The European perspective of the Green Deal focuses on the feasible exploitation of natural capital, reducing the environmental footprint of human activities and ensuring a sustainable future for present and next generations. A significant contribution to this strategy is an ecological transition based on protecting, conserving and improving the EU's natural capital. In achieving this goal, it is essential to address specific actions to promote quantitative/qualitative characterization of the Critical Zone. This belt of land, water, air and organisms at the interface between the atmosphere, the Earth's surface and subsurface, is involved in structuring and functioning the ecosystems, (1) supporting life on the Earth with many chemical reactions and biological processes, (2) providing water, nutrients and habitat for plants and animals, (3) controlling the carbon cycle and (4) regulating the short- and long-term climate. The Critical Zone is of particular importance in karst regions where it includes the water exchange fringe between soil and underground environment, the transition zone between soluble and nonsoluble substrates, as well as the interconnection between the surface and subterranean ecosystems. With the aim to perform an assessment of direct and indirect benefits that society obtains from these abiotic environments, this study explores the concept of geoecosystem services applied to the Italian show caves as starting point to analyse the issue of their sustainable use. Even though abiotic elements are excluded from the definition of ecosystem services, this approach can be used as a management tool for nature conservation and as transversal condition for the pursuit of the objectives of human prosperity and well-being.
Geoecosystem services of Italian show caves: a hidden geoheritage in the karst critical zone
Laura Sanna
2023
Abstract
The European perspective of the Green Deal focuses on the feasible exploitation of natural capital, reducing the environmental footprint of human activities and ensuring a sustainable future for present and next generations. A significant contribution to this strategy is an ecological transition based on protecting, conserving and improving the EU's natural capital. In achieving this goal, it is essential to address specific actions to promote quantitative/qualitative characterization of the Critical Zone. This belt of land, water, air and organisms at the interface between the atmosphere, the Earth's surface and subsurface, is involved in structuring and functioning the ecosystems, (1) supporting life on the Earth with many chemical reactions and biological processes, (2) providing water, nutrients and habitat for plants and animals, (3) controlling the carbon cycle and (4) regulating the short- and long-term climate. The Critical Zone is of particular importance in karst regions where it includes the water exchange fringe between soil and underground environment, the transition zone between soluble and nonsoluble substrates, as well as the interconnection between the surface and subterranean ecosystems. With the aim to perform an assessment of direct and indirect benefits that society obtains from these abiotic environments, this study explores the concept of geoecosystem services applied to the Italian show caves as starting point to analyse the issue of their sustainable use. Even though abiotic elements are excluded from the definition of ecosystem services, this approach can be used as a management tool for nature conservation and as transversal condition for the pursuit of the objectives of human prosperity and well-being.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
