The 2007 crisis and Greek wildfires: a multivariate analysis of suppression times

Shifts in government priorities in response to the 2007 global recession have affected wildfire management and natural disaster funding arrangements, leading to a reduced effectiveness of fire suppression actions and increasing fire vulnerability. Our study investigates the role of local socioeconomic contexts on fire suppression effectiveness under economic expansion and recession in a Mediterranean region (Attica, Greece) strongly affected by 2007 crisis and displaying a persistently high density of peri-urban wildfires. Basic characteristics of wildfires (spatial distribution, intensity, and land use preferences) were investigated in the study area over two consecutive 8-year time intervals characterized by economic expansion (2000–2007) and recession (2008–2015). An integrated approach based on multivariate statistics and artificial neural networks was implemented to evaluate latent relationships between fire suppression time, wildfire characteristics, and socioeconomic dynamics. Controlling for wildfires’ characteristics over the two time intervals, fire time length increased under crisis—mainly for small and medium-sized fires—possibly as an indirect response to reduced effectiveness of forest land management. Local contexts and political decisions influenced by economic downturns are relevant factors shaping wildfires’ severity in the Mediterranean region. With recession, local contexts vulnerable to wildfires require more effective fire prevention measures, sustainable forest management, and regional planning.     

Towards a more effective EIA in transport planning: a literature review to derive interventions and mechanisms to improve knowledge integration

A set of process-related barriers negatively determines the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in transport planning. Recent research highlights the unstructured stakeholder involvement and inefficient public participation in earlier phases of EIA as key bottlenecks. While the academic literature has produced promising theories for addressing these barriers, they have rarely been translated into solutions applicable and testable in practice. In order to bridge this theory–practice gap, we present a systematic literature review of interventions and mechanisms aimed at facilitating the integration of different sources and types of knowledge during the scoping phase of EIA. This review explores if and how interventions and mechanisms have been conducted in practice; if and why they worked or did not work and how relevant they are for EIA in transport planning. Based on this review, we distil a set of three specific interventions and trigger mechanisms applicable in the context of EIA in transport planning.     

Food web of a confined and anthropogenically affected coastal basin (the Mar Piccolo of Taranto) revealed by carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes analyses

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was used to examine the food web of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, a coastal basin experiencing several anthropogenic impacts. Main food sources (algal detritus, seaweeds, particulate organic matter (POM) and sediment organic matter (SOM)) and benthic and pelagic consumers were collected during two contrasting seasons (June and April), at four sites distributed over two inlets, and characterized by different level of confinements, anthropogenic inputs and the presence of mussels farming. δ¹³C values of organic sources revealed an important contribution of POM to both planktonic and benthic pathways, as well as the influence of terrigenous inputs within both inlets, probably due to high seasonal land runoff. Although δ¹³C of both sources and consumers varied little between sampling sites and dates, δ¹⁵N spatial variability was higher and clearly reflected the organic enrichment in the second inlet as well as the uptake of anthropogenically derived material by benthic consumers. On the other hand, within the first inlet, the isotopic composition of consumers did not change in response to chemical contamination. However, the impact of polluted sediments near the Navy Arsenal in the first inlet was detectable at the level of the macrobenthic trophic structure, showing high dominance of motile, upper level consumers capable to face transient conditions and the reduction of the more resident deposit feeders. We therefore underline the great potential of matching stable isotope analysis with quantitative studies of community structure to assess the effects of multiple anthropogenic stressors.     

A new urban boundary layer and dispersion parameterization for an emergency response modeling system: Tests with the Joint Urban 2003 data set

A new urban parameterization for a fast-running dispersion prediction modeling system suitable for emergency response situations is introduced. The parameterization represents the urban convective boundary layer in the dispersion prediction system developed by the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The performance of the modeling system is tested with data collected during the field campaign Joint Urban 2003 (JU03), held in July 2003 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tests were performed using data from three intense operating periods held during daytime slightly unstable to unstable conditions. The system was run in operational mode using the meteorological data that would be available operationally at NARAC to test its effectiveness in emergency response conditions. The new parameterization considerably improves the performance of the original modeling system, by producing a better degree of pattern of correspondence between predictions and observations (as measured by Taylor diagrams), considerably reducing bias, and better capturing directional effects resulting in plume predictions whose shape and size better resemble the observations (via the measure of effectiveness). Furthermore, the new parameterization shows similar skills to urban modeling systems of similar or greater complexity. The parameterization performs the best at the three JU03 sensor arcs (1, 2, and 4 km downwind the release points), with fractional bias values ranging from 0.13 to 0.4, correlation values from 0.45 to 0.71, and centered root-mean-square error being reduced more than 50% in most cases. The urban parameterization has been tested with grid increments of 125, 250, 500 and 1000 m, performing best at 250 and 500 m. Finally, it has been found that representing the point source by a Gaussian distribution with an initial spread of particles leads to a better representation of the initial spread induced by near-source buildings, resulting in lower bias and improved correlation in downtown Oklahoma City.     

TG, FT-IR and NMR characterization of n-C16H34 contaminated alumina and silica after mechanochemical treatment

This paper deals with the application of mechanochemistry to model systems composed of alumina or silica artificially contaminated with n-C16H34. The mechanochemical treatment was carried out by means of a ring mill for times ranging from 10 to 40h. Thermogravimetry and infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies were used for the characterization of the mechanochemical products. The results have indicated that, in the case of alumina, almost all the contaminant n-C16H34 undergoes a complex oxidative reaction path whose end products are strongly held on the surface. These end products are most likely made of crosslinked, partially oxidized hydrocarbon chains bond to the solid surface via COO(-) groups. In the case of silica, the hydrocarbon undergoes a different, equally complex reaction path, but to a lower extent. In this case the end products are most probably carbonylic compounds and graphitic carbon. Then, for both solid matrices, the mechanochemical treatment promotes significant modification of the chemical nature of the polluting hydrocarbon with end products much more difficult to remove from the surface. As the systems studied are models of sites contaminated by aliphatic hydrocarbon, the results are worthy of consideration in relation to the mobility of the contaminants in the environment.     

Environmental and biological monitoring of iridium in the city of Rome

The use of iridium in the latest catalytic converters to further reduce nitrogen oxide emission in the exhaust of lean-burn engines could result in increased atmospheric levels of this element in high-density vehicle traffic areas. The objective of this study is to assess environmental Ir pollution and its urinary levels in workers and an urban control group. Environmental monitoring inside a tram consisted in air samplings of total suspended particles (TSP), PM10 and PM2.5 carried out during November 2005. Urinary Ir levels were evaluated in 64 municipal tram drivers and in 58 administrative employees as controls. Quantification of Ir in air samples and urine was performed by means of Sector Field Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Means+/-standard deviation of Ir levels in TSP, in PM10 and PM2.5 fractions were 1.43+/-1.66, 0.44+/-0.27 and 0.36+/-0.19 pg m(-3), respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed among urinary Ir values in the exposed subjects and control group. The Ir levels in Rome air are still sufficiently low, even if the increased use of new Ir-based catalysts could be of some concern in the near future. The results of our study are of interest as they are a first attempt to explore airborne levels and urinary concentrations of Ir in an urban context at medium-high density of vehicle traffic. Particular attention should be given to the fact that Ir was found in the finest dust particles as the effects of fine particles containing Ir have not yet been studied.     

Environmental photochemistry of fluoroquinolones in soil and in aqueous soil suspensions under solar light

The photodegradation fate of widely used fluoroquinolone (FQ) drugs has been studied both at the water–soil interface and in soil at actual concentrations (500 ng g^?1) under natural solar light. Both human and veterinary drugs have been examined, namely ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, levofloxacin, marbofloxacin and moxifloxacin. After spiking and irradiation, samples were submitted to microwave-assisted extraction and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence detection (HPLC–FD). FQs degradation was faster in aqueous soil suspension than in neat soil (but lower than in “clean” water). A number of byproducts were identified by HPLC electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry after a post-extraction cleanup based on a molecularly imprinted polymer phase, for a more accurate detection. The distribution in the suspension was intermediate between those observed in soils and in aqueous solutions.     

Combining Environmental Factors and Agriculturalists’ Observations of Environmental Changes in the Traditional Terrace System of the Amalfi Coast (Southern Italy)

Terraces are traditional engineered ecosystems that affect the hydro-geological equilibrium, slope stability, and local communities. The aims of this paper are (i) identifying environmental factors that affect terrace stability in the Amalfi Coast, (ii) defining agriculturalists’ observations on environmental changes within that system and (iii) exploring potentiality of these observations to better define conservation strategies. All available data on physical and ecological factors recognized to affect the terrace system were collected and analyzed. Interviews were conducted with agriculturalists to obtain long-term observations on environmental factors that interact with this system. Landslides are more frequent where rainfall is high and during winter. Fires have an uneven annual distribution, with higher frequency during summers. Agriculturalists detailed complex interactions among environmental factors, economic elements, and terraces. These observations represent a valuable resource for defining causes and effects of abandonment and for better addressing conservation strategies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-013-0433-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Land degradation,economic growth and structural change: evidences from Italy

The present study investigates the relationship between land degradation and the evolution of the productive structure in Italy during the last 50 years (1960–2010). The objectives of the study are twofold: (i) to present and discuss an original analysis of the income–environment relationship in an economic-convergent and environmental–divergent country and (ii) to evaluate the impact of the (changing) productive structure and selected socio-demographic characteristics on the level of land vulnerability. The econometric analysis indicates that the relationship between GDP and land degradation across Italian provinces is completely reverted once we move from a cross-sectional analysis to panel estimates. While economic and environmental disparities between provinces go in the same direction, with richer provinces having lower levels of LD, over time the growth process increases LD with the economic structure acting as a significant variable.     

Influence of angular exposure and proximity to vehicular traffic on the diversity of epiphytic lichens and the bioaccumulation of traffic-related elements

This study investigated the influence of angular exposure and distance from vehicular traffic on the diversity of epiphytic lichens and the bioaccumulation of traffic-related elements in a town of central Italy. An Index of Lichen Diversity (ILD) was calculated on the street-facing and the opposite side of road-lining trees and in a urban park 250 m away, and the content of selected trace elements (Al, Ba, Ce, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn) was determined in samples of the lichen Punctelia borreri (Sm.) Krog growing on tree bark, both on the exposed and opposite sides. ILD increases with distance from traffic emissions. However, at the site with vehicle traffic, non-nitrophilous lichens decreased while nitrophilous ones increased. The concentration of the traffic-related elements Ba, Cr, Cu, Mn, Sb, and Zn accumulated in thalli of P. borreri was higher on roadside trees than in trees from the urban park. ILD was not affected by the angular exposure to the road and the bioaccumulation of traffic-related elements was similar in lichens from the side of the bole exposed to traffic emissions and particulate resuspension and from the opposite side. The angular exposure in respect to the traffic source does not influence trace element accumulation. These results are important when using lichens for biomonitoring purposes, both for planning future studies and for the reliability of the interpretation of past surveys that do not report information about the angular exposure of the collected lichen material.