico Preti; Enrico Guastini; Daniele Penna; Andrea Dani; Giorgio Cassiani; Jacopo Boaga; Rita Deiana; Nunzio Romano; Paolo Nasta; Mario Palladino; Alessandro Errico; Yamuna Giambastiani; Paolo Trucchi; Paolo Tarolli. Conceptualization of Water Flow Pathways in Agricultural Terraced Landscapes. Land Degradation & Development 2017, 29, 651 -662.
AMA StyleFederico Preti, Enrico Guastini, Daniele Penna, Andrea Dani, Giorgio Cassiani, Jacopo Boaga, Rita Deiana, Nunzio Romano, Paolo Nasta, Mario Palladino, Alessandro Errico, Yamuna Giambastiani, Paolo Trucchi, Paolo Tarolli. Conceptualization of Water Flow Pathways in Agricultural Terraced Landscapes. Land Degradation & Development. 2017; 29 (3):651-662.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederico Preti; Enrico Guastini; Daniele Penna; Andrea Dani; Giorgio Cassiani; Jacopo Boaga; Rita Deiana; Nunzio Romano; Paolo Nasta; Mario Palladino; Alessandro Errico; Yamuna Giambastiani; Paolo Trucchi; Paolo Tarolli. 2017. "Conceptualization of Water Flow Pathways in Agricultural Terraced Landscapes." Land Degradation & Development 29, no. 3: 651-662.
Although landslides are frequent natural phenomena in mountainous regions, the lack of data in emerging countries is a significant issue in the assessment of shallow landslide susceptibility. A key factor in risk-mitigation strategies is the evaluation of deterministic physical models for hazard assessment in these data-poor regions. Given the lack of physical information, input parameters to these data-intensive deterministic models have to be estimated, which has a negative impact on the reliability of the assessment. To address this problem, we examined shallow landslide hazard in Comitancillo municipality, Guatemala. Shallow landslides are here defined as small (less than two or three metre-deep) rotational or translational slides or earth flows. We based our hazard simulation on the stability index mapping model. The model’s input parameters were estimated from a statistical analysis of factors affecting landslides in the municipality obtained from a geodatabase. The outputs from the model were analysed and compared to an inventory of small-scale landslides. The results of the comparison show the effectiveness of the method developed to estimate input parameters for a deterministic model, in regions where physical data related to the assessment of shallow landslide susceptibility is lacking.
Federico Preti; Tommaso Letterio. Shallow landslide susceptibility assessment in a data-poor region of Guatemala (Comitancillo municipality). Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2015, 46, 85 -94.
AMA StyleFederico Preti, Tommaso Letterio. Shallow landslide susceptibility assessment in a data-poor region of Guatemala (Comitancillo municipality). Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2015; 46 (3):85-94.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederico Preti; Tommaso Letterio. 2015. "Shallow landslide susceptibility assessment in a data-poor region of Guatemala (Comitancillo municipality)." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 46, no. 3: 85-94.
Andrea Dani; Federico Preti. Slope stability temporal changes due to timber harvesting. Atti del Secondo Congresso Internazionale di Selvicoltura = Proceedings of the Second International Congress of Silviculture 2015, 469 -475.
AMA StyleAndrea Dani, Federico Preti. Slope stability temporal changes due to timber harvesting. Atti del Secondo Congresso Internazionale di Selvicoltura = Proceedings of the Second International Congress of Silviculture. 2015; ():469-475.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Dani; Federico Preti. 2015. "Slope stability temporal changes due to timber harvesting." Atti del Secondo Congresso Internazionale di Selvicoltura = Proceedings of the Second International Congress of Silviculture , no. : 469-475.
Among the most evident landscape signatures of the human fingerprint, the terraces related to agricultural activities are of great importance. This technique is widely used in various parts of the world under various environmental conditions. In some areas, terraced landscapes can be considered a historical heritage and a cultural ecosystem service to be adequately preserved. However, terraced landscapes subject to abandonment can progressively increase gully erosion and cause terrace failure. Partly because of changes in societal perspective and migration towards metropolitan areas, some countries have been affected by serious and wide abandonment of agricultural lands in recent decades. This review aims to discuss the current state of agricultural terraced landscapes, underlining critical issues and likely solutions. The paper is structured in three main sections. The introduction provides an overview of the available literature on terraced landscapes and their critical issues. The second section presents three case studies: the first is located in the so-called Cinque Terre area (Liguria, Northern Italy), the second is placed in the Chianti Classico area (Tuscany, Central Italy), and the third refers to the renowned Amalfi Coast (Salerno, Southern Italy). The last section of the review relates to likely solutions (non-structural and structural management) and future challenges (use of high-resolution topography derived by lidar) for suitable management of such environments
Paolo Tarolli; Federico Preti; Nunzio Romano. Terraced landscapes: From an old best practice to a potential hazard for soil degradation due to land abandonment. Anthropocene 2014, 6, 10 -25.
AMA StylePaolo Tarolli, Federico Preti, Nunzio Romano. Terraced landscapes: From an old best practice to a potential hazard for soil degradation due to land abandonment. Anthropocene. 2014; 6 ():10-25.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaolo Tarolli; Federico Preti; Nunzio Romano. 2014. "Terraced landscapes: From an old best practice to a potential hazard for soil degradation due to land abandonment." Anthropocene 6, no. : 10-25.
Plant rooting systems affect slope stability through the soil reinforcement given by the root network. The vertical root distribution in particular is crucial for the assessment of the critical slip surface in slope stability analyses. We propose here an expeditious way to assess the major characteristics of the root system at landslide slopes. More in detail, we extend and validate an ecohydrological model proposed for flat terrain and water-dependent ecosystems by Laio et al. (2006). This model has the merit to use readily available climatic and pedologic descriptors to predict the mean root depth, but its extension to hillslopes in semi-humid environments requires validation. The model has been improved and then tested on a case study in northern Tuscany (Italy) which considers 17 landslide sites where the tree rooting systems have been measured. The results show a quite good match between observed and modeled mean root depths. The accuracy of the results largely depends on the improvements brought to the model in the parameters estimation phase, in particular through the application of the Curve Number method and through the refinement of the definition of the growing season. The results show that in 14 cases out of 17 the error is lower than 30%. Furthermore, the error becomes lower than 30% at all sites if we take into account differences among soils in the estimation of the portion of precipitation which infiltrates into the soil. These results prove the potential of the proposed method: using few and quite readily available parameters, it allows one to determine the mean root depths of vegetation with good accuracy: an important parameter for stability assessment of vegetated slopes on a large scale.
S. Tron; A. Dani; Francesco Laio; F. Preti; Luca Ridolfi. Mean root depth estimation at landslide slopes. Ecological Engineering 2014, 69, 118 -125.
AMA StyleS. Tron, A. Dani, Francesco Laio, F. Preti, Luca Ridolfi. Mean root depth estimation at landslide slopes. Ecological Engineering. 2014; 69 ():118-125.
Chicago/Turabian StyleS. Tron; A. Dani; Francesco Laio; F. Preti; Luca Ridolfi. 2014. "Mean root depth estimation at landslide slopes." Ecological Engineering 69, no. : 118-125.
Plants alter their environment in a number of ways. With correct management, plant communities can positively impact soil degradation processes such as surface erosion and shallow landslides. However, there are major gaps in our understanding of physical and ecological processes on hillslopes, and the application of research to restoration and engineering projects. To identify the key issues of concern to researchers and practitioners involved in designing and implementing projects to mitigate hillslope instability, we organized a discussion during the Third International Conference on Soil Bio- and Eco-Engineering: The Use of Vegetation to Improve Slope Stability, Vancouver, Canada, July 2012. The facilitators asked delegates to answer three questions: (i) what do practitioners need from science? (ii) what are some of the key knowledge gaps? (iii) what ideas do you have for future collaborative research projects between practitioners and researchers? From this discussion, ten key issues were identified, considered as the kernel of future studies concerning the impact of vegetation on slope stability and erosion processes. Each issue is described and a discussion at the end of this paper addresses how we can augment the use of ecological engineering techniques for mitigating slope instability. We show that through fundamental and applied research in related fields (e.g., soil formation and biogeochemistry, hydrology and microbial ecology), reliable data can be obtained for use by practitioners seeking adapted solutions for a given site. Through fieldwork, accessible databases, modelling and collaborative projects, awareness and acceptance of the use of plant material in slope restoration projects should increase significantly, particularly in the civil and geotechnical communities.
Alexia Stokes; Grant B. Douglas; Thierry Fourcaud; Filippo Giadrossich; Clayton Gillies; Thomas Hubble; John Kim; Kenneth Loades; Zhun Mao; Ian R. McIvor; Slobodan B. Mickovski; Stephen Mitchell; Normaniza Osman; Christopher Phillips; Jean Poesen; Dave Polster; Federico Preti; Pierre Raymond; Freddy Rey; Massimiliano Schwarz; Lawrence R. Walker. Ecological mitigation of hillslope instability: ten key issues facing researchers and practitioners. Plant and Soil 2014, 377, 1 -23.
AMA StyleAlexia Stokes, Grant B. Douglas, Thierry Fourcaud, Filippo Giadrossich, Clayton Gillies, Thomas Hubble, John Kim, Kenneth Loades, Zhun Mao, Ian R. McIvor, Slobodan B. Mickovski, Stephen Mitchell, Normaniza Osman, Christopher Phillips, Jean Poesen, Dave Polster, Federico Preti, Pierre Raymond, Freddy Rey, Massimiliano Schwarz, Lawrence R. Walker. Ecological mitigation of hillslope instability: ten key issues facing researchers and practitioners. Plant and Soil. 2014; 377 (1-2):1-23.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlexia Stokes; Grant B. Douglas; Thierry Fourcaud; Filippo Giadrossich; Clayton Gillies; Thomas Hubble; John Kim; Kenneth Loades; Zhun Mao; Ian R. McIvor; Slobodan B. Mickovski; Stephen Mitchell; Normaniza Osman; Christopher Phillips; Jean Poesen; Dave Polster; Federico Preti; Pierre Raymond; Freddy Rey; Massimiliano Schwarz; Lawrence R. Walker. 2014. "Ecological mitigation of hillslope instability: ten key issues facing researchers and practitioners." Plant and Soil 377, no. 1-2: 1-23.
The soil erosion in the vineyards is a critical issue that could affect their productivity, but also, when the cultivation is organized in terraces, increase the risk due to derived slope failure processes. If terraces are not correctly designed or maintained, a progressively increasing of gully erosion affects the structure of the walls. The results of this process is the increasing of connectivity and runoff. In order to overcome such issues it is really important to recognize in detail all the surface drainage paths, thus providing a basis upon which develop a suitable drainage system or provide structural measures for the soil erosion risk mitigation. In the last few years, the airborne LiDAR technology led to a dramatic increase in terrain information. Airborne LiDAR and Terrestrial Laser Scanner derived high-resolution Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) have opened avenues for hydrologic and geomorphologic studies (Tarolli et al., 2009). In general, all the main surface process signatures are correctly recognized using a DTM with cell sizes of 1 m. However sub-meter grid sizes may be more suitable in those situations where the analysis of micro topography related to micro changes is critical for slope failures risk assessment or for the design of detailed drainage flow paths. The Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) has been proven to be an useful tool for such detailed field survey. In this work, we test the effectiveness of high resolution topography derived by airborne LiDAR and TLS for the recognition of areas subject to soil erosion risk in a typical terraced vineyard landscape of “Chianti Classico” (Tuscany, Italy). The algorithm proposed by Tarolli et al. (2013), for the automatic recognition of anthropic feature induced flow direction changes, has been tested. The results underline the effectiveness of LiDAR and TLS data in the analysis of soil erosion signatures in vineyards, and indicate the high resolution topography as a useful tool to improve the land use management of such areas. The stability conditions have been analyzed under the influence of the measured geometry alterations of the wall structure.
Federico Preti; Paolo Tarolli; Andrea Dani; Simone Calligaro; Massimo Prosdocimi. LiDAR derived high resolution topography: the next challenge for the analysis of terraces stability and vineyard soil erosion. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2013, 44, 1 .
AMA StyleFederico Preti, Paolo Tarolli, Andrea Dani, Simone Calligaro, Massimo Prosdocimi. LiDAR derived high resolution topography: the next challenge for the analysis of terraces stability and vineyard soil erosion. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2013; 44 (2s):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederico Preti; Paolo Tarolli; Andrea Dani; Simone Calligaro; Massimo Prosdocimi. 2013. "LiDAR derived high resolution topography: the next challenge for the analysis of terraces stability and vineyard soil erosion." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 44, no. 2s: 1.
The soil erosion in the vineyards is a critical issue that could affect their productivity, but also, when the cultivation is organized in terraces, increase the risk due to derived slope failure processes. If terraces are not correctly designed or maintained, a progressively increasing of gully erosion affects the structure of the walls. The results of this process is the increasing of connectivity and runoff. In order to overcome such issues it is really important to recognize in detail all the surface drainage paths, thus providing a basis upon which develop a suitable drainage system or provide structural measures for the soil erosion risk mitigation. In the last few years, the airborne LiDAR technology led to a dramatic increase in terrain information. Airborne LiDAR and Terrestrial Laser Scanner derived high-resolution Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) have opened avenues for hydrologic and geomorphologic studies (Tarolli et al., 2009). In general, all the main surface process signatures are correctly recognized using a DTM with cell sizes of 1 m. However sub-meter grid sizes may be more suitable in those situations where the analysis of micro topography related to micro changes is critical for slope failures risk assessment or for the design of detailed drainage flow paths. The Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) has been proven to be an useful tool for such detailed field survey. In this work, we test the effectiveness of high resolution topography derived by airborne LiDAR and TLS for the recognition of areas subject to soil erosion risk in a typical terraced vineyard landscape of “Chianti Classico” (Tuscany, Italy). The algorithm proposed by Tarolli et al. (2013), for the automatic recognition of anthropic feature induced flow direction changes, has been tested. The results underline the effectiveness of LiDAR and TLS data in the analysis of soil erosion signatures in vineyards, and indicate the high resolution topography as a useful tool to improve the land use management of such areas. The stability conditions have been analyzed under the influence of the measured geometry alterations of the wall structure.
Federico Preti; Paolo Tarolli; Andrea Dani; Simone Calligaro; Massimo Prosdocimi. LiDAR derived high resolution topography: the next challenge for the analysis of terraces stability and vineyard soil erosion. Journal of Agricultural Engineering 2013, 44, 1 .
AMA StyleFederico Preti, Paolo Tarolli, Andrea Dani, Simone Calligaro, Massimo Prosdocimi. LiDAR derived high resolution topography: the next challenge for the analysis of terraces stability and vineyard soil erosion. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2013; 44 (2):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFederico Preti; Paolo Tarolli; Andrea Dani; Simone Calligaro; Massimo Prosdocimi. 2013. "LiDAR derived high resolution topography: the next challenge for the analysis of terraces stability and vineyard soil erosion." Journal of Agricultural Engineering 44, no. 2: 1.
This paper reports a soil bio-engineering technical assessment program conducted in the Santo Domingo, Ecuador region. Autochthonous plant species survivorship and vegetative growth was evaluated in a short-term palisade experimental regime. Among the four species evaluated, Brugmansia versicolor, Malvaviscus penduliflorus, and Trichanthera gigantea performed well, evidenced by > 70% survivorship, however Euphorbia cotinifolia exhibited increased mortality (59%). Significant differences and notable variability in terminal shoot length and stem diameter among species indicated further study is warranted in growth parameters. Keywords: Soil bio-engineering, Ecuador, Watershed Management, Disaster Mitigation
F. Preti; A. Petrone. Soil bio-engineering for watershed management and disaster mitigation in Ecuador: a short-term species suitability test. iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry 2013, 6, 95 -99.
AMA StyleF. Preti, A. Petrone. Soil bio-engineering for watershed management and disaster mitigation in Ecuador: a short-term species suitability test. iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry. 2013; 6 (2):95-99.
Chicago/Turabian StyleF. Preti; A. Petrone. 2013. "Soil bio-engineering for watershed management and disaster mitigation in Ecuador: a short-term species suitability test." iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry 6, no. 2: 95-99.
Vegetation significantly influences the hydrological and mechanical properties which are relevant for the stability of shallow soils along sloping surfaces. In view of the complexity of soil plant hydrological interactions, the quantification of root mechanical reinforcement remains a challenge. In this paper we couple root reinforcement models with a quasi-dynamic wetness index (QDI), which is specifically designed for estimating the local wetness conditions by accounting for the character of the upslope topography and the time of the lateral soil moisture distribution. The overall modelling strategy can be effectively employed for assessing the relative hazard of shallow landslides accounting for vegetation patterns and dominant forest management practices. The methodology is applied to an area located in Northern Tuscany, recently interested by several shallow landslides.
Giovanni Battista Chirico; Andrea Dani; Federico Preti. Coupling Root Reinforcement and Subsurface Flow Modeling in Shallow Landslides Triggering Assessment. Landslide Science and Practice 2013, 761 -766.
AMA StyleGiovanni Battista Chirico, Andrea Dani, Federico Preti. Coupling Root Reinforcement and Subsurface Flow Modeling in Shallow Landslides Triggering Assessment. Landslide Science and Practice. 2013; ():761-766.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiovanni Battista Chirico; Andrea Dani; Federico Preti. 2013. "Coupling Root Reinforcement and Subsurface Flow Modeling in Shallow Landslides Triggering Assessment." Landslide Science and Practice , no. : 761-766.