The hidden land conservation benefits of olive-based (Olea europaea L.) landscapes: An agroforestry investigation in the southern Mediterranean (Calabria region, Italy)

Olive groves are key elements of the Mediterranean basin landscape. In southern Italy, olive polycultural systems are predominant over specialized ones. These systems occupy marginal and inner areas and are highly susceptible to abandonment. Their ecological functions in sensitive semi-arid Mediterranean areas have not been studied enough. The purpose of this study was to address the measurable environmental benefits of olive-based agroforestry systems in terms of (a) landscape structure, transformation, and degradation risk caused by landslides and wildfires; (b) soil quality; and (c) environmental quality. Land structure and land vulnerability layers (soil consumption, landslides and wildfires, and soil fertility loss) and spatial data analyses were performed in a QGIS environment. The land transformation over a recent period (1990-2012) was analysed, and the ecological role of modern and traditional olive grove assets, their impact on landscape quality and their soil carbon storage in agricultural, forested, and semi-natural areas were quantified. Rapid land cover change leads to land rewilding, affecting the stability of sloping areas due to the increase in transitional re-naturalized areas following agricultural abandonment. Under these harsh environmental conditions, traditional olive-based agroforestry systems are widespread and resilient agricultural approaches that are able to preserve habitat diversity, landscape complexity, and soil health. Extensive sustainable agricultural management may be a pivotal strategy for counteracting land degradation phenomena, such as landslides, wildfires, and the uncontrolled re-naturalization of terraced systems in the Mediterranean. The olive-based agroforestry systems may become smart agricultural landscapes for multipurpose agriculture, forest uses, and for the preservation of lots of ecological services.