Grazing systems can provide a wide array of ecosystem services, defined by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment as “the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems” and classified in four main groups: i) supporting (necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services; e.g. primary production), ii) provisioning (products obtained from ecosystems; e.g. food, fresh water), iii) regulating (benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes; e.g. climate regulation) and iv) cultural (non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems; e.g. aesthetic experiences). The thesis aims to investigate some relevant ecosystem services provided by extensive agro-pastoral systems in the territory of the Marche region (central Italy) to support the co-design process of agrienvironmental climate measures. The thesis originates from a review paper that analyses the trends and approaches used in the analysis of relevant ecosystem services provided by grazing system, according to the framework principles of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. In a following step, the research focuses on the analysis of the greenhouse gases emissions under different cropping systems and management options: soil respiration from a Bromus erectus-dominated grassland under different mowing intensities in the uplands and N2O emissions in a alfalfa-wheat system with biochar application in the lowlands. A final chapter analyses the design process of agri-environmental measures at landscape scale implemented in several case studies. The literature review revealed a misunderstanding concerning the concept of ecosystem services among stakeholders. The biodiversity was considered an ecosystem services per se and the anthropocentric vision of the ecosystem services was not accepted or understood, moreover a lack of a multi-sectoral approach in the analysis of ecosystem services and the integration of different knowledge emerged. Furthermore, cultural ecosystem services were poorly studied despite being considered the most relevant for local and general stakeholders and with some other relevant services, could foster agri-environmental schemes. From the analysis of the soil respiration from a Bromus erectus-dominated grassland emerged that more intensive use did not significantly impact soil respiration and primary production on the short term. The analysis of the N2O emissions in the alfalfa-wheat system suggests that: i) postponed tillage in autumn may mitigate nitrogen losses as N2O after alfalfa termination; ii) the effects of biochar application on N2O emissions and crop productivity should be analysed in a long term perspective to verify the ‘biochar aging’. The results obtained from the research could feed the hybrid knowledge, that with shift of the stakeholder role in the system are key elements for the co-design process of site specific, shared and landscape agrienvironmental measures.
I sistemi pastorali possono fornire una vasta gamma di servizi ecosistemici che vengono definiti dal Millennium Ecosystem Assessment come “i benefici che le persone ottengono dagli ecosistemi” e vengono classificati in quattro gruppi: i) supporto (necessari per la produzione di tutti gli altri servizi ecosistemici; es. produzione primaria), ii) approvvigionamento (prodotti forniti dagli ecosistemi; es. cibo, acqua), iii) regolazione (benefici ottenuti dalla regolazione dei processi ecosistemici; es. regolazione del clima) e iv) valori culturali (benefici non materiali che la popolazione ottiene dagli ecosistemi; es. esperienze estetiche). L’obiettivo principale della tesi è stato quello di utilizzare le analisi di alcuni dei più importanti servizi ecosistemici forniti dai sistemi agro-pastorali estensivi della regione Marche (Italia centrale), a supporto dei processi di co-progettazione di misure agro-climatico ambientali. Nel capitolo iniziale, attraverso un lavoro di review della letteratura scientifica, la tesi esamina le tendenze e gli approcci utilizzati nell’analisi di alcuni servizi ecosistemici forniti dai sistemi pastorali alla luce dei principi del Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Successivamente, la tesi si concentra principalmente sull’analisi delle emissioni di alcuni gas ad effetto serra generati da diversi sistemi colturali e diverse gestioni: (i) respirazione del suolo di una prateria montana a dominanza di Bromus erectus sottoposta a diverse intensità di utilizzazione; (ii) emissioni di N2O in un sistema medica-frumento, con e senza l’applicazione di biochar, in un’area collinare. Nell’ultimo capitolo, la tesi analizza i processi di progettazione di misure agro-ambientali per la gestione di problematiche ambientali a scala territoriale in numerosi casi di studio. L’analisi della letteratura ha rivelato una generale confusione da parte dei portatori d’interesse relativamente al concetto di servizio ecosistemico. La biodiversità viene considerata un servizio ecosistemico di per sé e la visione antropocentrica dei servizi ecosistemici non è accettata o compresa. Dalla review emerge inoltre lo scarso utilizzo di un approccio multi-settoriale nell’analisi dei servizi ecosistemici, nonché quello di un’integrazione delle diverse conoscenze. In aggiunta, i servizi ecosistemici culturali risultano scarsamente studiati, nonostante siano considerati di grande importanza per i portatori d’interesse sia locali che generali e che, insieme ad altri importanti servizi ecosistemici, potrebbero favorire l’adozione di politiche e misure agro-ambientali. Dall’analisi della prateria a dominanza di Bromus erectus, non emerge nel breve periodo un impatto significativo dell’intensità di utilizzazione sulla respirazione del suolo né sulla produzione primaria. Nel sistema medica-frumento, l’analisi delle emissioni di N2O suggerisce che: i) la lavorazione posticipata in autunno può mitigare la perdita di azoto sottoforma di N2O; ii) gli effetti dell’applicazione del biochar dovrebbero essere analizzati nel lungo periodo per verificare i possibili effetti dell’invecchiamento del biochar, anche sulla produttività della coltura. I risultati ottenuti da questa ricerca potrebbero contribuire alla condivisione di conoscenze e alla formazione di una conoscenza ibrida che, insieme al cambio di ruolo dei portatori d’interesse del sistema, sono risultati elementi chiave del processo di co-progettazione di misure agro-climatico ambientali sito specifiche, condivise e a scala territoriale.
Analysis of ecosystem services provided by agro-pastoral systems to support co-design of agri-environment-climate measures / Trozzo, Laura. - (2020 Mar 20).
Analysis of ecosystem services provided by agro-pastoral systems to support co-design of agri-environment-climate measures
TROZZO, Laura
2020-03-20
Abstract
Grazing systems can provide a wide array of ecosystem services, defined by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment as “the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems” and classified in four main groups: i) supporting (necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services; e.g. primary production), ii) provisioning (products obtained from ecosystems; e.g. food, fresh water), iii) regulating (benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes; e.g. climate regulation) and iv) cultural (non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems; e.g. aesthetic experiences). The thesis aims to investigate some relevant ecosystem services provided by extensive agro-pastoral systems in the territory of the Marche region (central Italy) to support the co-design process of agrienvironmental climate measures. The thesis originates from a review paper that analyses the trends and approaches used in the analysis of relevant ecosystem services provided by grazing system, according to the framework principles of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. In a following step, the research focuses on the analysis of the greenhouse gases emissions under different cropping systems and management options: soil respiration from a Bromus erectus-dominated grassland under different mowing intensities in the uplands and N2O emissions in a alfalfa-wheat system with biochar application in the lowlands. A final chapter analyses the design process of agri-environmental measures at landscape scale implemented in several case studies. The literature review revealed a misunderstanding concerning the concept of ecosystem services among stakeholders. The biodiversity was considered an ecosystem services per se and the anthropocentric vision of the ecosystem services was not accepted or understood, moreover a lack of a multi-sectoral approach in the analysis of ecosystem services and the integration of different knowledge emerged. Furthermore, cultural ecosystem services were poorly studied despite being considered the most relevant for local and general stakeholders and with some other relevant services, could foster agri-environmental schemes. From the analysis of the soil respiration from a Bromus erectus-dominated grassland emerged that more intensive use did not significantly impact soil respiration and primary production on the short term. The analysis of the N2O emissions in the alfalfa-wheat system suggests that: i) postponed tillage in autumn may mitigate nitrogen losses as N2O after alfalfa termination; ii) the effects of biochar application on N2O emissions and crop productivity should be analysed in a long term perspective to verify the ‘biochar aging’. The results obtained from the research could feed the hybrid knowledge, that with shift of the stakeholder role in the system are key elements for the co-design process of site specific, shared and landscape agrienvironmental measures.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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