Long-term hydrological monitoring of soils in the terraced environment of Cinque Terre (north-western Italy)
Terraced landscapes represent one of the most widespread human-induced/man-made transformations of hilly-mountainous environments. Slope terracing produces peculiar morphologies along with unusual soil textures and stratigraphic features, which in turn strongly influence slope hydrology. The investi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1285669/full |
| _version_ | 1797447870795743232 |
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| author | Matteo Fiorucci Giacomo Pepe Gian Marco Marmoni Massimo Pecci Diego Di Martire Luigi Guerriero Giuseppe Bausilio Enza Vitale Emanuele Raso Luca Raimondi Andrea Cevasco Domenico Calcaterra Gabriele Scarascia Mugnozza |
| author_facet | Matteo Fiorucci Giacomo Pepe Gian Marco Marmoni Massimo Pecci Diego Di Martire Luigi Guerriero Giuseppe Bausilio Enza Vitale Emanuele Raso Luca Raimondi Andrea Cevasco Domenico Calcaterra Gabriele Scarascia Mugnozza |
| author_sort | Matteo Fiorucci |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Terraced landscapes represent one of the most widespread human-induced/man-made transformations of hilly-mountainous environments. Slope terracing produces peculiar morphologies along with unusual soil textures and stratigraphic features, which in turn strongly influence slope hydrology. The investigation of the hydrological features of terraced soils is of fundamental importance for understanding the hydrological dynamics occurring in these anthropogenic landscapes, especially during rainfall events. To this purpose, the availability of extensive field monitoring data series and of information on subsoil properties and structure is essential. In this study, multi-sensor hydrological data were acquired over a period longer than 2 years in the experimental site of Monterosso al Mare, in the Cinque Terre National Park (Liguria region, Italy), one of the most famous examples of terraced landscape worldwide. Monitoring data were coupled with accurate engineering-geological investigations to achieve the hydro-mechanical characterization of backfill soils and to investigate their hydrological response at both the seasonal and the single rainstorm scale. The results indicated that the coarse-grained, and anthropically remolded texture of the soils favors the rapid infiltration of rainwater, producing sharp changes in both soil volumetric water content and pore water pressure. Furthermore, the pattern of hydrological parameters showed seasonal trends outlined by alternating phases of slow drying and fast wetting. The study outcomes provide useful insights on the short and long-term evolution of hydrological factors operating in agricultural terraces. These findings represent a useful basis for a better understanding of the time-dependent processes that guide water circulation in terraced systems, which have a key role in controlling the occurrence of erosion and landslide processes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:02:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b3da7a8d67ee4fdb8c8483ab125a00ef |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:02:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-b3da7a8d67ee4fdb8c8483ab125a00ef2023-11-30T07:46:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632023-11-011110.3389/feart.2023.12856691285669Long-term hydrological monitoring of soils in the terraced environment of Cinque Terre (north-western Italy)Matteo Fiorucci0Giacomo Pepe1Gian Marco Marmoni2Massimo Pecci3Diego Di Martire4Luigi Guerriero5Giuseppe Bausilio6Enza Vitale7Emanuele Raso8Luca Raimondi9Andrea Cevasco10Domenico Calcaterra11Gabriele Scarascia Mugnozza12Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Genova, ItalyDepartment of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDipartimento per gli Affari Regionali e le Autonomie (DARA), Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences (DiSTAR), Federico II University of Naples, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Napoli, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences (DiSTAR), Federico II University of Naples, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Napoli, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences (DiSTAR), Federico II University of Naples, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Napoli, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences (DiSTAR), Federico II University of Naples, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Napoli, ItalyCinque Terre National Park, La Spezia, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Genova, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, Genova, ItalyDepartment of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences (DiSTAR), Federico II University of Naples, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, Napoli, ItalyDepartment of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyTerraced landscapes represent one of the most widespread human-induced/man-made transformations of hilly-mountainous environments. Slope terracing produces peculiar morphologies along with unusual soil textures and stratigraphic features, which in turn strongly influence slope hydrology. The investigation of the hydrological features of terraced soils is of fundamental importance for understanding the hydrological dynamics occurring in these anthropogenic landscapes, especially during rainfall events. To this purpose, the availability of extensive field monitoring data series and of information on subsoil properties and structure is essential. In this study, multi-sensor hydrological data were acquired over a period longer than 2 years in the experimental site of Monterosso al Mare, in the Cinque Terre National Park (Liguria region, Italy), one of the most famous examples of terraced landscape worldwide. Monitoring data were coupled with accurate engineering-geological investigations to achieve the hydro-mechanical characterization of backfill soils and to investigate their hydrological response at both the seasonal and the single rainstorm scale. The results indicated that the coarse-grained, and anthropically remolded texture of the soils favors the rapid infiltration of rainwater, producing sharp changes in both soil volumetric water content and pore water pressure. Furthermore, the pattern of hydrological parameters showed seasonal trends outlined by alternating phases of slow drying and fast wetting. The study outcomes provide useful insights on the short and long-term evolution of hydrological factors operating in agricultural terraces. These findings represent a useful basis for a better understanding of the time-dependent processes that guide water circulation in terraced systems, which have a key role in controlling the occurrence of erosion and landslide processes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1285669/fullagricultural terracesCinque Terre National Parkhydrological monitoringsoil hydrologyrainfallterraced soils |
| spellingShingle | Matteo Fiorucci Giacomo Pepe Gian Marco Marmoni Massimo Pecci Diego Di Martire Luigi Guerriero Giuseppe Bausilio Enza Vitale Emanuele Raso Luca Raimondi Andrea Cevasco Domenico Calcaterra Gabriele Scarascia Mugnozza Long-term hydrological monitoring of soils in the terraced environment of Cinque Terre (north-western Italy) Frontiers in Earth Science agricultural terraces Cinque Terre National Park hydrological monitoring soil hydrology rainfall terraced soils |
| title | Long-term hydrological monitoring of soils in the terraced environment of Cinque Terre (north-western Italy) |
| title_full | Long-term hydrological monitoring of soils in the terraced environment of Cinque Terre (north-western Italy) |
| title_fullStr | Long-term hydrological monitoring of soils in the terraced environment of Cinque Terre (north-western Italy) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-term hydrological monitoring of soils in the terraced environment of Cinque Terre (north-western Italy) |
| title_short | Long-term hydrological monitoring of soils in the terraced environment of Cinque Terre (north-western Italy) |
| title_sort | long term hydrological monitoring of soils in the terraced environment of cinque terre north western italy |
| topic | agricultural terraces Cinque Terre National Park hydrological monitoring soil hydrology rainfall terraced soils |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1285669/full |
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