Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Mazara del Vallo (TP)] was selected to study the effect of abandonment or replan-
tation of old vineyard on C stock (Fig.
11.9
).
In the last 10 years 10 % of vineyards were abandoned and 37 % were
replanted. The SOC stock increased with vineyard abandonment, from 23 to
50 Mg ha
−
1
after 30 years since abandon. On the contrary replanting led to an
initial SOC decrease due to intensive tillage during the extirpation of old vine-
yards and the preparation of field for future vineyard that favour mineralization
of SOM and increase erosion loss. After 1 year since replanting, the SOC content
was 15 Mg ha
−
1
and it grew up to 25 Mg ha
−
1
after 8 years since replantation
(Fig.
11.10
).
On average abandonment led to SOC increase of 27 % in comparison to old
vineyard, while replanting led to SOC decrease up to 43 %. Considering the aver-
age of SOC content for each land use (old vineyard, replanted and abandoned
vineyard) and the relative area of land use change during the last 10 years, we
estimated a SOC loss in the study area. It was due to high increase of replanted
vineyards that was not balanced by abandoned area. In this context, regional land
management issues associated to the land use change must be given special atten-
tion in order to prevent further losses of organic C from soils, land degradation
and potential losses in soil productivity, also considering that vineyard systems
response to soil fertility changes vary rapidly, from 1 to 2 years, imposing special
consideration to alternative management (Ripoche et al.
2011
).
11.3 Conclusions
We present 1 year of carbon and energy balance in three Italian vineyard sites
along a north-south transect. All the three sites were net sink of carbon, with a
cumulated NEE ranging between very high values (814 g C m
−
2
y
-1
) in the
Negrisia site and 145 g C m
−
2
y
−
1
in the Valle dell'Adige site and 89 g C m
−
2
y
−
1
in the Serdiana site (but considering only fluxes from June to December).
Considering the high variability of carbon flux balance in relatively homogeneous
ecosystems, such as the three vineyards analysed in this chapter, in our opinion the
global distribution of cropland measurement sites is too limited, far from being
representative of the huge variety of climate regions, crops and management prac-
tices. We also analysed the effect of land use change considering the effect on soil
carbon of the abandonment and re-planting of vineyard in Sicily. On average aban-
donment led to a 27 % SOC increase compared to old vineyards, while replanting
led to an initial SOC decrease of up to 43 %. We estimated a SOC loss in the study
area during the last 10 years, and we suggest that the regional land management
offices must take special care to prevent further losses of organic C from soils.
Acknowledgments
The Serdiana site was funded by the Sardinia Region Project SQFVS (Per
un Salto di Qualit￠ della Filiera Vitivinicola della Sardegna) Progetto P6 “Centro di ricerca e
trasferimento tecnologico nella iliera del vino di qualit￠”, within the Accordo di Programma
Quadro in materia di Ricerca Scientifica e Innovazione Tecnologica e realizzato dalle aziende
