Coordinator: Angelo Basile
Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean (ISAFOM)

ABSTRACT

The preservation and development of the Italian landscape require a better soil management and soil conservation. This implies the need to reconcile the agri-forestry production with the sustainable management of the environmental resources. Unfortunately, the actual application of this concept is quite far to be implemented. Often, what is lacking are the operational tools that can manage the complexity, richness and fragility of the landscape and Italian soils; this has serious implications in respect of the continuous threats under which the soils are exposed.

But maybe something today can be changed. Recent developments in Decision Support Systems - based on "Geospatial Cyber-Infrastructure” platforms - and the latest developments of the WEB-GIS can approach the multi-scale, multi-user and multi-disciplinary aspects of the problems, promising great opportunities. These instruments - in their multidisciplinary approach - can support planning decisions, management or even integral territorial transformation, through an analytical assessment of the state and the impact on soils. The conference - through the results of the SOILCONSWEB project and field excursions - aims to show the potential of these new frontiers for the preservation and enhancement of soil and Italian landscapes.

The conference - which will include a press conference (SOILCONSWEB LIFE +) - is open to non-insiders. It has a part dedicated to users (i.e. farmers, foresters, urban planners) and to various scientific societies that, from their perspective, will evaluate these new tools. The conference will be integrated by some field excursions where soils, landscapes and operational tools will be presented.