Local development and environmental systems: An empirical overview.

The sustainable use of natural resources is becoming problematic on the Italian peninsula. As a matter of fact, the reduced regeneration of resources and the increase in demand can, in the long run, cause periods of failure to satisfy the request. Soil and water constitute the fundamental (natural) resources for landscapes, as well as for agriculture and other production sectors. As economic goods, their use value is subject to the law of the market; any impact induced on their balance negatively affects ecosystems and landscape status, thereby reducing their economic value. Soil exploitation for human activities has altered its composition, structure, and functionality, with detrimental consequences for the landscape, often resulting in the marginalization of entire areas with consequent hydrogeological instability and early desertification. Only careful management in the use of natural resources in all economic sectors and rational planning of the available land capital, make it possible to achieve a balance between incoming and outgoing flows in order to maintain a constant balance of the resources, allowing development to be sustainable for all living organisms. The close connection between agro-forestry ecosystems, landscapes, and natural resources implies an urgent commitment to restore ecological balance and prevent degradation with a holistic vision.