Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in ‘affected’ and ‘unaffected’ landscapes in Italy
Abstract Southern Europe is a hotspot for desertification risk because of the intimate impact of soil deterioration, landscape transformations, rising human pressure, and climate change. In this context, large-scale empirical analyses linking landscape fragmentation with desertification risk assume...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04638-1 |
| _version_ | 1828138461103652864 |
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| author | Samaneh Sadat Nickayin Rosa Coluzzi Alvaro Marucci Leonardo Bianchini Luca Salvati Pavel Cudlin Vito Imbrenda |
| author_facet | Samaneh Sadat Nickayin Rosa Coluzzi Alvaro Marucci Leonardo Bianchini Luca Salvati Pavel Cudlin Vito Imbrenda |
| author_sort | Samaneh Sadat Nickayin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Southern Europe is a hotspot for desertification risk because of the intimate impact of soil deterioration, landscape transformations, rising human pressure, and climate change. In this context, large-scale empirical analyses linking landscape fragmentation with desertification risk assume that increasing levels of land vulnerability to degradation are associated with significant changes in landscape structure. Using a traditional approach of landscape ecology, this study evaluates the spatial structure of a simulated landscape based on different levels of vulnerability to land degradation using 15 metrics calculated at three time points (early-1960s, early-1990s, early-2010s) in Italy. While the (average) level of land vulnerability increased over time almost in all Italian regions, vulnerable landscapes demonstrated to be increasingly fragmented, as far as the number of homogeneous patches and mean patch size are concerned. The spatial balance in affected and unaffected areas—typically observed in the 1960s—was progressively replaced with an intrinsically disordered landscape, and this process was more intense in regions exposed to higher (and increasing) levels of land degradation. The spread of larger land patches exposed to intrinsic degradation brings to important consequences since (1) the rising number of hotspots may increase the probability of local-scale degradation processes, and (2) the buffering effect of neighbouring (unaffected) land can be less effective on bigger hotspots, promoting a downward spiral toward desertification. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:36:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1e759f07ce134440a45ac80af4c024d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:36:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-1e759f07ce134440a45ac80af4c024d32022-12-22T04:09:14ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-01-0112111110.1038/s41598-021-04638-1Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in ‘affected’ and ‘unaffected’ landscapes in ItalySamaneh Sadat Nickayin0Rosa Coluzzi1Alvaro Marucci2Leonardo Bianchini3Luca Salvati4Pavel Cudlin5Vito Imbrenda6Planning and Design Faculty, Agricultural University of IcelandInstitute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis, National Research Council (IMAA-CNR), Contrada Santa LojaDepartment of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (DAFNE), Tuscia UniversityDepartment of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (DAFNE), Tuscia UniversityDepartment of Economics and Law, University of MacerataGlobal Change Research Institute (CAS)Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis, National Research Council (IMAA-CNR), Contrada Santa LojaAbstract Southern Europe is a hotspot for desertification risk because of the intimate impact of soil deterioration, landscape transformations, rising human pressure, and climate change. In this context, large-scale empirical analyses linking landscape fragmentation with desertification risk assume that increasing levels of land vulnerability to degradation are associated with significant changes in landscape structure. Using a traditional approach of landscape ecology, this study evaluates the spatial structure of a simulated landscape based on different levels of vulnerability to land degradation using 15 metrics calculated at three time points (early-1960s, early-1990s, early-2010s) in Italy. While the (average) level of land vulnerability increased over time almost in all Italian regions, vulnerable landscapes demonstrated to be increasingly fragmented, as far as the number of homogeneous patches and mean patch size are concerned. The spatial balance in affected and unaffected areas—typically observed in the 1960s—was progressively replaced with an intrinsically disordered landscape, and this process was more intense in regions exposed to higher (and increasing) levels of land degradation. The spread of larger land patches exposed to intrinsic degradation brings to important consequences since (1) the rising number of hotspots may increase the probability of local-scale degradation processes, and (2) the buffering effect of neighbouring (unaffected) land can be less effective on bigger hotspots, promoting a downward spiral toward desertification.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04638-1 |
| spellingShingle | Samaneh Sadat Nickayin Rosa Coluzzi Alvaro Marucci Leonardo Bianchini Luca Salvati Pavel Cudlin Vito Imbrenda Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in ‘affected’ and ‘unaffected’ landscapes in Italy Scientific Reports |
| title | Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in ‘affected’ and ‘unaffected’ landscapes in Italy |
| title_full | Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in ‘affected’ and ‘unaffected’ landscapes in Italy |
| title_fullStr | Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in ‘affected’ and ‘unaffected’ landscapes in Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in ‘affected’ and ‘unaffected’ landscapes in Italy |
| title_short | Desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in ‘affected’ and ‘unaffected’ landscapes in Italy |
| title_sort | desertification risk fuels spatial polarization in affected and unaffected landscapes in italy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04638-1 |
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