Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 11
The Role of Vineyards in the Carbon
Balance Throughout Italy
Damiano Gianelle, Luciano Gristina, Andrea Pitacco, Donatella Spano,
Tommaso La Mantia, Serena Marras, Franco Meggio, Agata Novara,
Costantino Sirca and Matteo Sottocornola
Abstract A common belief is that agricultural fields cannot be net carbon sinks,
but perennial tree crops, growing a permanent woody structure with a life cycle
of decades could act as carbon sink. Vineyards are good candidates to test this
hypothesis, because they are often grown with limited soil cultivation and pro-
duce plenty of woody pruning material that can be left on the ground. Three Eddy
Covariance sites were established in different vineyards, along a north-south
transect, in Italy, to study the role of vine cultivation in the carbon balance of the
Italian penisula. The year 2009 was chosen as a reference year for the three sites,
in order to compare carbon budget estimates in areas characterized by different
meteorological, pedological and geomorphological conditions. In the three sites a
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