Agricultural policies and socioeconomic constraints are strong drivers of change in human-dominat... more Agricultural policies and socioeconomic constraints are strong drivers of change in human-dominated rural landscapes of Mediterranean Europe. Changes in rural landscapes can have a strong influence on the perspectives of protection and improvement of the natural and cultural heritage. A shift towards quality production, favoured by institutional financial support, has been recently observed in hilly productive Mediterranean sites. An example of this situation is the Langhe region (NW Italy), where woody plantations such as vineyards and orchards have been cultivated on hillslopes for centuries. In this chapter, we assess the landscape evolution occurred in this study site. Land use changes in the 1954–2000 period were assessed by object-oriented analysis of aerial photographs and quantified by spatial statistics capturing and measuring different elements of landscape change. The expansion of orchards from 1954 to 2000 caused an increase of landscape heterogeneity and the fragmentation of field crops. Orchards expansion has reduced other land uses occupying up to 55 % of former field crops, 24 % of vineyards and 15 % of forests. Changes in rural landscapes, traditionally dominated by vineyards, field crops and forests, were so observed in the Langhe region.
Il territorio piemontese presenta una variabilità climatica molto complessa, legata principalment... more Il territorio piemontese presenta una variabilità climatica molto complessa, legata principalmente alla sua collocazione geografica e ad alla sua complessità geomorfologica. La provincia del VCO è un esempio significativo di tale variabilità, proprio grazie alla sua varietà di territorio che presenta regioni montane, valli, uno tra i più grandi bacini fluviali della regione (il bacino del Toce), la presenza di uno dei laghi più vasti del territorio nazionale (il Lago Maggiore) e dalla presenza delle cime tra le più alte sul territorio regionale (il massiccio del Rosa). Per questi motivi è utile comprendere e quantificare tale variabilità climatica sul territorio e tale valutazione passa attraverso lo studio delle principali variabili meteorologiche (temperatura e precipitazione) registrate sul territorio per un periodo continuativo. L’Atlante climatologico presenta aggregazioni mensili, stagionali o annuali delle variabili meteorologiche sopra citate. Rappresenta la riproduzione grafica del dataset di valori termici e pluviometrici sulla provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola che copre l’arco temporale compreso tra il 1° gennaio 1990 ed il 31 dicembre 2009, su un grigliato con risoluzione 7 km, risoluzione scelta in modo da garantire la massima informazione derivante dai punti di monitoraggio.
The book deals with several aspects of soil erosion, focusing on its connection with the agricult... more The book deals with several aspects of soil erosion, focusing on its connection with the agricultural world. Chapters’ topics are various, ranging from irrigation practices to soil nutrient, land use changes or tillage methodologies. The book is subdivided into fourteen chapters, sorted in four sections, grouping different facets of the topic: introductive case studies, erosion management in vineyards, soil erosion issue in dry environments, and erosion control practices. Certainly, due to the extent of the subject, the book is not a comprehensive collection of soil erosion studies, but it aims to supply a sound set of scientific works, concerning the topic. It analyzes different facets of the issue, with various methodologies, and offers a wide series of case studies, solutions, practices, or suggestions to properly face soil erosion and, moreover, may provide new ideas and starting points for future researches.
The Thesis aim is the investigation of cryospheric dynamics by the employment of innovative geoma... more The Thesis aim is the investigation of cryospheric dynamics by the employment of innovative geomatic techniques. The research is mainly focused on glacier and snow. The study analyses the recent modifications occurred on glaciers, as a response to global change and the past ones, as a key to better understand the current events. On the other hand, concerning snow, the investigation is aimed to improve the methodologies employed in avalanche analysis. The methodologies are tested on one main case study, the Belvedere glacier, and four secondary sites. The Belvedere glacier has been characterised, in the last century, by impressive phenomena as the formation of a third tongue, huge ice avalanches, the formation of glacial lakes (sometime with consequent outburst) and a surge type movement. In this test site GPS and Terrestrial Laser Scanner are employed and integrated with the analysis of past data sources, as historical maps or photograms. The entire data set is managed in a GIS environment, with the purpose of building a time series of events measured on the glacier till the present work. The proficiencies acquired in this case study have then been applied to the secondary cases. In the Ventina glacier remote sensing techniques and historical data processing were used, as a tool for the glacier retreat understanding; in the Lavancher avalanche, the Bettolina site and the Palasina site the GPS survey methods, the Terrestrial Laser Scanner techniques and the remote sensing and GIS tools, were, respectively, employed in avalanche dynamic analysis. Utilized methodologies proved their effectiveness and reliability during field work; retrieved data were characterised by an adequate precision and accuracy assuring the detail required in the performed analysis. Obtained results thus encourage the employment of geomatic methodologies in these fields of application.
Rockglaciers are landforms related to ice-rich permafrost creep and represent a substantial reser... more Rockglaciers are landforms related to ice-rich permafrost creep and represent a substantial reservoir of groundwater in the alpine region. Rockglacier lakes can occur when permafrost-ice meltwater released from rockglaciers, snowmelt, rain and groundwater find the geomorphologic conditions to be collected in an impermeable depression. This depression can be filled with fine-grained sediments (∅<1/16 mm) from at least three sources: 1) the dust contained in the snow covering the lake during winter, 2) the solid fraction of the runoff and meltwater from the rockglacier and 3) the runoff or the wind transport from the surrounding areas. Fine sediment volumes, bedding and typology offer large amount of information for interpreting the past and ongoing biological and abiotic processes in the catchment. In order to estimate the fine sediment volumes and plan a coring campaign in the Col d’Olen Rockglacier Lake (Aosta Valley, Italy) we performed waterborne GPR surveys with both 200 and 500 MHz antennas. After data processing we obtained the bathymetry of the top and the bottom of the fine sediments. Within the fine sediments unit we also found a discontinuity whose meaning will be investigated with a planned coring located in the zone with the maximum sediment thickness.
Within the Operational programme 'Italy - France (Alps - ALCOTRA)', Project "DynAval - Dynamique ... more Within the Operational programme 'Italy - France (Alps - ALCOTRA)', Project "DynAval - Dynamique des avalanches: départ et interactions écoulement/obstacles", a new experimental site is proposed in the Aosta Valley (NW-Italy) to study small-medium size snow avalanches. In the past the attention has been mainly posed over extreme events, which can destroy villages and infrastructures and modify the landscape; scientists tried to understand their dynamics and potential destructive effects. Only recently the scientific world has started to study more in details the dynamics of smaller avalanches, which might be characterized by different relevant processes than those typical of extreme events. The paper describes the new experimental site that will be built to study the behavior of this kind of snow avalanches from several points of view. The test site is located in Aosta Valley (North-western Italian Alps) within the MonterosaSki resort (410171, 5078440) on the Monte Rosa Massif. The slope, with an altitude difference of about 300 m (from 2300 to 2570 m a.s.l.), has a dip direction of 350° and a mean dip of about 38°. The rock mass is constituted of a surface debris layer about 10 m thick on a highly fractured bedrock. Two instability phenomena can occur in the slope: superficial sliding in the debris layer and rock falls. The main objectives of the studies are: 1. the dynamics of small-medium size avalanches; 2. the interaction between avalanche flows and obstacles; 3. the mass balance of avalanches; 4. the characteristics of the snow in the deposition zone compared to those of the release zone; 5. the release process produced by explosives. To achieve the objectives, from winter 2009-2010, it is planned to artificially release avalanches along the slope according to the snow and weather conditions. In that occasion, the research team records the event measuring different variables of the avalanche. It is planned to film the event from the opposite side of the slope, to measure the snow properties in the release zone, to perimeter the avalanche outline, to dig profiles of the avalanche deposit. To detect the behavior of structures impacted by avalanches and their influence on the snow flow, the test site will be equipped with an instrumented obstacle. The galvanized steel obstacle is composed of two masts whose height is about 4 m that support instrumented horizontal plates for measuring the impact forces. The plates can be separately positioned at different levels or grouped together to form a panel with area of 1m2. The exact positioning of the obstacle is one of the goals of the first experiments for winter 2009/2010, as well as the calibration of the sensors and the study of the behavior of the obstacle under different loads in the laboratory. The obstacle will be built in summer 2010. The data (impact forces, pressures, accelerations, etc…) will be continuously acquired and transmitted via optical fiber to a control room remotely located. All the activities will be conducted according to an operational plan, which governs all the different steps of an experiment: from the alert system, to the role of each operator during the experiment, to the security plan.
The 1:10,000 scale geomorphological map of the Hohsand basin (Piemonte Region, Italy) encompasses... more The 1:10,000 scale geomorphological map of the Hohsand basin (Piemonte Region, Italy) encompasses an area of 18 km2 (elevation range: 2300 ÷ 3374 m a.s.l.) where deposits and landforms linked to different processes (glacial, periglacial, gravitational, weathering and surface water) have been distinguished. This basin hosts one of the largest glacial areas of the Western Italian Alps in which it is possible to observe and study the relationships between glacial and periglacial processes. Indeed, due to climate change, Hohsand basin has highlighted an impressive glacier retreat since the end of the Little Ice Age (1600–1900s). In recently deglaciated areas, newly developed periglacial processes and landforms have been recognised and mapped in detail at 1:3,000 scale. All these maps, including a synthesis map at 1:25,000 illustrating the distribution of glacial deposits, have been produced using multitemporal photographic interpretation of aerial images and more recent digital orthoimages, and systematic field surveys performed during the summers 2012 and 2013. The cartographic results provide information about the geomorphological setting of this high-altitude alpine zone through a detailed representation of the genetically different landforms and deposits. Moreover, the in-depth geomorphological analysis of landforms related to glacial and periglacial environments allow understanding of the dynamic interaction between these two typical alpine systems in the present context of climate change.
5 Assetto idrogeologico dei bacini montani – Ufficio Neve e Valanghe della Regione autonoma Valle... more 5 Assetto idrogeologico dei bacini montani – Ufficio Neve e Valanghe della Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta, Quart (AO) – Italy Numerical avalanche dynamics models are widely used to calculate extreme avalanches for hazard mapping and mitigation measure planning. A basic model input is the terrain represented by Digital Elevation Models (DEM). Usually summer topography is used as model input, even though most ava-lanches run on snow-covered terrain with filled gullies and smoothed roughness. Moreover, the depos-its of previous avalanche events can significantly influence the dynamics of following events, espe-cially considering frequent avalanches on the same path. The aim of this paper is to analyze the outputs of the avalanche dynamics model RAMMS obtained using DEM input from summer compared to Digital Surface Model (DSM) generated in winter by laser scanning and digital photogrammetry. We use the 2D model RAMMS to calculate avalanches in two study areas: Seehore test site in A...
Land use change is strongly modifying the traditional landscape of hilly productive Mediterranea... more Land use change is strongly modifying the traditional landscape of hilly productive Mediterranean sites. An example of these circumstances is the Langhe region (Piemonte, NW Italy), where woody plantations such as vineyards and orchards have been cultivated on hillslopes for centuries. In this paper we assess landscape changes occurred in the Diano study area (2651 ha) in the 1954–2000 period and we ascertain land use transition paths and rates of this rural ecosystem. Land use mapping obtained from object-oriented analysis of aerial photographs was used to quantify land use changes between 1954 and 2000. To examine the spatio-temporal patterns of land use change over time, a set of spatial statistics capturing different dimensions of landscape change was identified. An increase of landscape heterogeneity from 1954 to the present was observed due to the expansion of orchards and the fragmentation of field crops. A significant portion (55%) of current orchards surface is represented by former field crops, 24% by vineyards and 15% by forests. The strong expansion of hazelnut orchards concurred to the fragmentation of traditional rural landscape was dominated by vineyards, field crops and forests. Hazelnut orchards expansion was mainly located in places where grapes cultivation was less remunerative. A further expansion of hazelnut in the area should be planned, discussed and carefully monitored through change detection studies in order to avoid potential unsustainable use of the land.
Soil erosion in mountainous regions is a key issue in land use planning, and this is particularly... more Soil erosion in mountainous regions is a key issue in land use planning, and this is particularly true in the Alps where intense anthropogenic influences at low elevations and abandonment in higher regions often coexist to affect soils. Natural hazard and risk assessment are essential given the density of settlements and associated facilities. Soil loss due to water erosion is very common and is becoming more frequent as a consequence of climate change which affects precipitation regimes, frequency of extreme meteorological events, snow melt and vegetation. In this study, we describe the production of a map showing susceptibility to soil erosion in the Aosta Valley (northwest Italian Alps). Most research on slope instability has focused on rock failures, but we investigated upper soil horizons by analysing chemical and physical properties, which could contribute to slope instability. The steps involved in creating the map are explained, and these involved GIS overlay, sampling, soil description, selection of relevant chemical and physical indicators of soil susceptibility to erosion, and overall erosion susceptibility assessment. The resultant indicator values correspond well with field observations to thus validate the methodology and demonstrate its usefulness in land use planning and management in Alpine areas.
Mountain vineyards are a valuable resource for high-quality wine production and landscape
conser... more Mountain vineyards are a valuable resource for high-quality wine production and landscape
conservation. A suitability map (1: 50,000) for mountain vineyard cultivation was created
for a study area located in Aosta Valley (NW Italy). We considered the following
environmental variables that are known to influence wine production: slope, aspect, altitude
and soil, producing a suitability map that allows the identification of areas that can be
considered practical for sustainable mountain viticulture.
Agricultural policies and socioeconomic constraints are strong drivers of change in human-dominat... more Agricultural policies and socioeconomic constraints are strong drivers of change in human-dominated rural landscapes of Mediterranean Europe. Changes in rural landscapes can have a strong influence on the perspectives of protection and improvement of the natural and cultural heritage. A shift towards quality production, favoured by institutional financial support, has been recently observed in hilly productive Mediterranean sites. An example of this situation is the Langhe region (NW Italy), where woody plantations such as vineyards and orchards have been cultivated on hillslopes for centuries. In this chapter, we assess the landscape evolution occurred in this study site. Land use changes in the 1954–2000 period were assessed by object-oriented analysis of aerial photographs and quantified by spatial statistics capturing and measuring different elements of landscape change. The expansion of orchards from 1954 to 2000 caused an increase of landscape heterogeneity and the fragmentation of field crops. Orchards expansion has reduced other land uses occupying up to 55 % of former field crops, 24 % of vineyards and 15 % of forests. Changes in rural landscapes, traditionally dominated by vineyards, field crops and forests, were so observed in the Langhe region.
Il territorio piemontese presenta una variabilità climatica molto complessa, legata principalment... more Il territorio piemontese presenta una variabilità climatica molto complessa, legata principalmente alla sua collocazione geografica e ad alla sua complessità geomorfologica. La provincia del VCO è un esempio significativo di tale variabilità, proprio grazie alla sua varietà di territorio che presenta regioni montane, valli, uno tra i più grandi bacini fluviali della regione (il bacino del Toce), la presenza di uno dei laghi più vasti del territorio nazionale (il Lago Maggiore) e dalla presenza delle cime tra le più alte sul territorio regionale (il massiccio del Rosa). Per questi motivi è utile comprendere e quantificare tale variabilità climatica sul territorio e tale valutazione passa attraverso lo studio delle principali variabili meteorologiche (temperatura e precipitazione) registrate sul territorio per un periodo continuativo. L’Atlante climatologico presenta aggregazioni mensili, stagionali o annuali delle variabili meteorologiche sopra citate. Rappresenta la riproduzione grafica del dataset di valori termici e pluviometrici sulla provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola che copre l’arco temporale compreso tra il 1° gennaio 1990 ed il 31 dicembre 2009, su un grigliato con risoluzione 7 km, risoluzione scelta in modo da garantire la massima informazione derivante dai punti di monitoraggio.
The book deals with several aspects of soil erosion, focusing on its connection with the agricult... more The book deals with several aspects of soil erosion, focusing on its connection with the agricultural world. Chapters’ topics are various, ranging from irrigation practices to soil nutrient, land use changes or tillage methodologies. The book is subdivided into fourteen chapters, sorted in four sections, grouping different facets of the topic: introductive case studies, erosion management in vineyards, soil erosion issue in dry environments, and erosion control practices. Certainly, due to the extent of the subject, the book is not a comprehensive collection of soil erosion studies, but it aims to supply a sound set of scientific works, concerning the topic. It analyzes different facets of the issue, with various methodologies, and offers a wide series of case studies, solutions, practices, or suggestions to properly face soil erosion and, moreover, may provide new ideas and starting points for future researches.
The Thesis aim is the investigation of cryospheric dynamics by the employment of innovative geoma... more The Thesis aim is the investigation of cryospheric dynamics by the employment of innovative geomatic techniques. The research is mainly focused on glacier and snow. The study analyses the recent modifications occurred on glaciers, as a response to global change and the past ones, as a key to better understand the current events. On the other hand, concerning snow, the investigation is aimed to improve the methodologies employed in avalanche analysis. The methodologies are tested on one main case study, the Belvedere glacier, and four secondary sites. The Belvedere glacier has been characterised, in the last century, by impressive phenomena as the formation of a third tongue, huge ice avalanches, the formation of glacial lakes (sometime with consequent outburst) and a surge type movement. In this test site GPS and Terrestrial Laser Scanner are employed and integrated with the analysis of past data sources, as historical maps or photograms. The entire data set is managed in a GIS environment, with the purpose of building a time series of events measured on the glacier till the present work. The proficiencies acquired in this case study have then been applied to the secondary cases. In the Ventina glacier remote sensing techniques and historical data processing were used, as a tool for the glacier retreat understanding; in the Lavancher avalanche, the Bettolina site and the Palasina site the GPS survey methods, the Terrestrial Laser Scanner techniques and the remote sensing and GIS tools, were, respectively, employed in avalanche dynamic analysis. Utilized methodologies proved their effectiveness and reliability during field work; retrieved data were characterised by an adequate precision and accuracy assuring the detail required in the performed analysis. Obtained results thus encourage the employment of geomatic methodologies in these fields of application.
Rockglaciers are landforms related to ice-rich permafrost creep and represent a substantial reser... more Rockglaciers are landforms related to ice-rich permafrost creep and represent a substantial reservoir of groundwater in the alpine region. Rockglacier lakes can occur when permafrost-ice meltwater released from rockglaciers, snowmelt, rain and groundwater find the geomorphologic conditions to be collected in an impermeable depression. This depression can be filled with fine-grained sediments (∅<1/16 mm) from at least three sources: 1) the dust contained in the snow covering the lake during winter, 2) the solid fraction of the runoff and meltwater from the rockglacier and 3) the runoff or the wind transport from the surrounding areas. Fine sediment volumes, bedding and typology offer large amount of information for interpreting the past and ongoing biological and abiotic processes in the catchment. In order to estimate the fine sediment volumes and plan a coring campaign in the Col d’Olen Rockglacier Lake (Aosta Valley, Italy) we performed waterborne GPR surveys with both 200 and 500 MHz antennas. After data processing we obtained the bathymetry of the top and the bottom of the fine sediments. Within the fine sediments unit we also found a discontinuity whose meaning will be investigated with a planned coring located in the zone with the maximum sediment thickness.
Within the Operational programme 'Italy - France (Alps - ALCOTRA)', Project "DynAval - Dynamique ... more Within the Operational programme 'Italy - France (Alps - ALCOTRA)', Project "DynAval - Dynamique des avalanches: départ et interactions écoulement/obstacles", a new experimental site is proposed in the Aosta Valley (NW-Italy) to study small-medium size snow avalanches. In the past the attention has been mainly posed over extreme events, which can destroy villages and infrastructures and modify the landscape; scientists tried to understand their dynamics and potential destructive effects. Only recently the scientific world has started to study more in details the dynamics of smaller avalanches, which might be characterized by different relevant processes than those typical of extreme events. The paper describes the new experimental site that will be built to study the behavior of this kind of snow avalanches from several points of view. The test site is located in Aosta Valley (North-western Italian Alps) within the MonterosaSki resort (410171, 5078440) on the Monte Rosa Massif. The slope, with an altitude difference of about 300 m (from 2300 to 2570 m a.s.l.), has a dip direction of 350° and a mean dip of about 38°. The rock mass is constituted of a surface debris layer about 10 m thick on a highly fractured bedrock. Two instability phenomena can occur in the slope: superficial sliding in the debris layer and rock falls. The main objectives of the studies are: 1. the dynamics of small-medium size avalanches; 2. the interaction between avalanche flows and obstacles; 3. the mass balance of avalanches; 4. the characteristics of the snow in the deposition zone compared to those of the release zone; 5. the release process produced by explosives. To achieve the objectives, from winter 2009-2010, it is planned to artificially release avalanches along the slope according to the snow and weather conditions. In that occasion, the research team records the event measuring different variables of the avalanche. It is planned to film the event from the opposite side of the slope, to measure the snow properties in the release zone, to perimeter the avalanche outline, to dig profiles of the avalanche deposit. To detect the behavior of structures impacted by avalanches and their influence on the snow flow, the test site will be equipped with an instrumented obstacle. The galvanized steel obstacle is composed of two masts whose height is about 4 m that support instrumented horizontal plates for measuring the impact forces. The plates can be separately positioned at different levels or grouped together to form a panel with area of 1m2. The exact positioning of the obstacle is one of the goals of the first experiments for winter 2009/2010, as well as the calibration of the sensors and the study of the behavior of the obstacle under different loads in the laboratory. The obstacle will be built in summer 2010. The data (impact forces, pressures, accelerations, etc…) will be continuously acquired and transmitted via optical fiber to a control room remotely located. All the activities will be conducted according to an operational plan, which governs all the different steps of an experiment: from the alert system, to the role of each operator during the experiment, to the security plan.
The 1:10,000 scale geomorphological map of the Hohsand basin (Piemonte Region, Italy) encompasses... more The 1:10,000 scale geomorphological map of the Hohsand basin (Piemonte Region, Italy) encompasses an area of 18 km2 (elevation range: 2300 ÷ 3374 m a.s.l.) where deposits and landforms linked to different processes (glacial, periglacial, gravitational, weathering and surface water) have been distinguished. This basin hosts one of the largest glacial areas of the Western Italian Alps in which it is possible to observe and study the relationships between glacial and periglacial processes. Indeed, due to climate change, Hohsand basin has highlighted an impressive glacier retreat since the end of the Little Ice Age (1600–1900s). In recently deglaciated areas, newly developed periglacial processes and landforms have been recognised and mapped in detail at 1:3,000 scale. All these maps, including a synthesis map at 1:25,000 illustrating the distribution of glacial deposits, have been produced using multitemporal photographic interpretation of aerial images and more recent digital orthoimages, and systematic field surveys performed during the summers 2012 and 2013. The cartographic results provide information about the geomorphological setting of this high-altitude alpine zone through a detailed representation of the genetically different landforms and deposits. Moreover, the in-depth geomorphological analysis of landforms related to glacial and periglacial environments allow understanding of the dynamic interaction between these two typical alpine systems in the present context of climate change.
5 Assetto idrogeologico dei bacini montani – Ufficio Neve e Valanghe della Regione autonoma Valle... more 5 Assetto idrogeologico dei bacini montani – Ufficio Neve e Valanghe della Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta, Quart (AO) – Italy Numerical avalanche dynamics models are widely used to calculate extreme avalanches for hazard mapping and mitigation measure planning. A basic model input is the terrain represented by Digital Elevation Models (DEM). Usually summer topography is used as model input, even though most ava-lanches run on snow-covered terrain with filled gullies and smoothed roughness. Moreover, the depos-its of previous avalanche events can significantly influence the dynamics of following events, espe-cially considering frequent avalanches on the same path. The aim of this paper is to analyze the outputs of the avalanche dynamics model RAMMS obtained using DEM input from summer compared to Digital Surface Model (DSM) generated in winter by laser scanning and digital photogrammetry. We use the 2D model RAMMS to calculate avalanches in two study areas: Seehore test site in A...
Land use change is strongly modifying the traditional landscape of hilly productive Mediterranea... more Land use change is strongly modifying the traditional landscape of hilly productive Mediterranean sites. An example of these circumstances is the Langhe region (Piemonte, NW Italy), where woody plantations such as vineyards and orchards have been cultivated on hillslopes for centuries. In this paper we assess landscape changes occurred in the Diano study area (2651 ha) in the 1954–2000 period and we ascertain land use transition paths and rates of this rural ecosystem. Land use mapping obtained from object-oriented analysis of aerial photographs was used to quantify land use changes between 1954 and 2000. To examine the spatio-temporal patterns of land use change over time, a set of spatial statistics capturing different dimensions of landscape change was identified. An increase of landscape heterogeneity from 1954 to the present was observed due to the expansion of orchards and the fragmentation of field crops. A significant portion (55%) of current orchards surface is represented by former field crops, 24% by vineyards and 15% by forests. The strong expansion of hazelnut orchards concurred to the fragmentation of traditional rural landscape was dominated by vineyards, field crops and forests. Hazelnut orchards expansion was mainly located in places where grapes cultivation was less remunerative. A further expansion of hazelnut in the area should be planned, discussed and carefully monitored through change detection studies in order to avoid potential unsustainable use of the land.
Soil erosion in mountainous regions is a key issue in land use planning, and this is particularly... more Soil erosion in mountainous regions is a key issue in land use planning, and this is particularly true in the Alps where intense anthropogenic influences at low elevations and abandonment in higher regions often coexist to affect soils. Natural hazard and risk assessment are essential given the density of settlements and associated facilities. Soil loss due to water erosion is very common and is becoming more frequent as a consequence of climate change which affects precipitation regimes, frequency of extreme meteorological events, snow melt and vegetation. In this study, we describe the production of a map showing susceptibility to soil erosion in the Aosta Valley (northwest Italian Alps). Most research on slope instability has focused on rock failures, but we investigated upper soil horizons by analysing chemical and physical properties, which could contribute to slope instability. The steps involved in creating the map are explained, and these involved GIS overlay, sampling, soil description, selection of relevant chemical and physical indicators of soil susceptibility to erosion, and overall erosion susceptibility assessment. The resultant indicator values correspond well with field observations to thus validate the methodology and demonstrate its usefulness in land use planning and management in Alpine areas.
Mountain vineyards are a valuable resource for high-quality wine production and landscape
conser... more Mountain vineyards are a valuable resource for high-quality wine production and landscape
conservation. A suitability map (1: 50,000) for mountain vineyard cultivation was created
for a study area located in Aosta Valley (NW Italy). We considered the following
environmental variables that are known to influence wine production: slope, aspect, altitude
and soil, producing a suitability map that allows the identification of areas that can be
considered practical for sustainable mountain viticulture.
The aim of this paper is to describe the surveys techniques, used at the Seehore
avalanche test s... more The aim of this paper is to describe the surveys techniques, used at the Seehore avalanche test site located in Aosta Valley (NW Italy), concerning the snow erosion and deposition due to avalanches and the preliminary results obtained during the first operative seasons. The following approaches are used: ‐ the laser scanner technique: the data recorded during two experiments are analyzed in order to assess the influence of the morphology of the test site (slope angle) on deposition. Analytical models (the cohesive-frictional and Pouliquen ones) are applied to explain the correlation between the slope angle and the snow depth in the runout area; ‐ the straw test: this new field test is devised to evaluate the net erosion/deposition processes using a very cheap and quick method based on the number and on the position of plastic straws placed within the snow cover. The test is used in the analysis of the eroded and deposited snow along the avalanche track, in particular close to the obstacle,, which was built in the experimental site and was impacted by the avalanches; ‐ the RAMMS simulations: a comparison between the model outputs and the experimental data is made focusing the attention on the eroded areas and on the deposition zones; ‐ the manual measurements of the snow depth through a probe: they allow the evaluation of the deposition depth and the involved snow volume.
"Experimental test sites are important to understand the physical flow processes occurring within... more "Experimental test sites are important to understand the physical flow processes occurring within an avalanche. They can be at different scale: laboratory or real scale. In Europe, a dozen of real-scale test sites have been realized, though at present only a few of them are still operative. The primary goal is to measure avalanche dynamical variables under controlled conditions. Not all the observed phenomena have been fully understood yet and more work is needed especially regarding small to medium avalanches.
The aim of this paper is to present a new experimental test site at a real scale in order to study specific topics: the dynamics of small and medium avalanches, the avalanche release processes and the interaction between avalanche flows and obstacles.
The test site, called Seehore, is located in Aosta Valley in the North-western Italian Alps. The slope, with an elevation difference of about 300 m (from 2300 to 2570 m asl), has a mean slope angle of about 28°. Avalanches are artificially released on a routine basis to secure the ski-runs, as the site is located within a ski resort (Monterosa Ski); they are usually dense slab avalanches of small or medium size, but also a powder cloud may occasionally form. The site is instrumented with a steel obstacle, described in details in a companion paper, which measures the effects of avalanches impacting on it. Before, during and after each artificial release physical properties of the snow in the avalanche release, track and deposition zones are recorded; front velocity, erosion and deposition mass are estimated by field surveys or by videogrammetry and terrestrial laser-scan measurements."
snow cover is a critical factor among environmental variables in mountainous ecosystems. It
influ... more snow cover is a critical factor among environmental variables in mountainous ecosystems. It influences several processes such as water supply, avalanche triggering, species lifecycles, soil properties, etc. Currently, the timing and duration of a snow cover is hardly predictable due to climatic variability and rough topography, therefore its trend reconstruction in time is a valuable dataset that can be exploited in multiple ways, particularly to improve the comprehension of several environmental phenomena, and to help forecasting future tendencies. In order to reconstruct the past snow cover dynamics a geomatic approach was applied in a mountainous area, the Verbania Province (North-Western Italy; 46°29’N; 7°52’E – 45°46’N;8°44’E). MODIS satellite time series (2001-2010) of the study area were processed through an automated procedure, in Visual Basic and R. Each scene was reclassified in “Snow - No Snow - No Data” values, according to pixel values, and grouped in yearly summarizing tables. These preliminary results allowed to process yearly snow cover duration maps of the entire area. These outputs were then validated by means of additional independent snow depth data measured by snow sensors, installed on automated nivo-meteorological stations. Moreover, snow cover duration was related to morphological parameters, by employing a Digital Terrain Model, thus computing snow cover indexes allowing the evaluation of snow cover distribution in the last decade and highlighting different patterns in the investigated years and their influence on site environmental dynamics.
Rapid glacier retreat often results in extensive areas of deglaciated terrain where primary succe... more Rapid glacier retreat often results in extensive areas of deglaciated terrain where primary successional processes occur. We studied biotic and abiotic factors underlying the invasion of larch (Larix decidua Mill.) on a glacier foreland and tested the hypothesis that the pattern of its establishment was controlled primarily by terrain age.
The time span between deglaciation and establishment of larch and the importance of the position and shape of the glacier on the forest structure were studied over not, vert, similar150 years of glacial retreat. We related three data sets (forest structure, topography and spatial position) using ordination methods. Simple and partial Mantel tests and kriging interpolation were used to map and identify the key factors underlying the spatial patterns of larch establishment.
The elapsed time between deglaciation and the germination of the larch trees was estimated between 14 and 34 years, with lower values found closer to the glacier terminus. Sparse and young stands developed near the glacier terminus and Mantel tests indicated significant correlations between spatial distance and ecological distance. The kriging interpolation showed strong agreement between tree age and the spatial pattern of the retreating glacier.
The most influential factors in determining stand density and age were proximity to the glacier terminus and seed sources, as well as litter cover and elevation. The age of trees was strongly influenced by terrain age or time since deglaciation, but as succession progressed forest structure became more complex.
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Books by Danilo Godone
La provincia del VCO è un esempio significativo di tale variabilità, proprio grazie alla sua varietà di territorio che presenta regioni montane, valli, uno tra i più grandi bacini fluviali della regione (il bacino del Toce), la presenza di uno dei laghi più vasti del territorio nazionale (il Lago Maggiore) e dalla presenza delle cime tra le più alte sul territorio regionale (il massiccio del Rosa).
Per questi motivi è utile comprendere e quantificare tale variabilità climatica sul territorio e tale valutazione passa attraverso lo studio delle principali variabili meteorologiche (temperatura e precipitazione) registrate sul territorio per un periodo continuativo.
L’Atlante climatologico presenta aggregazioni mensili, stagionali o annuali delle variabili meteorologiche sopra citate. Rappresenta la riproduzione grafica del dataset di valori termici e pluviometrici sulla provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola che copre l’arco temporale compreso tra il 1° gennaio 1990 ed il 31 dicembre 2009, su un grigliato con risoluzione 7 km, risoluzione scelta in modo da garantire la massima informazione derivante dai punti di monitoraggio.
ISBN 978-88-7479-107-1
The study analyses the recent modifications occurred on glaciers, as a response to global change and the past ones, as a key to better understand the current events. On the other hand, concerning snow, the investigation is aimed to improve the methodologies employed in avalanche analysis.
The methodologies are tested on one main case study, the Belvedere glacier, and four secondary sites.
The Belvedere glacier has been characterised, in the last century, by impressive phenomena as the formation of a third tongue, huge ice avalanches, the formation of glacial lakes (sometime with consequent outburst) and a surge type movement. In this test site GPS and Terrestrial Laser Scanner are employed and integrated with the analysis of past data sources, as historical maps or photograms. The entire data set is managed in a GIS environment, with the purpose of building a time series of events measured on the glacier till the present work. The proficiencies acquired in this case study have then been applied to the secondary cases.
In the Ventina glacier remote sensing techniques and historical data processing were used, as a tool for the glacier retreat understanding; in the Lavancher avalanche, the Bettolina site and the Palasina site the GPS survey methods, the Terrestrial Laser Scanner techniques and the remote sensing and GIS tools, were, respectively, employed in avalanche dynamic analysis.
Utilized methodologies proved their effectiveness and reliability during field work; retrieved data were characterised by an adequate precision and accuracy assuring
the detail required in the performed analysis. Obtained results thus encourage the employment of geomatic methodologies in these fields of application.
Papers by Danilo Godone
conservation. A suitability map (1: 50,000) for mountain vineyard cultivation was created
for a study area located in Aosta Valley (NW Italy). We considered the following
environmental variables that are known to influence wine production: slope, aspect, altitude
and soil, producing a suitability map that allows the identification of areas that can be
considered practical for sustainable mountain viticulture.
La provincia del VCO è un esempio significativo di tale variabilità, proprio grazie alla sua varietà di territorio che presenta regioni montane, valli, uno tra i più grandi bacini fluviali della regione (il bacino del Toce), la presenza di uno dei laghi più vasti del territorio nazionale (il Lago Maggiore) e dalla presenza delle cime tra le più alte sul territorio regionale (il massiccio del Rosa).
Per questi motivi è utile comprendere e quantificare tale variabilità climatica sul territorio e tale valutazione passa attraverso lo studio delle principali variabili meteorologiche (temperatura e precipitazione) registrate sul territorio per un periodo continuativo.
L’Atlante climatologico presenta aggregazioni mensili, stagionali o annuali delle variabili meteorologiche sopra citate. Rappresenta la riproduzione grafica del dataset di valori termici e pluviometrici sulla provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola che copre l’arco temporale compreso tra il 1° gennaio 1990 ed il 31 dicembre 2009, su un grigliato con risoluzione 7 km, risoluzione scelta in modo da garantire la massima informazione derivante dai punti di monitoraggio.
ISBN 978-88-7479-107-1
The study analyses the recent modifications occurred on glaciers, as a response to global change and the past ones, as a key to better understand the current events. On the other hand, concerning snow, the investigation is aimed to improve the methodologies employed in avalanche analysis.
The methodologies are tested on one main case study, the Belvedere glacier, and four secondary sites.
The Belvedere glacier has been characterised, in the last century, by impressive phenomena as the formation of a third tongue, huge ice avalanches, the formation of glacial lakes (sometime with consequent outburst) and a surge type movement. In this test site GPS and Terrestrial Laser Scanner are employed and integrated with the analysis of past data sources, as historical maps or photograms. The entire data set is managed in a GIS environment, with the purpose of building a time series of events measured on the glacier till the present work. The proficiencies acquired in this case study have then been applied to the secondary cases.
In the Ventina glacier remote sensing techniques and historical data processing were used, as a tool for the glacier retreat understanding; in the Lavancher avalanche, the Bettolina site and the Palasina site the GPS survey methods, the Terrestrial Laser Scanner techniques and the remote sensing and GIS tools, were, respectively, employed in avalanche dynamic analysis.
Utilized methodologies proved their effectiveness and reliability during field work; retrieved data were characterised by an adequate precision and accuracy assuring
the detail required in the performed analysis. Obtained results thus encourage the employment of geomatic methodologies in these fields of application.
conservation. A suitability map (1: 50,000) for mountain vineyard cultivation was created
for a study area located in Aosta Valley (NW Italy). We considered the following
environmental variables that are known to influence wine production: slope, aspect, altitude
and soil, producing a suitability map that allows the identification of areas that can be
considered practical for sustainable mountain viticulture.
avalanche test site located in Aosta Valley (NW Italy), concerning the snow erosion and deposition
due to avalanches and the preliminary results obtained during the first operative seasons. The
following approaches are used:
‐ the laser scanner technique: the data recorded during two experiments are analyzed in order
to assess the influence of the morphology of the test site (slope angle) on deposition.
Analytical models (the cohesive-frictional and Pouliquen ones) are applied to explain the
correlation between the slope angle and the snow depth in the runout area;
‐ the straw test: this new field test is devised to evaluate the net erosion/deposition processes
using a very cheap and quick method based on the number and on the position of plastic
straws placed within the snow cover. The test is used in the analysis of the eroded and
deposited snow along the avalanche track, in particular close to the obstacle,, which was built
in the experimental site and was impacted by the avalanches;
‐ the RAMMS simulations: a comparison between the model outputs and the experimental data
is made focusing the attention on the eroded areas and on the deposition zones;
‐ the manual measurements of the snow depth through a probe: they allow the evaluation of the
deposition depth and the involved snow volume.
The aim of this paper is to present a new experimental test site at a real scale in order to study specific topics: the dynamics of small and medium avalanches, the avalanche release processes and the interaction between avalanche flows and obstacles.
The test site, called Seehore, is located in Aosta Valley in the North-western Italian Alps. The slope, with an elevation difference of about 300 m (from 2300 to 2570 m asl), has a mean slope angle of about 28°. Avalanches are artificially released on a routine basis to secure the ski-runs, as the site is located within a ski resort (Monterosa Ski); they are usually dense slab avalanches of small or medium size, but also a powder cloud may occasionally form. The site is instrumented with a steel obstacle, described in details in a companion paper, which measures the effects of avalanches impacting on it. Before, during and after each artificial release physical properties of the snow in the avalanche release, track and deposition zones are recorded; front velocity, erosion and deposition mass are estimated by field surveys or by videogrammetry and terrestrial laser-scan measurements."
influences several processes such as water supply, avalanche triggering, species lifecycles, soil properties, etc.
Currently, the timing and duration of a snow cover is hardly predictable due to climatic variability and rough
topography, therefore its trend reconstruction in time is a valuable dataset that can be exploited in multiple ways,
particularly to improve the comprehension of several environmental phenomena, and to help forecasting future
tendencies.
In order to reconstruct the past snow cover dynamics a geomatic approach was applied in a mountainous area,
the Verbania Province (North-Western Italy; 46°29’N; 7°52’E – 45°46’N;8°44’E). MODIS satellite time series
(2001-2010) of the study area were processed through an automated procedure, in Visual Basic and R. Each
scene was reclassified in “Snow - No Snow - No Data” values, according to pixel values, and grouped in yearly
summarizing tables. These preliminary results allowed to process yearly snow cover duration maps of the entire
area. These outputs were then validated by means of additional independent snow depth data measured by
snow sensors, installed on automated nivo-meteorological stations. Moreover, snow cover duration was related
to morphological parameters, by employing a Digital Terrain Model, thus computing snow cover indexes allowing
the evaluation of snow cover distribution in the last decade and highlighting different patterns in the investigated
years and their influence on site environmental dynamics.
The time span between deglaciation and establishment of larch and the importance of the position and shape of the glacier on the forest structure were studied over not, vert, similar150 years of glacial retreat. We related three data sets (forest structure, topography and spatial position) using ordination methods. Simple and partial Mantel tests and kriging interpolation were used to map and identify the key factors underlying the spatial patterns of larch establishment.
The elapsed time between deglaciation and the germination of the larch trees was estimated between 14 and 34 years, with lower values found closer to the glacier terminus. Sparse and young stands developed near the glacier terminus and Mantel tests indicated significant correlations between spatial distance and ecological distance. The kriging interpolation showed strong agreement between tree age and the spatial pattern of the retreating glacier.
The most influential factors in determining stand density and age were proximity to the glacier terminus and seed sources, as well as litter cover and elevation. The age of trees was strongly influenced by terrain age or time since deglaciation, but as succession progressed forest structure became more complex.