Landscape Planning and Ecological Networks. Part A. A Rural System in Nuoro, Sardinia

Andrea De Montis; Maria Antonietta Bardi; Amedeo Ganciu; Antonio Ledda; Simone Caschili; Maurizio Mulas; Leonarda Dessena; Giuseppe Modica; Luigi Laudari; Carmelo Riccardo Fichera

doi:10.6092/1970-9870/2485

Andrea De Montis Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari
Maria Antonietta Bardi Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari
Amedeo Ganciu Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari
Antonio Ledda Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari
Simone Caschili bUCL QASER Lab & Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London Gower Street, London, UK
Maurizio Mulas Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, University of Sassari
Leonarda Dessena Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, University of Sassari
Giuseppe Modica Dipartimento di Agraria, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria
Luigi Laudari Dipartimento di Agraria, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria
Carmelo Riccardo Fichera Dipartimento di Agraria, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6092/1970-9870/2485

Keywords: Rural-urban landscape, Ecological networks, Target species, Dispersal distance

Abstract

Urban-rural landscape planning research is nowadays focusing on strategies and tools that support practitioners in designing integrated spaces starting from the analysis of local areas, where human and natural pressures interfere. A prominent framework is provided by the ecological networks, whose design regards the combination of a set of green areas or patches (the nodes) interconnected through environmental corridors (the edges). Ecological networks are useful for biodiversity protection and enhancement, as they are able to counteract fragmentation, and to create or strengthen relations and exchanges among otherwise isolated elements. Biodiversity evolution, indeed, depends on the quantity and quality of spatial cohesion of natural areas. In this paper, we aim at designing an ecological network for the periurban area on the town of Nuoro in central Sardinia. The narrative unfolds in two parts. Part A is presented in this paper and includes its methodological premises, i.e. biodiversity conservation and ecological network analysis and design, and the introductory elements of a spatial analysis on a pilot ecological network of one hundred patches. We locate patches by focusing on the ecosystems supported by the target vegetal species holm oak (Quercus ilex) and cultivated or wild olive (Olea europaea var. sativa, O. europaea var. sylverstis). These are very common plants species in the municipality and some animal species are active as seed dispersal. The reminder, i.e. Part B, of the essay is presented in an homonymous paper that focuses on the illustration of the network analysis conceived as a monitoring system and, in future perspective, as a planning support system.

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Author Biographies

Andrea De Montis, Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari

Andrea De Montis, civil engineer (laurea cum laude at the University of Cagliari, Italy), is associate professor at Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari, Italy. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Economic Policy and Planning, Northeastern University, Boston, USA, and a Ph.D. in Urban and Spatial Planning Techniques, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy. His research focuses on environmental and landscape planning and complex network analysis.

Maria Antonietta Bardi, Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari

Maria Antonietta Bardi holds a first level degree in Forestry and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sassari, Campus of Nuoro, Italy. She is a graduate student in Forestry and Environmental Systems at the University of Sassari, Campus of Nuoro, Italy. Ms Bardi is currently working on her final thesis about the design, construction, and management of an ecological network for the town of Nuoro, Italy.

Amedeo Ganciu, Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari

Amedeo Ganciu, environmental and urban planner, graduated at the University Institute of Architecture of Venice, Italy and took a master degree in Landscape Dynamics and GIScience at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. Currently is a research fellow at Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari, Italy in the project: “Efficacia ed efficienza della governance paesaggistica e territoriale in Sardegna: il ruolo della VAS e delle IDT” [Efficacy and efficiency of the landscape and environmental governance in Sardinia: the role of SEA and of SDI] founded by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia.

Antonio Ledda, Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari

Antonio Ledda, master’s degree in planning and management of environment and rural areas (laurea cum laude at the University of Sassari, Italy), is a research fellow at Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Sassari, Italy, in the project: “Efficacia ed efficienza della governance paesaggistica e territoriale in Sardegna: il ruolo della VAS e delle IDT” [Efficacy and efficiency of the landscape and environmental governance in Sardinia: the role of SEA and of SDI] founded by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. His research mainly focuses on strategic environmental assessment applied within spatial planning.

Simone Caschili, bUCL QASER Lab & Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London Gower Street, London, UK

Simone Caschili, Ph.D. in Land Engineering and Urban Planning, is a research associate at Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (UCL) and senior fellow of the UCL QASER Lab where he directs his research interests on the application of complexity theory to the study of regional transportation, international trade and maritime shipping. A part of his research interest regards the modelling of regional systems, spatial-temporal and economic complex networks and policy evaluation for planning in both transport and environmental governance. He serves as referee for international scientific journals in various subjects.

Maurizio Mulas, Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, University of Sassari

Maurizio Mulas is Associate Professor of Arboriculture at the University of Sassari (Italy), and selection, ecophysiology and use in the urban environment of woody plants of the Mediterranean climate are among his main research fields.

Leonarda Dessena, Dipartimento di Scienze della Natura e del Territorio, University of Sassari

Leonarda Dessena is a PhD on Agrometeorology and research fellow at the University of Sassari (Italy) on Mediterranean maquis plant biology and use.

Giuseppe Modica, Dipartimento di Agraria, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria

Giuseppe Modica, PhD in Environmental and Agro-forestry Engineering, is researcher and assistant professor in Rural Buildings and Rural Landscape at the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria. His main research interests focusing on sustainable landscape planning, landscape services, geospatial information in decision support systems, multi-criteria evaluation.

Luigi Laudari, Dipartimento di Agraria, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria

Luigi Laudari is a PhD in Environmental and Agro-forestry Engineering and research fellow at the AGROMATER-LAB Laboratory of the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria. Research interests: Geographic information systems; Landscape ecological planning; Ecological networks.

Carmelo Riccardo Fichera, Dipartimento di Agraria, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria

Carmelo Riccardo Fichera is full professor in Rural Buildings and Rural Landscape at the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria. President of the II Technical section of the Italian Society of Agricultural Engineering (AIIA). His main research interests focusing on landscape planning and environmental sustainability, Geographic Information Systems for rural planning, technical innovation and sustainability in farm building.

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Landscape Planning and Ecological Networks. Part A. A Rural System in Nuoro, Sardinia

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