Valerio Amici

University of Bologna

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Francesco Geri

University of Florence

Duccio Rocchini

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Alessandro Chiarucci

University of Bologna

Giovanni Bacaro

University of Trieste

Matteo Marcantonio

UCLouvain

Sara Landi

University of Bologna

Simona Maccherini

University of Siena

Dino Torri

Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection

Elisa Santi

University of Perugia

Anna Scoppola

Università degli Studi della Tuscia

Cooperative Institutions

University of Siena

Sapienza University of Rome

University of Palermo

Fondazione Edmund Mach

University of Florence

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

National Research Council

Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection

University of Bologna

University of Perugia

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FUZZY AND BOOLEAN FOREST MEMBERSHIP: ON THE ACTUAL SEPARABILITY OF LAND COVER CLASSES

Applied Ecology and Environmental Research (2010)

Valerio Amici Francesco Geri Péter Csontos Markus Neteler Duccio Rocchini

Forests are among the most important habitats of the Earth for several ecological reasons and their management is a prior task when dealing with landscape conservation.Thematic maps and remote sensing data are powerful tools to be used in landscape planning and forest management; nevertheless, most of the European and Mediterranean forest monitoring and conservation programs do not take into account the continuity of the variation of habitats within the landscape but they only rely on boolean classification methods.The utilisation of a classification method that applies a continuity criterion is fundamental because it is expected to better represent the ecological gradients within a landscape.The aim of this paper is to assess the amount of classification uncertainty related to crisp (boolean) classes, particularly focusing on forest identification uncertainty.Forest fuzzy membership of the Tuscany region (Italy) derived from a Landsat ETM+ image scene was compared with the widely used crisp datasets in European forests management and conservation practices, i.e. the European JRC Forest/Non-Forest map, the CORINE Land Cover 2000 (levels 1 and 2), as well as the Global Land Cover 2000, in order to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the separability of crisp classes with respect to forest fuzzy membership.A statistically significant (p < 0.001) forest fuzzy membership separability among the considered crisp classes was found.Despite the crisp dataset and hierarchical level taken into account, both forest and non-forest crisp classes showed a high degree of forest fuzzy membership variability.Therefore, given the intrinsic mixture of crisp land cover classes, ecological studies on forestal ecosystems should rigorously take into account the classification uncertainty related to a crisp view of ecological entities which are being mapped.

Forest cover

Land Cover

10.15666/aeer/0801_039050

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Citations (4)

Confronto tra metodologie fuzzy e crisp nella mappatura di superfici forestali

RIVISTA GEOGRAFICA ITALIANA (2011)

Valerio Amici Francesco Geri Péter Csontos Duccio Rocchini

EnglishComparison between crisp and fuzzy methods in mapping forested areas. - Forests represent one of the most important habitats of the Earth for several ecological reasons, hosting a great amount of Earth biodiversity, preventing soil erosion, replenishing ground water by reducing water runoff, controlling flooding enhancing infiltration, storing carbon. Thematic maps and remote sensing data are powerful tools to be used in landscape planning and forest management. Most of the European and Mediterranean forest monitoring and conservation program only rely on boolean classification methods. The aim of this paper was to assess the amount of classification uncertainty related to crisp classes, particuiarly focusing on forest identification and mapping. Forest fuzzy membership of the Tuscany region (Italy) was obtained by a Landsat ETM+ image and compared with the most used crisp datasets in European Forests management and conservation plans (i.e. the European JRC Forest/Non-Forest map and the CORINE Land cover 2000, levels 1 and 2), in order to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the separability, of crisp classes whith respect to forest fuzzy membership. A statistically significant (p Meanwhile, despite the crisp dataset and hierarchical level taken into account, forest crisp classes showved a high degree of forest fuzzy, membership variability. While, on the one hand operational problems associated to spatial resolution were remarked, on the other the intrinsic mixing of crisp land cover classes suggests to take into account the uncertainty related 1o a crisp view of ecological entities which are being mapped. francaisComparaison des methodes crisp et fuzzy dans la cartographie des forets. - Les sont une des principales reserves de biodiversite sur notre planete et leur fragmentation est consideree l'une des plus grandes menaces pour la diminution de la biodiversite globale, resultant en une reduction significative des habitats adequats pour les especes sensibles et donc en une extinction rapide des populations au niveau local. Afin de developper des strategies pour la conservation, et la gestion durable des forets, il est important d'obtenir la cartographie des types de a travers des methodes de classification objective, caracterisees par un faible niveau d'incertitude. Toutefois, la plupart des projets de conservation et de gestion des sont bases sur la cartographie crisp traditionnelle, fondee sur la logique booleenne, et caracterisee par un niveau eleve d'incertitude. Le but de cette etude est d'evaluer l'incertitude des principaux programmes de cartographie Crisp disponibles au niveau europeen (CCR et de la SIC de niveau 1 et 2), grace a une approche fuzzy. La methodologie proposee prevoit la classilication fuzzy d'une image Landsat ETM+ de la Region Toscane, afin de classer les superficie forestieres en fonction de leur degre d'appartenance a la categorie foret. Les classes crisp, derivees de dataset utilisees, ont ete compares en fonction du degre d'appartenance a la categorie des forets et les resultats obtenus ont ete valides par un test non parame_ trique. Les resultats montrent une separabilite statistique de toutes les classes utilisees, mais en meme temps on a trouve une grande variabilite dans les classes de foret, ce qui demontre l'incertitude intrinseque des methodes traditionnelles crisp pour l'identification des differentes categories de forets, en particulier dans les environnements avec haute conplexite structurelle.

Thematic map

Land Cover

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Gully head modelling: A Mediterranean badland case study

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (2018)

Dino Torri Jean Poesen Mauro Rossi Valerio Amici Daniele Spennacchi

Abstract Predicting the location of gully heads in various environments is an important step towards predicting gully erosion rates. So far, field data collection and modelling of topographic thresholds for gully head development has mainly focused on gullies that formed in forested areas, rangelands, pastures and cropland. Such information for gullies in badlands however is very scarce. Therefore, this paper aims to extend the database on gully head topographical thresholds through data collection in a badland area and to improve the prediction of gully heads forming at sites with a very low erosion resistance value. For this, we chose a badland site located in central Italy that is characterized by biancana forms and both active and dormant gullies. The definition of the conditions under which present‐day gully heads developed allowed a better modelling of the gully head threshold equation, with modification of a previous model and the exemplification of how to use the updated model. The model shows that the resistance to gully head retreat depends on slope gradient and drainage area at gully heads, land use at the moment of gully development (as numerically expressed using parameters derived from the Runoff Curve Number method), surface rock fragment cover, presence of joints, pipes, and factors/processes affecting detachment rate. This study attempted to better understand environmental conditions that control the development of gully heads in badlands through a combination of field data collection of gully heads, an analysis of land use changes over 10 centuries, focusing on the period 1820–2005, and land use management through repeat photography and a critical examination of historical documents. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gully Erosion

Desertification

Ravine

10.1002/esp.4414

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Citations (33)

Selecting Focal Species in Ecological Network Planning following an Expert-Based Approach: A Case Study and a Conceptual Framework

Landscape Research (2009)

Valerio Amici Corrado Battisti

Abstract In connectivity conservation and ecological network planning, the selection of focal fragmentation-sensitive species represents an a priori step. Despite their strategic role, selection of focal species has often been carried out following non-objective approaches. If this is done, actions of planning and conservation, especially in relation to biodiversity conservation, could be ineffective. We propose an expert-based approach to select focal species on the basis of sensitivity to three components of habitat fragmentation (habitat area reduction, increase of habitat isolation, increase of edge effect and landscape matrix disturbance) and of intrinsic ecological traits of the species (trophic level, dispersal ability, body size, niche breadth, rarity). A case study on terrestrial mammals of an area in Central Italy (province of Rome) shows that the species selected through this approach largely coincide with the species recognized in the literature as being fragmentation-sensitive. In this paper we present a conceptual framework to select focal species and to define a schematic methodology for ecological network planning and monitoring.

Ecological network

Fragmentation

Habitat Fragmentation

Conceptual framework

Landscape connectivity

10.1080/01426390903177268

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Citations (33)

Effects of an afforestation process on plant species richness: A retrogressive analysis

Ecological Complexity (2011)

Valerio Amici Duccio Rocchini Francesco Geri Giovanni Bacaro Matteo Marcantonio

Afforestation

Rarefaction (ecology)

10.1016/j.ecocom.2011.11.006

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Application of a niche-based model for forest cover classification

Forest - Rivista di Selvicoltura ed Ecologia Forestale (2012)

Valerio Amici Matteo Marcantonio Francesco Geri

Negli ultimi anni, un crescente interesse nei confronti della biodiversità e della sua conservazione ha portato allo sviluppo di nuovi metodi per la classificazione della superficie terrestre (Goodchild 1999, Rocchini & Ricotta 2007).La classificazione delle immagini satellitari e lo sviluppo di modelli predittivi della distribuzione delle specie o degli habitat sono approcci classici che consentono di sviluppare efficaci politiche di conservazione (Roloff & Haufler 1997, Felix-Locher & Campa 2010).Lo sviluppo di modelli per la classificazione degli habitat forestali rappresenta un importante supporto alla pianificazione, in quanto le foreste costituiscono la tipologia di habitat maggiormente diffusa sulla superficie terrestre e occupano un ruolo cruciale nella

10.3832/efor0689-009

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Citations (1)

Anthropogenic drivers of plant diversity: perspective on land use change in a dynamic cultural landscape

Biodiversity and Conservation (2015)

Valerio Amici Sara Landi Fabrizio Frascaroli Duccio Rocchini E. Santi

Cultural landscape

Historical Ecology

Global Change

Abandonment (legal)

10.1007/s10531-015-0949-x

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Citations (49)

Biodiversity, roads, & landscape fragmentation: Two Mediterranean cases

Applied Geography (2013)

Matteo Marcantonio Duccio Rocchini Francesco Geri Giovanni Bacaro Valerio Amici

Forest road

Habitat Fragmentation

10.1016/j.apgeog.2013.05.001

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Citations (59)

Habitat suitability in fragmented landscapes: a fuzzy logic approach.

Valerio Amici Francesco Geri E. Santi Corrado Battisti

Source

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Ecological niche modelling with herbarium data: a framework to improve Natura 2000 habitat monitoring

Applied Ecology and Environmental Research (2014)

Valerio Amici

The effectiveness of biodiversity conservation strategies depends on the knowledge about the distribution of habitats or single species.Despite this, efforts on biodiversity monitoring and conservation are currently hindered by a lack of information about the spatial distribution of species on large landscapes.Predictive species distribution models, can provide a powerful tool for solving this ecological problem.The vast majority of data available for modelling plants distribution are herbarium data, which lack reliable records of species absence.Although it has been found that herbarium records do not meet current standards for sampling in ecological studies, they remain often the only available source of sufficient magnitude with regard to relevant distribution data.Modifying existing statistical tools and developing new methods so that herbarium data, despite their shortcomings, can be used for modelling habitat suitability, is currently a growing field.The aim of this paper was to analyse the opportunities and bottlenecks for future application of distribution models in the mapping and monitoring of habitats of conservation interest in a complex Mediterranean area.Here we specifically concentrate on testing the Maximum entropy (Maxent) approach to estimate the distribution of a training habitat through the use of herbarium records and to explore a GIS-based integrated approach.The results obtained highlighted the important role that distribution models can have in individuating the areas where a targeted species or habitat type is most likely to be found, and in showing where to commit the limited available resources for inventories.

Natura 2000

Herbarium

10.15666/aeer/1203_645659

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Citations (13)