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The study of faunal communities of the past, and how they have changed to become what they are now, is fundamental to the understanding of the changes in ecosystems that we are witnessing and that are coming in the future. In this paper, we present the small mammal assemblage from Grotta del Sambuco (Massa Marittima, Grosseto), belonging to two archaeologic stratigraphic Units, 5 and 6, both dated to Marine Isotope Stage 2. The assemblage from Unit 6 can be defined as "non-analogue", due to the occurrence of the Narrow-headed Vole Lasiopodomys anglicus and the Southern Birch Mouse Sicista subtilis. Non-analogue communities (i.e., with no equivalent in present time) are frequent during Late Pleistocene in the Italian Peninsula. Starting with Grotta del Sambuco, we describe some of the different factors leading to the origins and disappearance of past non-analogue small mammal assemblages in Italy. Climatic changes and the consequent shifts in geographic distributions of the species play a major role in shaping these communities, eventually leading to extirpation and extinction of cold- or continental-adapted species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a new method to quantify Climate Change Effects at hydrological scales. • The method allows to assimilate climatic projections in CDFs at rain gauge scale. • The initial (i.e., before any change scenario begins) skewness plays a crucial role. • A strong increase of outliers frequency is expected for series EV1 alike skewed. Quantifying the potential effects of Climate Change (CC) on hydrological scales is a topic with a more and more increasing interest for the scientific community, given the CC impact on agriculture, industry, economy, human health, ecosystems, among the others. In this context, the paper focuses on the sub-daily Annual Maxima (AM) of rainfall height time series, and specifically on the crucial role played by initial skewness, i.e. the skewness of the observed rainfall series used to evaluate potential parametric trends. Here a quick and user-friendly methodology is proposed, that is aimed at quantifying plausible future changes in terms of probability distributions assumed at rain gauge scale, from projections of any climatic model. In detail, the Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) and the Two-Component Extreme Value (TCEV) distributions are adopted as probability functions suitable for modelling observed rainfall AM series, which could increase their frequency and magnitude into future horizons under CC. EURO-CORDEX projections for Europe are considered, under the hypothesis that the values of the change factor, i.e. the ratio between the values of a specific quantile at two specific time horizons, are invariant when moving from an areally-averaged scale (typical for any climate model) to a point rain gauge scale, which induces that future changes are provided (in terms of frequency and magnitude of extreme events) without the need of any spatial downscaling from the assumed projections. The proposed methodology can contribute to hazard quantification associated to potential climate changes, and thus it can play a crucial role in the assessment of hydraulic structures resilience; the obtained results, specific for the study area of Italy, but easily extendable on a global scale, showed that larger increases in frequency of future heavy events are expected for time series with "EV1 alike" values of initial skewness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular actions cannot be considered sustainable if their financial benefits are not demonstrated. While the environmental benefits of the circular economy have been widely studied, sustainable development from a financial point of view has been much less studied. In this paper we assess the financial benefits of circular innovations applied in the fashion industry that have been previously assessed as sustainable using the Life Cycle Assessment. The focus is on two innovative processes such as salt recovery and tannin baths reuse that reuse water, chemicals and raw materials in an Italian small company operating in the tanning industry. A cost benefit analysis was carried to evaluate the net contribution of these actions to the operating margin. Then we model a forward-looking cash flow projection in order to determine the fundamental value of circular investments. Through these practices, the company achieved an increase in operating profitability above 30% and the 10-year value of the salt recovery is 159,061.40 euros, while the reused tanning water equals just over one million euros. The results show unexpected and strong financial benefits that can leverage similar initiatives that would advance resource equity and finally promote a real and convenient industrial dedication to environmental guardianship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate modelling and palaeotemperature reconstructions derived from several proxies (TEX 86 , δ18O) suggest that the Late Cretaceous was one of the warmest intervals in Earth history. The greenhouse climate reached its acme near the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary (CTB) interval with sea surface temperatures over 35 °C in low and mid- palaeolatitudes, coinciding with the highest sea level stands of the Phanerozoic. Following this warming phase, a general cooling trend punctuated by short-term hot snaps characterized the rest of the Cretaceous. Palaeotemperature and palaeoenvironmental changes are well documented in deep-water carbonate deposits based on variations in geochemical proxies and distribution patterns of macro- and microfauna. However, such climatic and environmental fluctuations severely impacted carbonate platforms, sedimentary environments that are particularly sensitive to external perturbations. Palaeontological data show major changes within the main carbonate platform producers (rudists and benthic foraminifera) during the early Late Cretaceous. Both groups experienced major taxonomic turnovers at the CTB, followed by a further re-radiation in the middle/late Turonian. The lack of detailed palaeoclimatic reconstructions in shallow water carbonate succession hampers the possibility to investigate a possible causal relationship between temperature changes and faunal evolution. In this paper, we report integrated geochemical, sedimentological, and palaeontological data from the Adriatic Carbonate Platform (Friuli, north-east Italy). Benthic foraminifera biostratigraphy and isotope stratigraphy (δ13C and 87Sr/86Sr) were used to precisely constrain the stratigraphy of the late Cenomanian-middle Turonian interval. δ18O analysis on both well-preserved rudist shells and bulk rock samples enabled the construction of high-resolution palaeotemperature curves. The resulting temperature trends are comparable with those from the deep-water record across the late Cenomanian-Turonian interval. The warmest phase was in the Early Turonian with sea surface palaeotemperatures as high as 41–45 °C recorded in rudist shells. Data show temperature fluctuation from the late Cenomanian to the Early Turonian with a magnitude >7 °C. Benthic foraminifera and rudist evolution responded to these palaeotemperature fluctuations, and their decline in the late Cenomanian and full recovery in the Turonian suggest a strong link with temperature changes. • Reconstructed temperatures from carbonate platforms during the Cenomanian -Turonian interval are missing • High resolution paleotemperatures reconstruction and biota evolution (rudists and benthic foraminifera) from Friuli Carbonate Platform is presented • Paleotemperatures estimated using δ18O analyses on bulk rock and well preserved bivalve samples (rudists and Chondrodonta) • δ18O analyses in bivalve shells suggest warmest Temperatures °>40°C in the Early Turonian • Rudists and benthic foraminifera distribution/abundance strongly modulated by temperature changes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the influence of temperature and of rainfall intensity and the effect of such variations on the treatment efficiencies and on the electrical consumptions in seven medium-large size Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in Apulia in South Italy (Bari, Barletta, Brindisi, Lecce, Foggia, Andria and Taranto). It has been observed, in the considered WWTPs, a slight but clear increase of the incoming flow due to the increase in rainfall intensity, which results to an increase of the energy consumption per incoming volume. The impact of the climate change to the incoming flow, during the last five years (2016–2020), has been assessed indicating that an increase in rainfall intensity results to an increase of the WWTPs energy consumptions per wastewater treated volume. More specifically, for a specific WWTP (Lecce) it was found that the electrical consumption increases from 0.36 kw/m3 to 0.51 kw/m3 when the rainfall intensity was increased from 0.8 mm/min to 2.9 mm/min. Some adaption measures have been considered to upgrade the existing WWTP so to mitigate the energy increase and to limit the global effects of climate change. [Display omitted] • As Rain intensity rises, wastewater influx into WWTPs increases. • Rainfall intensity influences negatively electrical consumptions. • BOD removal is lower with increasing annual precipitations. • Temperature influences BOD, COD and SST removal efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tap water use in urban agriculture albeit climate change/urban water risk scenarios. • No studies addressed impacts of urban agriculture on public water supply systems. • Research need on urban agriculture policies and practices towards water security. • Fruit trees and wild edible plants are water-saving options. Urban agriculture (UA) initiatives have been increasing in recent years as a nature-based solution for achieving many of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, climate change is expected to have effects on rainfall patterns, which are likely to impact urban food production. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate how issues related to water sources for UA have been addressed in the scientific literature from two different socioeconomic and environmental realities, Brazil and Italy. The method involved a systematic literature review, considering the PRISMA guidelines. The Web of Science database and papers' reference lists were used for retrieving original articles, published in 2000–2020 interval, indexed on scientific databases, and containing data on the typology and quality of water sources used in UA studies. After applying the eligibility criteria, 191 papers were selected – Brazil (108) and Italy (83). The last five years have seen an intensification of studies into issues involving water. Tap water has been identified as an important source of irrigation water for UA, if not the main one. No studies were found that addressed the impact of UA on public water supply systems. The findings point towards more sustainable practices involving the reuse of water and adaptive practices towards water security. We identified that innovative production systems like container farming, aquaponics and indoor agriculture, as well as cultivation of fruit trees, wild edible plants and varieties with low water requirements can represent water-saving options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The WTP ranges between €12 and €38 per ton and between €14 and €66 per flight. • It is higher for projects aimed at forest protection, afforestation, reforestation. • It is significantly lower if the description of the project financed is missing. • Gender, occupational status and education degree influence the WTP. • Also travel habits and environmental consciousness influence the WTP. The aviation industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in producing carbon emissions. In order to reduce its carbon footprint and to respond to the increasing number of people concerned about the impact caused by air transport on climate change, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has recently passed the "carbon neutral growth from 2020" resolution requiring that the global net CO 2 emissions from international aviation do not exceed the 2019–2020 levels. Airlines, however, can act beyond their obligations under the ICAO resolution investing in projects aimed at reducing or offsetting all the emissions produced not only by their international flights but also by their domestic flights. The aim of this paper is to test whether Italian air travellers would be willing to donate a contribution to finance these projects and whether the willingness to pay depends on the projects' type and on the projects' effectiveness. To this aim we performed a stated-choice experiment involving a sample of 1228 Italians who travelled by plane at least once in the last 3 years. We find that their willingness to pay ranges from €12 to €38 per ton and from €14 to €66 per flight. The description of the project type to be financed via the passengers' donations is one of the most important factors influencing their willingness to pay. Other key factors are the quantity of CO 2 reduced or offset via the project and the respondents' gender, education degree, occupational status, environmental consciousness and travel habits. Our results are useful for airlines to design the donation proposals and improve the corporate image and for policy makers to support air travellers' environmental conscious behaviour and airlines' environmental sustainable strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rapid geomorphological evolution occurred in the erodible lithology and semiarid climate of southern Italy. • A deposition phase during the Little Ice Age (LIA) was the last global cold climatic phase. • Badland incision occurred during Mediaeval Warm Period and continued in stably alternating phases until 1700 CE. • Valley aggradation ended early in 1850 as a phase of historic arroyo cutting began. • Geomorphological evolution around Basilicata during the LIA was very rapid and controlled by extreme surface process sensitivity to climate change. There is a general consensus that the increased frequency of extreme climatic events will quickly change the morphology of the landscapes in the Mediterranean area. Knowing and understanding the expected changes becomes crucial for defining future adaptive strategies. This paper deals with the very rapid geomorphological evolution in an emblematic Mediterranean area, the Basilicata region of southern Italy, during the last 300 years. The results show that the landscape evolution was mainly controlled by the extreme sensitivity of surface processes to climate change. Landslides, a new cycle of the formation of badland landforms such as calanchi and biancane, and an aggradation/incision phase in the main river valleys have completely reshaped the landscape of the Bradanic Trough, whereas fresh eroded material was moved to the coast. New data on valley-fill alluvium in the Basento River and one of its main left tributaries, the Vella stream, show ages ranging from 1700 to 1850. This deposition phase coincides with the Little Ice Age, an epoch of global climate variability. Previous literature showed that the alluvium of this age consists of a mappable stratigraphic unit outcropping in all the large alluvial valleys of the Basilicata and Mediterranean regions. Palaeoclimate and high-resolution palaeoflood data indicate that valley-fill alluviation occurred during a long humid period. Valley aggradation ended in approximately 1850 with the beginning of a new phase of historic arroyo cutting, mainly due to high magnitude-low frequency rainy events within prolonged drought periods. The stream incision drew the terminal dissection of the clayey slopes into biancana rounded morphologies. These data seem to be confirmed by the comparable heights of about 3 m, both of the biancane and of the fluvial terraces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Calcareous tufa, as well as other types of continental carbonates, are largely sensitive to climate variations. As a consequence, the relationship between climate variations and tufa deposition is relatively well known and calcareous tufa deposits are often used as a reliable climatic proxy in many geological settings. Conversely, the response of tufa to tectonics and uplifting processes is relatively poorly known, due to their genetic independence from geothermally heated groundwater springs and associated tectonic-controlled upwelling conduits in tectonically active settings. The aim of this paper is to describe a peculiar stratigraphic succession where calcareous tufa deposits are closely associated and interbedded with coarse-grained clastic deposits. The study area is located in southern Tuscany (Massa Marittima), where extensional tectonic processes, responsible for the emplacement of magmatic bodies at shallow crustal levels, have been active from Pliocene to Quaternary age, and caused a diffuse uplift as well as local volcanic eruptions and hydrothermal fluid circulation. The succession described in the paper recorded phases of calcareous tufa-dominated deposition (i.e. overall, medium/low hydrodynamic energetic settings) repeatedly interbedded with coarse-grained clastic fluvial sediments which testify an abrupt change in both the energy of the depositional environment and the sediment supply. Nevertheless, during the phases dominated by clastic sedimentation, tufa deposition was not inhibited as it would be expected for climate-influenced settings, suggesting that the observed stratigraphic settings were a consequence of a local uplift of the catchment area. These findings indicate that calcareous tufa deposits could be a sensitive proxy to tectonics when they are associated with coarse-grained clastic deposits, in a geological setting where the origin of the clastic sediments cannot be explained by autocyclic or climate-induced factors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dampness is the main cause of masonry deterioration in many historical buildings but moisture behaviour is often difficult to understand. This is partly due to the complexity of moisture models which are rarely applied in monitoring plans. This paper reports the modelling of the moisture dynamics of the Cathedral of Lecce and its below ground Crypt (South Italy). The aim of this study is to give insights into moisture dynamics in buildings in order to overcome knowledge gaps in the field, such as those related to the estimation of the drying capacity of a microenvironment. The sharp front (SF) theory was used to analyse the main processes involved in rising damp. Moisture transfer dynamics were investigated to and from the walls and columns constituting the Crypt''s masonry by first considering a steady state of balance between the water absorbed by capillary forces and that lost by evaporation. A varying state of non-equilibrium was then treated deriving simplified formulae to calculate indoor and outdoor evaporation rates. The model was validated with experimental surveys and site evaporation measurements. The paper shows that many physical quantities (e.g. height of the rise, capillary rise, water stored, drying flow rate, time-scale for drying) can be calculated and modelled over time using formulae that involve commonly available microclimatic and meteorological data (e.g. temperature, relative humidity and air speed). The information obtained can help to understand the periodic moisture behaviour leading to an explanation related to deterioration process dynamics. The results are useful for masonry maintenance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a detailed description of the stratigraphic architecture of the Late Pleistocene/Holocene Tiber delta succession in order to document the passage from wave-dominated estuary to wave-dominated delta in the broader context of Late Quaternary sea level fluctuations. This succession constitutes a sequence-stratigraphic unit known as Tiber Depositional Sequence (TDS), which was deposited during the last glacial–interglacial cycle (last 120ka). Our study is based on the examination of an enormous amount of data derived from the stratigraphy of about 300 wells, petrographical and paleontological data (foraminifera, ostracoda, pollen, and plant macrofossils), 14C dating, and from the integration of geomorphological and geoarcheological data. Recently a 100m deep core (Pesce Luna well) was studied through a multidisciplinary approach and a detailed description of sedimentary facies, foraminifer and ostracod assemblages, pollen and 14C dating is presented in this paper. The new data allowed to produce three new correlation panels and to describe in more detail, with respect to previous interpretations, the stratigraphic-depositional architecture of the TDS, which internally shows the preservation of sediment deposited during the early and late lowstand, the transgressive and the highstand systems tracts. Alluvial and coastal depositional systems characterize the early lowstand phase of the TDS, which developed during the eustatic sea-level fall between about 120 and 30–26yrBP. During the late lowstand phase, which is characterized by stillstand and slow eustatic sea-level rise a prograding delta and an aggrading incised-valley fluvial fill developed. The Tiber incised valley was transformed into a wave-dominated estuary during the transgressive phase (TST), whereas a coastal-shelf sedimentation took place during the subsequent highstand phase (HST). This study confirms the lithofacies distribution resulting from transgression and infilling of the wave-dominated estuaries, but also shows how the transition to a wave-dominated delta, prograding at the time of sea-level highstand occurred. Changes in sediment input, climatic variations and, more recently, human activities played a major role in the development of the Tiber delta during the last 20,000yrBP. In the last 3000years a relationship between progradational phases of the delta and flood events of the Tiber river has been highlighted, suggesting also the formation and merging of barrier-spits to the mainland. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The provision of multiple ecosystem services (ES) is analyzed using a sustainability perspective. • The sustainability of the patterns of multiple ES in the Venice lagoon has been explored. • Two aggregated indicators have been identified that reflect the unsustainability of ES provision. • A sustainability-driven analysis of ES can be applied in order to improve the Water Framework Directive implementation. • The analysis suggests the adoption of different management trajectories in confined and not-confined water bodies. Abstract The multiple ecosystem services (ES) co-produced by social-ecological systems include ES directly resulting from ecosystem functioning, and ES mediated by human activities, which can have negative effects on the system and on the ES provided. As a result, different patterns of multiple ES delivery can be characterized by sustainable or unsustainable trends over time, depending on the interactions occurring among ES. In this paper, a sustainability perspective was used for the identification of desirable and undesirable ES delivery patterns in the water bodies of the Venice lagoon (Italy). A set of 13 ES was quantitatively mapped for the lagoon's water bodies, and the trends of the ES provided by each water body have been explored through a modeling application. Two aggregated indicators, MED/DIR and PRESS/DIR, calculated based on the mapping outcomes, were found to be strongly associated with the modeled trends, and thus provide a synthetic indication of the potential (un)sustainability of the current ES provision. This sustainability-driven analysis paves the way for an operationalization of the ES concept in the context of the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). Based on the analysis of the relationships between multiple ES and ecological status, we suggest that ES could play a role in the selection of the biological quality elements, by prioritizing the metrics that are positively associated with the sustainable ES patterns. Adopting a perspective focused on sustainability, the ES concept can be used to define management trajectories that aim to reach the WFD targets through the management of unsustainable ES patterns, in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The potential acceptability of a carbon tax in Italy is high. • Median WTP ranges from €101 to €154 for an annual fixed carbon tax. • Median WTP ranges from €0.17 to €0.30 per liter for a fuel carbon tax. • Tax use, environmental awareness, and socioeconomic characteristics influence WTP. • The results are consistent with previous researches. • Suggestions on how to properly design a carbon tax are given. Abstract A carbon tax aimed specifically at the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by non-ETS sectors (and in particular, from transportation) has been proposed by policy makers on several occasions but has not yet been implemented in Italy. This paper aims to test the acceptability of such a measure and to quantify its amount by estimating Italian citizens' willingness to pay (WTP) via two contingent valuation surveys involving a sample of 603 people. We find that the median WTP ranges from €101 to €154 if the payment vehicle is an annual fixed carbon tax, and from €0.17 to €0.30 per liter if the payment vehicle is a fuel carbon tax. Such values are found to be consistent with the social cost of the GHG emissions produced annually by an Italian citizen. Earmarking the carbon tax either to mitigate the environmental impacts of climate change or to finance renewable energy projects proves to substantially increase the respondents' WTP. A number of other impacts on the WTP were also estimated, including: respondents' attitudes and beliefs, their place of residence and mobility habits, and various socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. The policy implications of this evidence are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Current AECSs fail to provide an effective level of environmental good in agriculture. • The post-2020 proposals for the CAP reinforce the role of research in delivering reliable ex-post analyses of AECSs to improve their effectiveness. • This paper estimates the effects of different AECS payment levels on indicators of environmental quality. • The results reveal the significant impact of agri-environmental schemes on management intensity, but show an uneven distribution among the various levels of payments. • This paper contributes to the ongoing debate regarding the post-2020 CAP by incorporating reflection and a proposal for measuring results-based payments. Promoting sustainable agricultural systems, maintaining biodiversity, and establishing measures to counteract climate change are the clear objectives of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); however, there is still uncertainty regarding its implementation. At the level of the European Union, the justification for the CAP appears increasingly linked to the translation of policy objectives into results-based measures. Accordingly, in this paper, we estimate a composite indicator to track changes at the farm level and assess the impacts of agri-environment climate schemes (AECSs) on the change in management intensity. As AECS payments are tailored to compensate for the costs and income forgone due to participation in environmentally friendly measures, we assume that any environmental benefits increase with the amount of payment received. We estimate the effects of differential payments on management intensity by applying a generalised propensity score approach to a case study comprising all AECSs implemented in the Veneto region (North-eastern Italy). We find that AECSs have a significant effect on the composite indicator of extensification, but the provision of environmental good differs among the varying levels of payments. Our results contribute in-depth reflections and a proposal for measuring the cost-effectiveness of AECSs to the ongoing debate on the post-2020 CAP regarding AECSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A multidisciplinary study of a 105-m-long core was carried out on the Tyrrhenian coast of Tuscany, Western Italy. Detailed description of sedimentary facies, foraminifer and ostracod assemblages, pollen, and 14C ages is presented in this paper. Identification in core of two transgressive surfaces (TSs) as the most prominent stratigraphic markers allows subdivision of the Late Quaternary stratigraphic succession into two transgressive–regressive (T–R) sequences, attributed to the last 150 kyr BP. Sequence boundaries have no unequivocal physical expression in the core. Detailed pollen analysis documents a direct relationship between vertical facies evolution and climate fluctuations. Coastal to shallow-marine sediments in the lower part of T–R sequences were deposited during the last two interglacial periods (OIS 1 and 5e), under rising sea-level conditions and during the following sea-level highstands. By contrast, alluvial sedimentation (upper part of T–R sequences) took place during periods of sea-level fall and subsequent sea-level lowstands, and was invariably linked to the onset of glacial periods (OIS 4–2 and 6, respectively). This paper presents the first detailed facies documentation of a Late Quaternary incised-valley fill sequence from Italy. About 51 m of Holocene sediments are recorded beneath the present Arno River valley. Early transgression is documented in the lower part of the incised-valley fill by wave-dominated estuarine facies overlying lowstand fluvial deposits. Late transgression records the rapid landward migration of a beach-barrier system, followed by the establishment of an open-marine environment. Highstand sedimentation is represented by a shallowing-upward succession, which reflects progradation of the modern delta/strandplain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land uses (AFOLU sector) cover the 24% of global emissions, representing the second hot spot in the contribution to climate change after the energy sector. Thus, the land sector plays a crucial role in the context of climate change, being both a contributor to the problem and part of its solution, particularly thanks to the capacity of soils and biomass to sequester atmospheric carbon. The challenge of this paper is to understand the extent to which sustainable land management can be a valuable solution for increasing the mitigation potential of the land sector, particularly at small-scale rural landscape level.The paper presents and tests a land-based approach to be applied at small-scale rural landscape level, aiming at reducing and offsetting GHG emissions from the livestock activities, one of the main sources of GHG emissions of the whole agricultural sector. The proposed land-based approach builds on an ensemble of methodologies, including Geographic Information System (GIS) elaboration, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and methodologies from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), that allow estimating livestock GHG emissions and the mitigation potential of sustainable land-use options applied in the same small-scale rural landscape.Results from a case study in Italy show that land-based mitigation options applied at small-scale rural landscape level can reduce and completely offset the GHG livestock emissions of the same area, leading to carbon neutral livestock systems. Thus, this study confirms that the land sector can strongly contribute to climate change mitigation if sustainable land-use options are applied. • Land-based mitigation options at small-scale landscape level can lead to carbon neutral livestock systems. • Land sector can strongly contribute to climate change mitigation if sustainable land-based options are applied. • Land-based mitigation options can be applied in the immediate proximity of the livestock GHG emissions source. • Land-based climate change mitigation contributes also to a wide range of ecological co-benefits at landscape level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding citizen environmental perception is a crucial issue to improve outdoor environmental and landscape quality. This paper is aimed at investigating the perspective of travelling citizens about local microclimate conditions in a transportation open-air hub of an urban district in central Italy, to propose effective mitigation strategies. Therefore, a survey was submitted to pedestrians while crossing the area to understand their actual perception of visual-thermal-acoustic conditions characterizing the outdoor environment, with varying weather and personal characteristics. Simultaneously, the continuous in-situ monitoring of the main environmental parameters was performed. Finally, the benefits generated by selected microclimate mitigation and landscape improvement strategies were quantitatively assessed by means of validated microclimate district models. Results of the field survey highlighted the minor tolerance of the local environment by local citizens compared to tourists, especially those coming from denser and more polluted cities. Moreover, the simulations confirmed the capability of selected microclimate mitigation strategies against anthropogenic heat, to improve pedestrians’ outdoor thermal comfort conditions in summer, without winter penalties. In particular, the vegetation increase, according to pedestrians’ request for additional green areas, combined to other solutions for sustainable landscape change, showed the most significant impact in summer overheating mitigation and urban resilience to anthropogenic climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) has recently reformed its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and, in parallel, has completely abolished the production quotas for milk. These changes will have important consequences for the use of land, of inputs (i.e., water and chemicals) and on the economic performance of rural areas. It is of interest to evaluate the integrated impact of these modifications and of climate change (CC), since the latter could neutralize or reverse some desired effects of the former. For this purpose, this paper evaluates the potential impact of the abolition of milk quotas, as well as of the reform of the first pillar of CAP in two different climate scenarios (present and near future). A bio-economic model simulates the possible adaptation of various farm types in an agricultural area of Southern Italy to these changes, given the available technological options and current market conditions. The main results show that the considered policy changes have small positive impacts on economic and environmental factors of the study area. However, some farm types are more affected. CC can effectively attenuate or reverse several of those effects, especially in some farm types. These results can inform the planning of future changes to the CAP, which will have to act in the context of deeper climate alteration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the historical precipitation and temperature trends and the future climate projections with reference to the northern part of Tuscany (Italy). The trends are identified and quantified at monthly and annual scale at gauging stations with data collected for long periods (60–90 years). An ensemble of 13 Regional Climate Models (RCMs), based on two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), was then used to assess local scale future precipitation and temperature projections and to represent the uncertainty in the results. The historical data highlight a general decrease of the annual rainfall at a mean rate of 22 mm per decade but, in many cases, the tendencies are not statistically significant. Conversely, the annual mean temperature exhibits an upward trend, statistically significant in the majority of cases, with a warming rate of about 0.1 °C per decade. With reference to the model projections and the annual precipitation, the results are not concordant; the deviations between models in the same period are higher than the future changes at medium- (2031–2040) and long-term (2051–2060) and highlight that the model uncertainty and variability is high. According to the climate model projections, the warming of the study area is unequivocal; a mean positive increment of 0.8 °C at medium-term and 1.1 °C at long-term is expected with respect to the reference period (2003–2012) and the scenario RCP4.5; the increments grow to 0.9 °C and 1.9 °C for the RCP8.5. Finally, in order to check the observed climate change signals, the climate model projections were compared with the trends based on the historical data. A satisfactory agreement is obtained with reference to the precipitation; a systematic underestimation of the trend values with respect to the models, at medium- and long-term, is observed for the temperature data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 5 September 2015 a violent hailstorm hit the Gulf and the city of Naples in Italy. The storm originated over the Tyrrhenian Sea dropping 7–10 cm diameter hailstones along its path. During its mature phase, at 08:47 UTC, the hailstorm was captured by one overpass of the Global Precipitation Measurement mission Core Observatory (GPM-CO) embarking the GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) and the Ka/Ku-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR). In this paper, observations by both GMI and DPR are thoroughly analyzed in conjunction with other spaceborne and ground-based measurements, to show how the GPM-CO integrates established observational tools in monitoring, understanding, and characterizing severe weather. Rapid-scan MSG SEVIRI images show an extremely rapid development, with 10.8 μm cloud-top temperatures dropping by 65 K in 40 min down to 198 K. The LIghtning NETwork registered over 37,000 strokes in 5 h, with intracloud positive stroke fraction increasing during the regeneration phases, when ground-based polarimetric radar and DPR support the presence of large graupel/hail particles. DPR Ku 40 dBZ and 20 dBZ echo top heights at 14 km and 16 km, respectively, indicate strong updraft and deep overshooting. GMI extremely low brightness temperatures (TBs) in correspondence of the convective core (158, 97, 67, and 87 K at 18.7, 36.5, 89 and 166 GHz) are compatible with the presence of massive ice particles. In two years of GPM global observations the storm ranks as fourth and first in terms of minimum 36.5 and 18.7 GHz (V-pol) TBs, respectively. This study illustrates GPM-CO sensing capabilities for characterizing the structure of such severe hailstorm, while providing observational evidence of its intensity and rarity, both globally and over the Mediterranean area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite many studies in literature demonstrate the environmental sustainability of organic food, a debate is still open in the scientific community on the effect of organic farming on global warming and climate change mitigation. This paper aims to contribute to a more informed debate on the actual contribution to climate change in terms of GHG emissions of organic and conventional agriculture. For this purpose, the production process of an organic vs conventional wholemeal bread locally produced in central Italy by a small-medium bakery enterprise was compared and the carbon footprint (CF) was assessed by means of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. We found that the CF of 1 kg of the conventional wholemeal bread was 24% less respect to the same organic bread, with 1,18 and 1,55 kg CO 2 eq respectively. On the contrary, if the CF is assessed per unit of cultivated area (hectare), wheat organic cultivation showed a better performance in terms of GHG emissions than conventional by 60%, with 1,15 and 2,87 Mg CO 2 eq ha −1 respectively. The higher CF per unit of organic product is due to the lower yield per unit of area cultivated with organic farming and to the consequent attribution to a smaller amount of products of the GHG emissions generated in the field phase of the life cycle. Whereas, the CF per hectare is higher when conventional practices are applied due to the higher use of raw materials (higher seed density, agrochemicals for fertilization and plant protection) respect to the same organic system. Results of the study demonstrate that organic farming for wheat cultivation in Italy is a low-carbon agriculture with a lower contribution to climate change in terms of GHG emissions per hectare respect to the conventional wheat cultivation, although implications of the reduced productivity and the consequent need of more cultivated land should be considered. However, more research is needed to better explore the potential of organic farming and to improve organic food production, optimizing the balance between the use of resources and yields, to ensure sufficient organic food supply at global level. A more comprehensive assessment of the actual GHG emitted in the atmosphere from both organic and conventional agricultural systems can be provided when the CF is assessed per unit of area, in addition to the CF per product unit, especially if also the carbon sink of the agrosystem is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent climate change, global warming, environmental disasters and the economic crisis are only the first signs of the failure of an economic system that, for too long, shows an uncontrolled utilization of the planet wealth. The Italian electricity market, which is strongly dependent on hydrocarbons, only in recent years has seen a first attempt to change towards renewable resources for electricity production aimed at self-consumption and for feeding into the grid. This paper presents an economic analysis whose purpose is to evaluate the profitability of investments in renewable technologies for the production of electricity. Each renewable source has its own profitability dependent on a number of factors and subject to market fluctuations, cost and frequent changes in the incentive policies. Applying Portfolio Theory is possible to select the right mix of renewable energy sources and simulate its evolution. Moreover the presented analysis can be useful for energy planners to select future green scenarios finalized to the reduction of emissions and energy imports through the increasing use of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. Besides the “flexibility mechanisms” defined by the Kyoto Protocol to lower the overall costs of achieving their emissions targets, The Voluntary Green House Gases (GHG) reduction projects can have a lead role in GHG reduction in “non Emissions Trading System ETS sectors”. Nowadays, the voluntary market is characterised by critical aspects, such as fragmentation, lack of accounting, monitoring and validation rules that have led to the low spread of voluntary emission reduction projects developed by local authorities in the European Union despite their high potentiality. The aim of this paper is to test the applicability of voluntary emission reduction projects in the public sector following a homogeneous and consistent pattern. A research has been performed at local level on 143 voluntary emission reduction projects implemented by Public Administrations in Northern and Central Italy in renewable energy, energy efficiency and transport sectors. The applicable standards and methodologies have been checked and the case studies have been analysed though a three-step process: Preliminary additionality assessment; Projects selection; Validation of the selected project. The assessment shows that energy efficiency projects, once overcoming additionality issues, are the most promising for public entities while renewable energy and transport projects resulted to be mainly affected by double counting problems and lack of reliable methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban and peri-urban areas are increasingly called to face with the problem of an increased frequency of flooding events. One of the major issue is the evolving climate conditions. The current paper aims to investigate the temporal changes occurring in extreme rainfall within the Solofrana river basin (Southern Italy), is an about 200 Km 2 peri-urban catchment, where flooding and landslides events occurred rather frequently, especially during the last years. Five rain-gauge stations data sub-hourly, hourly and daily rainfall data have been tested for temporal trend detection. Rainfall heights, compared to maximum annual average for different duration, increase on average of about 5-10% (on a ten year base) and, for a particular rain gauge station, up to 40%. The trends appear however significant only for two of the rain gauges, in particular for the two station located on the main relief of the investigated watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The resilience of a building designed to be nearly zero energy is evaluated in Mediterranean climate. • Weather file defined with monitored data are used for a short-term analysis. • Projections of climate changes are considered in the construction of weather files. • The net primary energy will decrease (–23%) and the in-situ renewable adoption will increase (85%). • Overheating will occur in the intermediate months with the need to turned on the cooling system. The paper is focused on the evaluation of how the climate changes can influence the performance of buildings designed to be nearly zero energy (nZEB) and on the evaluation of the resilience in term of energy balance. A real case study is used; it is named BNZEB, a single-storey dwelling built in Benevento (South Italy, Mediterranean climate). With five-years monitored meteorological data, both a short-term and medium-term analysis is developed; the first one consists in the evaluation of the energy behavior compared to the first operating year. Then, the energy performance is evaluated considering the medium-term climate projections generated using the CCWorldWeatherGen tool. This analysis, with reference to the case study, suggests to designers and researchers that, in a typical Mediterranean climate, the reduction of the heating demand could compensate the increment in the cooling request. In the worst climatic scenario, the net primary energy could change from 25.4 kWh/m2 year (first year of life, 2017) to 19.5 kWh/m2 year (projection to 2050) with a rate of self-consumption of 85% (80% for 2017). However, a critical point is the operating period of the cooling system. Indeed, an indoor overheating problem could occur during the spring with operative temperature higher than 30 °C; this indicates that in future, the occupants will require higher number of operating hours with most frequent switch off. This could change the results of the energy balance, reducing, for instance, the imbalance between production and consumption that currently occurs in the intermediate periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental concern in light of anthropogenic climate change is directly concerning the building sector as one of the major energy consumers and CO 2 producers. To reduce the environmental impact of new and refurbished buildings, one of the most promising policies is the widespread adoption of Building Energy Regulation Codes (BERC), since they have a direct impact on the everyday work of local planners, architects, engineers and building companies. This article will look at how BERCs were implemented in Italy, where Regions and municipalities have developed in recent years a number of local regulations trying to drive the market towards more energy efficient practices. This happened in a legislative vacuum because the Italian Government implemented the European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (2002/91/EC) only in 2005 and defined the related National Guidelines only in 2009. This article provides an overview on EPBD implementation in Europe and a Geocluster Italian distribution of BERCs in order to show their geographical distribution and their influence on the construction sector practices, focusing in particular on the region of Lombardy. Then the article describes the methodology followed for the definition of BERCs in nine municipalities in the same region. In conclusion, the paper presents the practical application of one of the nine BERCs to a NZEB residential case study as an example of what the EBPD recast define as nZEB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Po River is a crucial resource for the Italian economy, since 40% of the gross domestic product comes from this area. It is thus crucial to quantify the impact of climate change on this water resource in order to plan for future water use. In this paper a mini ensemble of 8 hydrological simulations is completed from 1960 to 2050 under the A1B emission scenario, by using the output of two regional climate models as input (REMO and RegCM) at two different resolutions (25 km-10 km and 25 km-3 km). The river discharge at the outlet point of the basin shows a change in the spring peak of the annual cycle, with a one month shift from May to April. This shift is entirely due to the change in snowmelt timing which drives most of the discharge during this period. Two other important changes are an increase of discharge in the wintertime and a decrease in the fall from September to November. The uncertainty associated with the winter change is larger compared to that in the fall. The spring shift and the fall decrease of discharge imply an extension of the hydrological dry season and thus an increase in water stress over the basin. The spatial distributions of the discharge changes are in agreement with what is observed at the outlet point and the uncertainty associated with these changes is proportional to the amplitude of the signal. The analysis of the changes in the anomaly distribution of discharge shows that both the increases and decreases in seasonal discharge are tied to the changes in the tails of the distribution, i.e. to the increase or decrease of extreme events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between pedogenetic processes and fluvial-coastal dynamics in the Po Plain have been reconstructed through sedimentological analysis and correlation of ca. 170 core data chronologically constrained by 376 radiocarbon dates. Vertically stacked, weakly developed paleosols within Upper Pleistocene and Holocene mud-prone strata testify to intermittent pedogenesis, periodically interrupted by overbank sedimentation. Individual paleosols are laterally traceable for tens of km and exhibit A-Bk-Bw, A-Bk or A-Bw profiles. Stratigraphically ordered 14C calibrated ages from A organo-mineral horizons testify to slow aggradation during 4–6 thousand years-long exposure periods. Burial ages, with an error of few centuries, are provided by plant debris at the top of A horizons. Millennial-scale climate oscillations and glacio-eustasy are the main drivers of the pedo-sedimentary evolution of the area during the last 50 kyr. Upper Pleistocene paleosols (P1-P3) developed in well-drained floodplain environments, during relatively warm periods. Paleosol burial occurred during colder phases. High-sediment-supply during the Last Glacial Maximum hindered pedogenesis and led to the accumulation of 3–10 m-thick overbank strata. Widespread soil development (paleosol PH) occurred at the end of Last Glacial Maximum, following the retreat of Alpine glaciers and the afforestation of Apennine drainage basins. At distal locations, paleosol PH was progressively buried under estuarine sediments during the Holocene phases of post-glacial sea-level rise. Beyond the area of marine influence, burial ages of paleosol PH change from a place to another without specific spatial trends and reflect upstream fluvial sedimentation dominated by avulsions and deposition of spatially restricted alluvial units. Holocene (H1−H2) paleosols show a poor correlation potential and laterally variable degree of maturity that reflect avulsive sedimentation patterns and crevassing. This paper provides insights on the timing and mechanisms of formation and burial of weakly-developed paleosols. The outcomes of this research are applicable to similar Quaternary alluvial systems, and may help interpreting ancient paleosol-bearing successions. • Po Plain pedostratigraphy reveals relations between pedogenetic and alluvial events. • Upper Pleistocene-Holocene stacked paleosols testify to intermittent pedogenesis. • Radiocarbon dates permitted to estimate the duration of the main pedogenetic phases. • Climate change and eustasy controlled Late Pleistocene pedo-sedimentary evolution. • Discontinuous Holocene paleosols reflect avulsive sedimentation and crevassing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the scientific community agrees that global climate change is occurring with a general increase in mean overall temperature (+0.74±0.18 °C from 1906-2005) and that the precipitation pattern in Europe is trending toward wetter conditions in the northern region and drier conditions in the southern and central-eastern regions. A much larger uncertainty concerns how the changes in precipitations will impact on the water resources, particularly on the groundwater. The goal of this paper is to investigate the variables to be considered in order to estimate the Sustainable Pumping Rate of an aquifer (SPR) in a context of climate change. For this goal the case study of the Petrignano d’Assisi porous aquifer has been considered, mainly fed by the inflow from the carbonatic ridges and by the effective infiltration; it is exploited since the 1970s through a well field (about 350 l/s). Changes in the precipitation regime could significantly affect the recharge to the aquifer and the related SPR. This study shows the key role played by the interactions of the aquifer with the surface bodies (rivers): in case of a significant decreasing in the effective infiltration, the aquifer system decreases the outflow to the rivers (base flow) leaving almost constant the sustainable pumping rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, agriculture uses about 70–80% of global water resources and, in the Mediterranean area, it accounts for the high pressure of freshwater demand. This study provides a useful framework for the meso-level assessment of the Water Footprint (WF) in agriculture. Particularly, the WF methodology is used to quantify the water consumption and pollution of olives, grapes and tomatoes, traditional crops widespread both in the Apulia region, in Southern Italy, and in the Mediterranean area. Hence, from a meso-level assessment of the Water Footprint of Apulian agriculture, a general level of evaluation of the use of Mediterranean water resources was provided, estimating the Virtual Water (VW) too. Furthermore the climate change effects on the Water Footprint of the traditional crops identified were predicted, proposing some scenarios useful to reduce the grey component, which values for olives were evaluated by a sensitivity analysis. The results highlight that olives present the highest value of the WF and that grapes are the most affected by the variations according to the climate change scenarios, increasing over 200% of the green component and 77% of the blue one. Finally, a Circular Economy proposal, based on the reuse of the wastewater from a meso-scale perspective, highlights saving up to 70% of the water resource. The research questions proposed displayed the novelty of this paper, particularly as concerns the use of the Water Footprint analysis on a meso-level evaluation. Particularly, the new insights of this research addressed the needs of stakeholders in areas suffering from drought, such as the Mediterranean, to integrate and systematize a data-set of indicators to rationalize and plan water resource usage and safety in agriculture. [Display omitted] • Water stress spurs Water Footprint assessment in the Mediterranean area. • Multi-level approach of water quantifying for olive, grape and tomato is applied. • Italian grapes have the highest Virtual Water, compared to Spanish and Greek ones. • Effects of climate change on Water Footprint of traditional crops are estimated. • Grey Water Footprint of the olives is evaluated by a sensitivity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Weather files defined with different methodology and dataset are compared. • Projections of climate changes are considered in the construction of weather files. • The case study is a residential building in a cooling dominated climate. • The composition of weather files greatly influences the energy performance prevision. • Traditional efficiency measures are not resilient for the expected climate changes. The methodology, the site and the dataset as well as the emissions scenario considered in the weather file definition influence the numerical evaluation of efficiency measures resilience. With a complete statistical and critical approach, the paper analyzes the importance of these aspects by means of a residential case study simulated in Benevento, a city of south Italy. Using data monitored from 2015 to 2020, a current weather file is built with different methodologies. The comparison indicates that there is not repeatability of the year chosen as a reference for the various months and thus the resolution of the building energy balance could bring different results. Some future climate projections are also generated on medium (2050 s) and long (2080 s) term considering different emission scenarios. With long term projection, the heating degree days are reduced also of − 21% meanwhile the cooling degree days are more than double compared with the current condition. This suggests a remarked transition towards a dominant cooling climate for Benevento. Moreover, when the climate change is considered, the insulation intervention and the installation of double glazed low emissive window is not resilient because the heating energy need decreases also of −56%, but the cooling energy need increases of + 62% (2080 s). If the efficiency measures include also the cool roof and the external shadings, the cooling demand could be reduced until –33% in some scenarios (e.g. RCP 4.5-50th percentile) and increased (+31%) in some others (e.g. 2080 s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic analysis of climate change requires estimates at both aggregate and local level. Although there are numerous studies that estimate the global impact of climate change, country-level studies are still rare, particularly as far as Italy is concerned. By exploiting a panel of 110 provinces observed between 1980 and 2014, this paper investigates the impact of variation of weather variables on GDP per capita and agricultural productivity in Italy. To address issues of model uncertainty, the analysis explores to what extent these economic outcomes are affected by weather variables, linearly or non-linearly, as well as how their growth rate and levels are affected as a result. Main findings show that there is considerable model uncertainty. The most robust econometric results showing statistically significant effects of temperature for both the GDP and agricultural reaction function are from a levels specification, where temperature is included in a non-linear form while weather variables and economic outcomes enter in first differences. Projections of the impact of climate change by the end of the century show slight average effects for GDP per-capita, but important losses in agriculture, due to a persistent increase in average temperatures under both the RCPs 4.5 and 8.5. • We study the economic impact of weather variation on GDP and agriculture in Italy • We exploit a rich panel dataset across 110 territorial units over 1980–2014 period • To address problems of model uncertainty, we compare several different specifications • The "best" performing model is a non-linear specification estimated in first differences • End of the century predictions, suggest nil effects on GDP, but important loss in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of climate change on the built environment represents an important research challenge. Today, green roofs (GRs) represent a viable solution for enhancing energy and urban resilience in the face of climate change, as they can have a positive impact on the building's indoor thermal comfort and energy demand, as well as inducing various environmental benefits (easing urban heat island effects, improving the management of runoff water, reducing air pollution, etc.). Thus, it is important to be able to assess their effectiveness, both today and under future climate conditions, in order to evaluate whether they can also provide a valid long-term solution. In this paper, a simulation approach is proposed to evaluate the energy and indoor-comfort efficacy of GRs installed on a cluster of buildings with respect to climate change and demographic growth. To illustrate the proposed methodology, it has been applied to two European urban environments characterized by very different climatic conditions (Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg and Palermo in Italy) considering their behaviour over a period of 60 years (2020, 2050, 2080). Results showed that, with respect to standard existing roofs (i.e., without the presence of green coverage), and considering the rising temperatures due to climate change, during cooling seasons GRs enabled significant energy savings (ranging from 20% to 50% for Esch-sur-Alzette and from 3% to 15% for Palermo), improvement of the indoor comfort (reduction of the average predicted mean votes − PMVs) and attenuation of the ceiling temperatures (2–5 °C for both contexts) of the buildings' top floors. • Effectiveness of green roofs (GRs) in enhancing climate change urban adaptation. • Simulation-based methodology to evaluate GRs efficacy applied on buildings cluster. • Methodology application feasibility on two very different climatic conditions. • Energy savings and indoor comfort evaluation under future climate-change scenarios. • Reduction of heating and cooling loads and improvement of indoor thermal comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Energy production from anaerobic digestion of organic waste and dedicated digestable biomass is a promising climate change mitigation option. Over the last ten years anaerobic digestion has become established in many European countries. The plants have been developed for renewable energy generation, but also to control the emission of odors from zootechnical farms and to stabilize biomass before its agronomic use. In Italy the subsidies available for power generation from biomass have given rise to renewed interest in biogas, creating new opportunities for the agricultural and livestock sectors. Despite of this, in Southern Italy the manure is highly dispersed over a large number of small-size cattle farms, while power generation facilities are affected by scale economies and the aggregation of input biomass is a major logistic, managing, economic and environmental drawback towards the diffusion of such technologies. In this paper, an investment decision methodology for the assessment of optimal size and feedstock mix of biogas power plants fed by cattle manure and energy crops is presented. The methodology is applied to one of the most promising basins of Puglia region, in Southern Italy, represented by the Municipalities of the Local Action Group “Terra dei Trulli e del Barsento”, Province of Bari. The main factors influencing the profitability of these investments are assessed, with biogas power plant size ranging between 50kW and 1MW, and on the basis of the recently introduced feed-in tariff scheme for such plants (D.M. 6 July 2012). The results show that a high manure recovery rate, the reuse of biogas slurry and the cogeneration options are major key factor for the profitability of the investments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper focuses on the reconstruction of Holocene climatic and environmental changes in two archaeological sites of southwestern and north-central Calabria (southern Italy). It is based on a comparison of geoarchaeological, pedological and pedoanthracological data from soil profiles in the coastal hilly and inland mountainous surroundings of Palmi and Cecita Lake, respectively. At the Palmi site, the representative soil profile includes settlements and artefacts ranging from late Neolithic to late early Bronze Age and undifferentiated historical epochs. The archaeological record of soils at Cecita spans from late Neolithic/early Eneolithic to Roman ages. At both sites, surface A horizons are affected by repeated plough marks. All soils display some Andisol-like features, related to some volcanic input during soil formation originating from late Pleistocene to Holocene explosive eruptions of the Aeolian Islands. The occurrence of clay coatings, their relict nature and overall dominant phyllosilicate clay minerals in the Neolithic soil horizons of both sites, suggest warm climate conditions with high moisture availability and some seasonal contrast, during the late early-middle Holocene climatic optimum. The post-Neolithic soils show comparable or more abundant amounts of short-range order minerals than phyllosilicates, and no to scarce clay coatings. These features indicate a transition towards (probably cooler) prolonged humid conditions, intercalated by one or more drought episodes. Severe land degradation is recorded between these major climatic phases, indicated by human impact (deforestation and agriculture) and soil erosion. Soil charcoal analysis from Cecita soils provide evidence of these anthropogenic environmental changes, as indicated by the dominance of deciduous oak forest in Neolithic soils, followed by a transition to a mountain pine forest recorded in the Roman soils. A deciduous oak forest characterizes the vegetation at Palmi from the Neolithic onward. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Glaciers are among the best terrestrial indicators of climate change and thus glacier inventories have attracted a growing, worldwide interest in recent years. In Italy, the first official glacier inventory was completed in 1925 and 774 glacial bodies were identified. As the amount of data continues to increase, and new techniques become available, there is a growing demand for computer tools that can efficiently manage the collected data. The Research Institute for Geo-hydrological Protection of the National Research Council, in cooperation with the Departments of Computer Science and Earth Sciences of the University of Turin, created a database that provides a modern tool for storing, processing and sharing glaciological data. The database was developed according to the need of storing heterogeneous information, which can be retrieved through a set of web search queries. The database''s architecture is server-side, and was designed by means of an open source software. The website interface, simple and intuitive, was intended to meet the needs of a distributed public: through this interface, any type of glaciological data can be managed, specific queries can be performed, and the results can be exported in a standard format. The use of a relational database to store and organize a large variety of information about Italian glaciers collected over the last hundred years constitutes a significant step forward in ensuring the safety and accessibility of such data. Moreover, the same benefits also apply to the enhanced operability for handling information in the future, including new and emerging types of data formats, such as geographic and multimedia files. Future developments include the integration of cartographic data, such as base maps, satellite images and vector data. The relational database described in this paper will be the heart of a new geographic system that will merge data, data attributes and maps, leading to a complete description of Italian glacial environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Experimental research carried out on two types of buildings that are the examples of vernacular architecture in Southern Italy, namely the Sassi of Matera and the Trulli of Alberobello are outlined in this paper. Experimental measurements on thermal properties, energy performance and hygrothermal indoor comfort were carried out to validate the numerical code provided by DesignBuilder/EnergyPlus that was used to investigate the buildings on a yearly basis. The very high thermal mass of the building structures give rise to a quasi-constant seasonal indoor temperature with no need for air conditioning in the mid- and peak-summer seasons. The seasonal thermal storage can almost guarantee near the comfort levels using simple heating systems during the cold season. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Interpretation of channel changes is not always straightforward since it requires a detailed reconstruction of the evolutionary trajectory of channel morphology, a quantitative analysis of controlling factors and, finally, identification of links between evolutionary trajectories and controlling factors. The aim of this paper is to explain channel adjustments and controlling factors in the Tagliamento River, a large gravel-bed river in northeastern Italy. Traditional methods for studying historical channel changes (i.e., use of aerial photos, topographic data) were employed, but numerical modelling turned out to be very useful for the quantification of bedload transport and for supporting interpretation of past changes and likely future channel evolution. River channel underwent three main phases of adjustment over the last 200years. The first two phases, from the end of the nineteenth century to the early 1990s, were characterized by narrowing (channel width decreased from 1250 to 540m) and incision (about 1m); and the third phase, from the 1990s to present day, by widening (from 540 to 600m) and slight aggradation (about 0.2m). Combining evolutionary trajectories of channel morphology and analysis of controlling factors we argue that the long-term channel evolution of the Tagliamento River was driven mainly by human intervention at the reach scale (i.e., sediment mining and channelization). Changes in sediment supply in the catchment area had no, or minor, effects in the study reach. The most recent changes (i.e., widening and slight aggradation) are explained as a response to past disturbances that have produced a remarkable change of channel geometry and an increase of unit stream power in the reach. Magnitude and frequency of formative discharges are a key driving factor of the intensity of recent changes, while this was not the case during the previous phases of adjustment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper uses a combination of a qualitative approach and a quantitative, software-based approach to explore the Italian print media construction of climate change and geohazards between 2007 and 2010. We have broken down our analysis in two sections: the first one deals with the coverage of climate change; the second one focuses on the media representation of hydrogeological hazards and extreme events in Italy. Our software-based, qualitative and quantitative analysis of 1253 storylines from two major Italian broadsheets (the La Repubblica and the Corriere della Sera) has enabled us to assess the presence of typical journalistic frames such as conflict and dramatization, as well as newly-introduced ones such as “prevention vs damages”, and “weather vs climate”. Our results show that the two newspapers appear to have different “agendas” that might have different impacts on their own readerships: the La Repubblica has been on the forefront of forging a broad public consensus on the need for actions aimed at tackling climate change, whereas the Corriere della Sera has gradually built a journalistic agenda aimed at minimizing the urgency of the climate change problem. As regards the media''s representation of hydrogeological hazards, we have confirmed what assessed by previous research, i.e. that Italian journalists still prefer to focus on damages rather than prevention; on a better note, the tendency of the Italian press to confuse weather with climate, blaming climate change for extreme rainfalls causing landslides and floods, has decreased in the last four years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The longest series of instrumental observations have a number of problems in the early period. This paper is focused on the recovery of early indoor and outdoor observations in Padua and their transformation in terms of a modern series. The Padua series was started by Giovanni Poleni with outdoor observations in 1716–1718, but soon, the readings passed indoors (1725–1764) to join the directives of the Royal Society, London. The indoor readings were recovered within the EU project IMPROVE, but it was necessary to transform indoor observations into outdoor ones, and this was possible thanks to the presence of simultaneous indoor and outdoor observations by Morgagni in Padua and Beccari in Bologna. These parallel series were also useful to fill a short gap. Another problem was to reconstruct the calibration of the Amontons thermometer, which changed when Poleni moved to a new house. Also the problem of the use of variable and/or different sampling times was solved making reference to the trend of the daily cycles in the different seasons and under diverse weather conditions. The data analysis has shown a trend that appears similar to the well-known results (IPCC 2007) for the last 160yr but a less marked recent warming for winter and autumn. The 18th century was characterized by cold winters (culminated 1709 and 1740) and springs, and warm summers and autumns. A well-marked Bruckner cycle (35.8yr), continually repeated and attenuated, is visible for the period 1716–1930. The wide time scale and the repetition of warmer and colder periods over two-thirds of the series noted in Padua and other Mediterranean stations may induce us to suppose that such cycles could continue in the future, at least on the local scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As adaptation is increasingly recognised as an important component in responding to climate change, adaptation measures are slowly emerging at different scales of governance across Europe and elsewhere in the industrialised North. The relative novelty of adaptation measures in this context opens up an opportunity to examine the ways in which more well-established systems of governance are able to address concerns of a changing climate and its expected effects. This paper examines the modes of climate change adaptation governance systems, by presenting two empirical multi-scale case studies in Finland and Italy. The two countries represent different stages of planned adaptation measures: while Finland began work on adaptation relatively early and elected for a mainstreaming approach, Italy has yet to form concrete national adaptation actions. In both cases, however, adaptation actions have autonomously emerged at lower scales of governance, raising questions as to the role and importance of vertical integration. This study concludes that the governance of adaptation is mainly taking place through both formal institutions and networks across actors at various scales. Though such networks present actors at sub-national scales the resources and opportunity to engage in planned adaptation, the ability of a wider set of actors to plan adaptation remains somewhat limited by a lack of coordination at the national scale. As a result, there exists an opportunity for increased interaction and participation of actors across scales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Traditional cultural landscapes (TCLs) are prominent in Mediterranean countries. The abundance of this landscape type, however, is not reflected by broad-scale inventories and mapping tools. The aim of this paper is to highlight the need for a multidisciplinary approach to landscape analysis, with special reference to the Mediterranean area. We propose an integrated method that combines deductive and inductive processes to define and map TCLs in a study area (Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy). We also develop a procedure to characterize the primary components of these landscapes as a reference to be used in cultural-landscape descriptions. For mapping purposes, three different scales of analysis were examined to select appropriate data-sets of interest. At the broadest scale (1:250,000–100,000), land systems of territorial contexts (LSTCs) were detected by overlaying climatic, lithomorphological and topological maps. At the second level (1:100,000–25,000), landscapes of main agroforestry systems (LMASs) were identified by adding primary land-cover and land-use maps. At the third and most detailed scale (1:25,000–10,000), TCLs were specified using detailed land-use maps of traditional agro-forestry systems. This procedure provides a tool to define and characterize the primary components of TCLs and to designate specific characters of importance (e.g., landscape composition and configuration, traditional techniques of land-management, and heritage features). By following this procedure, we detect a large number of TCLs in the Mt. Etna region, an important and representative area of Mediterranean cultural landscapes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The agricultural sector is probably the one that will suffer most directly from the climatic variations expected at the global level. In particular, the analysis of the changes expected in water availability and demand is fundamental in order to correctly establish both the present water resource management and the definition of new strategies. In this paper the time series of some climatic and agro-climatic indices in the Region of Umbria (Central Italy) have been analyzed with the aim of finding signs of climate changes and identifying the potential impacts on the agricultural water balance. The aforesaid indices include the precipitation, the mean maximum and minimum temperatures (Tmin, Tmax), the mean temperature range (ΔT), the reference evapotranspiration (ET0) and two drought indices, Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Deficit Index (SDI, based on the difference between ET0 and precipitation). These indices were analyzed with reference to different periods (in particular the average growing and irrigation seasons). Furthermore, more specific information was obtained by analyzing the simulated water requirement (CWR) and evapotranspiration deficit (ED) of two typical annual crops (corn and sunflower). The time series of the indices were quantified for 38 stations in the region and they were then analyzed with non-parametric tests both at single sites and at the regional level. The tendencies in cumulated precipitation are generally decreasing (particularly during the wet period) and they are also characterized by a defined spatial pattern. The rainfall reduction during the irrigation season, although less widespread, could have the most important practical consequences. The significant trends detected for both the Tmax and Tmin are mainly positive, and they are more evident for Tmin, often resulting in a reduction of ΔT. ET0 shows a prevailing stationary condition due to the counteracting effects of the prevalent reduction observed for the ΔT and the increment of the mean temperature. At any rate, with reference to the irrigation season, ET0 trends are mainly positive. The results obtained for SPI and SDI are in accordance with the tendencies of non-standardized indices with an expectation of extreme drought event occurrence doubled or even tripled over a 30-year time span. Finally, the analysis of the CWR for corn and the ED for sunflower shows a relevant presence of significant positive trends whose impacts can be estimated in respective mean increments of about 23% and 44% over a 50-year time span. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper is presented a methodological approach which integrates statistic modelling and 2-D cellular automata (CA) in order to describe tree species shifts responding to the climate changes foreseen for Italy in the 21st century. Five Italian tree species populations of Abies alba, Pinus sylvestris, Fagus sylvatica, Acer campestris and Quercus suber and their actual potential distributions (PDs) – represented by Importance Value (IV), have been considered. Environmental and climatic relationships have been modelled through application of a new statistical methodology called extreme discretization, where the PD of a species was considered as a random field. The IV-based PD has been spatialized through a probability function π(A,S), which represented the spatio-temporal relationships between IV values and climatic (A) and geo-morphological (S) variables. For each tree species π =(A,S) has been estimated and inserted as rule in the 2-D cellular automata. The latter, acting by a Moore neighbouring, took in consideration also the suitability map for tree species, which has been obtained by land cover map. Two time frames (2050 and 2080) and two climatic scenarios (A2 and B1) have been considered. Results described a general reduction of the IV values and their distribution for A. alba, P. sylvestris and F. sylvatica, in both climatic scenarios, whereas an increase of IVs and distribution for Q. suber and only a slight increment of distribution for A. campestris was mainly observed under the B1 scenario, but not for the more limiting A2 scenario. Convergent results have been obtained with respect to other simulation systems concerning the shift of tree species responding to different climatic change scenarios but lacking of the description of dynamical paths. Our approach seems natural and practical to describe such phenomena. The transition rules for the CA and the parameters taken into account for the construction of the probabilistic models can be surely improved to obtain a more realistic pattern of tree species shifts. Future efforts should be made to take in account the inter-specific relationships inside the Italian forest ecosystems, in order to also consider the competiveness for resources that exert some effects on the plant distribution both in time and space. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the frame of the MIUR-AEROCLOUDS project (Study of Direct and Indirect Aerosol Effects on Climate), night-time and daytime size-segregated aerosol samples were collected concurrently at five different sites (near-city, urban, rural, marine and mountain background sites). The paper reports on the daily evolution of the main aerosol chemical characteristics as a function of particle size in different environments over the Italian Peninsula, spanning from the Po Valley to the south Tyrrhenian coast. Two 4-day intensive observation periods (IOPs) were undertaken in July 2007 and February 2008, under meteorological conditions typical of the summer and winter climate for Italy. In the summer IOP, under stable atmospheric conditions, at the low-altitude continental sites the diurnal evolution of the planetary boundary layer (PBL), induces an atmospheric dilution effect driving the particulate matter (PM) concentrations, while, at the mountain site, it determines the upward motion of polluted air masses from the Po Valley PBL in daytime. The fine fraction was dominated by ammonium salts and carbonaceous matter (water-soluble organic matter, WSOM, and water-insoluble carbonaceous matter, WINCM). High concentrations of ammonium sulphate and WSOM due to enhanced photochemical activity constituted the background aerosol composition over the whole country, whereas, ammonium nitrate and WINCM were more associated to local emissions (e.g. urban site with concentrations peaking in the finest size range due to strong local traffic-related sources of ultrafine particles). During the winter IOP in the Po Valley, the shallow PBL depths and low wind velocity, especially at night, favoured the condensation of semi-volatile species (i.e. organic matter and ammonium nitrate), causing the high fine PM concentration observed at ground level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: South Tyrol in northern Italy is the biggest coherent apple growing area in Europe. Intensive orcharding is practised there within an area of about 18,000ha. Irrigation represents a central factor of production in this region because of the local climatic situation (only about 500mm precipitation per annum). But the way irrigation is applied there follows mostly subjective criteria. At many locations much more water is used for irrigation than the apple trees actually need. The consequence is that irrigation in this region is a very cost-intensive factor of production which is increasingly being discussed and criticized for both economic and ecological reasons. In the context of the current discussions about climate change, the question of protection of resources and the saving of water is becoming more and more relevant. This paper presents the results of soil-physical and soil-hydrological studies, which were done in summer 2008 on two neighbouring locations in the Etsch-Valley of the Vinschgau (South Tyrol). The studies were done to detect pedo-hydrological differences at irrigated orchards which are in immediate vicinity to each other. Because of rainy weather for a few weeks before there was no irrigation at both locations during the period of this study. This made it possible to observe both locations and their pedo-hydrological differences under the influence of a natural water supply. Mostly these differences are neglected in the irrigation practice. It turned out that not only the adjacency of the groundwater table of valley floor soils but also the substrate-specific differences have a crucial influence on the dynamics and the availability of soil water for the plants. Furthermore differences in the compaction of the soil surfaces may cause prolonged infiltration rates and thereby create longer time lags between the start of the irrigation and the resulting water supply in the rootzone. To optimize the irrigation practice in this region it is essential to provide an objective basis for the irrigation process. Accordingly, the term “precision irrigation” is increasingly discussed. But precision irrigation must be based on objective and quantitative criteria which focus primarily on the physical soil properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The European Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) imposes the adoption of measures for improving the energy efficiency in buildings. These measures should take into account the local weather conditions as well as internal thermal environment and cost-effectiveness. In this respect, Italy is a very interesting benchmark. For Northern Italy, the climatic context is particularly difficult to deal with cold winters and hot summers. The legislations are changing very rapidly, but has not fully adapted to the local context. The considered methodology still involves winter heating while summer cooling is addressed in incomplete and inadequate ways. The energy issue is addressed only partially as final energy consumption, but with little attention to LCA. Moreover, the belief that the buildings with high energy savings are too expensive, and therefore not attractive from economic point of view. For these reasons, it is very important to develop case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of sustainable energy in architecture, according to a holistic approach. This paper describes a detailed techno–economic analysis for Borgo Solare project, an extremely advanced and innovative residential settlement designed on sustainable architecture concepts. One of the most innovative aspects of the project is that it is not just an experimental operation but Borgo Solare is a real urban district, which will be built without public funds and should be inhabited by common people. Excellent energy performance, therefore, must be accompanied by affordable market prices. The energy and economical analysis is presented taking into account also the embodied energy of the building. The results on the performance of a sample building (case study) of this settlement are reported, according to different construction standards: prior to EPBD, present from the EPBD and more efficient developed specifically for the project. It has been shown that using the better design practices and technologies the higher initial embodied energy in a low energy building could quickly paid back during its life span. The economic analysis, in the same way, evidences that higher initial investment in case of energy efficient building could become economically convenient during the life span of the building. This kind of analysis is essential to determine the actual sustainability of a building. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Climate changes and sea-level rise are important issues, especially for deltas such as the Po Delta, Italy. The evolution of the Po Delta shows a succession in space and a superposition in time of complex environmental natural processes. During the last few centuries, anthropogenic action has played a major role. The formation of the Po Delta began about 2000 years ago and has undergone many phases of development. Between 1500 AD and 1600 AD, the Venetian technicians diverted the Po river course. With these interventions, the “Renaissance delta” was cut off from the hydraulic network and the “modern delta” began to form. Until the middle of the 20th century, progradation of the delta was noticeable due to the abundant sediment supply. In the following decades coastal erosion occurred, this was caused by the reduction of the solid supply of the Po, due to dam and barrier construction and to river bed excavation. These and other interventions (e.g. reclamation, methane extractions from superficial ground water table) have deeply modified the physical and ecological characteristics of the Po Delta. The morphological characteristics of the Po Delta make the largest Italian wetland particularly unstable and very fragile when subjected to human pressure. Furthermore, the delta evidences multiple threats that will probably be exacerbated in the following decades by the effects of expected climatic changes. Only the application of careful policies concerning coastal defence, flood mitigation, anthropogenic subsidence reduction and salt wedge intrusion control will allow reduction of the present or predicted negative effects. This paper reviews how natural and human factors have controlled the Po Delta through time and discusses management strategies taking into account the importance of the human factor and the potential effects of climatic changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sediments of Last Glacial and Holocene age from two different locations in the basin of Lago di Pergusa have been palynologically and isotopically investigated. New data have been integrated with those available from previous researches carried out by the authors. This study indicates once more that Lago di Pergusa was and still is very sensitive to climate changes. In particular, during the Last Glacial, it played an important role in preserving the biodiversity as thermophilous and mesophilous taxa never completely disappeared. In particular, Zelkova pollen indicates that the distribution area of this tree (still living as a relic plant in south-eastern Sicily) was wider during the Last Glacial, where its last spread is found around 20,000 years BP. The δ18O record, mirroring the arboreal concentration trend, confirms the climate inferences based on vegetation features. Both the Late Glacial and the Postglacial reforestation periods show slower vegetation dynamics and forest development than expected, with trends mirroring the slow and sustained decline of δ18O record. The Younger Dryas oscillation is not pronounced in any of the lacustrine palaeoenvironmental proxies, its termination occurring around 11,100 cal. years BP. The opening of the woodland recorded by a slow trend ranging from the Neolithic (around 8000 cal. years BP) to the Eneolithic (few centuries before 4000 cal. years BP) seems to be a natural forest clearance and not due to human impact. Anomalies in pollen, microcharcoals and positive correlations between δ18O and AP curves are found after a climate change occurring at 4500 years BP, and interpreted as a signal of human impact. The new δ18O data presented in this paper throws new light to propose this hypothesis, confirming an early aridification trend detected from pollen, and a relatively late human impact inferred from fire dynamics in this central and montane region of Sicily. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For the first time, limnogeological investigations have been carried out in Lake Como, the deepest lake of the Alps, combining a bathymetric survey (multibeam Simrad 3000) with a high-resolution seismic reflection study (single-channel 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profiler) and a coring campaign (gravity corer). This data set enables detailed characterization of the sedimentary subsurface in the western branch of the lake, the Como branch, which has a typical fjord morphology. This paper focuses on the deepest part of the Como branch (Argegno basin), in which up to 3.5-m-thick turbidite deposits are identified. The basin fill of the Como branch is characterized by well-layered draping and onlapping pelagic sediments that are locally affected by creeping and that are intercalated with mass-wasting deposits, in particular with two large debris-flow deposits evolving into megaturbidites in the deepest part of the basin. The multibeam data together with the acoustic-facies distributions and the volumes of these two major sedimentary deposits MT1 (∼3×106 m3) and MT2 (∼10.5×106 m3) indicate that they resulted from large slides at the northern tip of the Como branch along the steep slopes of a sub-lacustrine plateau. The estimated ages of these events, around the mid-12th (MT1) and early 6th (MT2) centuries, are extrapolated from mean sedimentation rates based on radiocarbon (14C) and radionuclide (137Cs) analyses from short cores in the Argegno basin. Possible trigger mechanisms leading to these catastrophic events in the Como branch include a combination of steep-slope overloading, with significant lake-level fluctuations related to Holocene climate change and/or earthquake shaking. The tentative age assignment places the age of both major mass movements near two other events: MT1 near the occurrence of a major earthquake in the Po Plain in 1222 AD (Intensity IX MCS, macroseismically derived magnitude 6.2) and MT2 near a megaturbidite triggered in ∼700 AD in a proglacial lake in southeastern Switzerland [Blass, A., Anselmetti, F., Grosjean, M., Sturm, M., 2005. The last 1300 years of environmental history in the sediments of Lake Sils (Engadine, Switzerland). Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae 98, 319–332]. Since dangerous, tsunami-like waves (seiches) can be generated by large sub-aqueous landslides leading to such megaturbidites in this fjord-like basin, future studies are required: 1) to constrain the age of these catastrophic events; 2) to document the stabilities of the steep slopes in the Como branch, 3) to assess the expected frequency of such catastrophic events and 4) to model the propagation of large waves in the Como branch and their potential damage along the highly populated lake shore. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]