Eastern Italian Alps Research Articles

Added Value of Products from Endangered Local Sheep Breeds in Mountain Areas.

Local sheep breeds in the Italian eastern Alps passed from ex situ to in situ conservation. These breeds are mainly reared by smallholders in low-input farming systems. To allow the sustainable use of genetic resources, the economic sustainability of farmers must be supported through production guidelines. Analyzing meat and milk composition and fatty acid profile, we aimed to characterize their products based on breed and diet to identify tailormade sales strategies. Results showed that both meat and milk have good nutritional values and can benefit from a pasture-based diet, irrespective of the breed. These results support the redaction of production guidelines based on the peculiar characteristics of these breeds: being multi-purpose breeds adapted to mountain areas and to grazing, thus contributing to the conservation of cultural and landscape heritage.

Rock glacier springs: cool habitats for species on the edge

AbstractUnder climate change, glacier recession and the loss of cold habitats are major threats to aquatic biodiversity. In mountain areas, streams originating from rock glaciers, called “icy seeps”, may represent climate refugia for cold-adapted organisms, given the major persistence of cold waters from these landforms even in unfavourable climates. During late summer 2021, we investigated discharge, turbidity, water chemistry (major ions and trace elements), stable water isotopes (δ18O, δ2H), and macroinvertebrate communities of five rock glacier springs (icy seeps), five glacier springs (glacier springs) and five non-glacial springs (spring brooks) in catchments of the Eastern Italian Alps. In icy seeps, meltwater contribution to runoff (estimated with end-member mixing models) was intermediate between those of the other two spring types. Icy seeps had very cold waters (< 1.5 °C) that were enriched in trace elements, like glacier springs, whereas discharge and turbidity were low, like in spring brooks. Community composition, diversity, and species associations of icy seeps were strongly related to a gradient of chemical harshness (built using trace element concentrations), with less contaminated springs hosting communities like those dwelling in spring brooks. Like glacier springs, those icy seeps with the harshest water chemistry (particularly because of Ni concentrations) and higher meltwater contribution hosted species (e.g., Diamesa steinboecki) that are currently in decline due to glacier loss. This suggests a high conservation value for icy seeps. The protection of these habitats, nowadays overlooked, will be fundamental under the progressive warming and dry-out risk of alpine springs.

Technology and figuration in the central and eastern Italian Alps

The projects featured in this review were selected from the Central and Eastern Italian Alps. Starting with the redevelopment of a rural building in the Aurina Valley, moving on to a trade fair complex in the Belluno area characterized by a significant wooden reticular structure, then the “House of the Mountains” in South Tyrol, and finally a barn designed in the province of Sondrio. The exceptional construction quality of these projects, which are very diverse from one another, indicates a profound knowledge of the material and its design potential.

Walking on Alpine Grass - Grass Socialities and their Global Connections. Perspectives From The Alpine Anthropocene

ABSTRACT This article takes an ethnographic look at grass in the Italian Eastern Alps. The relationships between the grass of semi-natural grasslands and more-than-grass actors such as humans and animals unfold through ethnographic walking on high-Alpine pastures. The transformation of grasslands into scrub and forest landscapes is revealed through the relationship of grass to dairy monocultures and cereal feed for ruminants. The vulnerability, thriving and dying of grass is closely intertwined with the lives of small farmers and the global agricultural industry. As the history of grass unfolds through its dependence on human practices and ruminants, I propose to speak of grass socialities which extend ecologically defined grass societies as well as correct the calculation of agronomic costs. As a multifaceted actor in a society of humans and animals, grass can serve as an ethnographic compass that tells us not only of destruction but also of care.

Taphonomy of the fauna and chert assemblages from the Middle Palaeolithic site of Vajo Salsone, Eastern Italian Alps

The Vajo Salsone site is located at an altitude of 376m a.s.l. on the right slope of the Valpantena valley, in the Veneto Pre-Alps, north of the town of Verona. The site was discovered in 2017 during the construction of a truckable road. It is a small and narrow karst cavity filled with Pleistocene sediments that yield abundant Middle Palaeolithic artefacts and faunal remains, often coated by carbonate encrustations. The lithic assemblage shows the predominance of the Levallois method and is characterised by a large number of retouched elements, including foliated points. These artefacts, typical of the Late Middle Palaeolithic period in central and south-eastern Europe, make Vajo Salsone an exceptional case, as their recovery is rather sporadic west of the Balkan Peninsula and south of the Alps. The fauna is dominated by ungulates, the most abundant being the red deer followed by roe deer, chamois and elk. Among the carnivores, wolf is common, while fox and bear are rare. This fauna suggests an environment characterised by open glades and closed forests, with a discontinuous presence of alpine grasslands and wetlands. Taphonomic analysis of the bone surfaces is complicated by the presence of concretions on most of the remains, which also show a high degree of fragmentation. Post-depositional fractures are common, and weathering is light. Only cervid bones show anthropogenic modifications related to hunting and hominin exploitation such as cut marks, scraping, impacts and burnt modifications. Some long bone diaphysis bear marks testifying to the use of these fragments as retouchers for flint artefacts. Such use has been evidenced at other Middle Palaeolithic sites in the area. Furthermore, the good state of preservation of the occlusal surface enamel of the cervid teeth allowed us to carry out meso and microwear analyses which provided data on seasonality and site occupation. With regard to dental wear analysis, the red deer from Vajo Salsone had mesowear suggesting a mixed feeding and grazing diets, whereas microwear analysis showed that the individuals had a diet between mixed feeding and browsing. The taphonomic study of the site has been integrated by X–RFS analysis of the alterations occurred to the lithic artefacts, which include deep patination and the formation of calcareous crusts. All the data presented here are consistent with the hypothesis of a short-distance displacement of the material from a single archaeological deposit possibly related to human occupation during the warm season.

Chemical characterization of atmospheric aerosols at a high-altitude mountain site: a study of source apportionment

Abstract. The study of aerosols in high mountain regions is essential because particulate matter can play a role in altering the energy balance of high mountain regions, and aerosols can accelerate glacier melting in high mountain areas by darkening the ice surface, reducing its reflectivity (albedo). Studying aerosols in high mountain areas provides insights into long-range transport of pollutants, atmospheric dynamics, and climate change impacts. These regions can serve as valuable observatories for studying atmospheric processes. The main aim of this paper is to define the main sources of aerosols over an entire year of sampling at the Col Margherita Atmospheric Observatory (MRG; 46°22′0.059′′ N, 11°47′30.911′′ E; 2543 m a.s.l.), a high-altitude background site in the eastern Italian Alps. Here, we discuss the potential origins of more than 100 chemical markers (major ions, water-soluble organic compounds, trace elements, and rare earth elements) using different approaches. Some diagnostic ratios were applied, but source apportionment using positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to define the main inputs of PM10 collected at this high-altitude site, resulting in the identification of four factors: (1) Saharan dust events, (2) long-range marine/anthropogenic influence, (3) biogenic sources, and (4) biomass-burning and anthropogenic emissions. It can be inferred that, despite the distant location of the Col Margherita site, both regional pollution and long-range anthropogenic pollution have discernible effects on this area.

Ecological Impact of Hydraulic Dredging from an Alpine Reservoir on the Downstream River

The evacuation of impounded sediments is one of the most critical aspects associated with reservoirs, with possible drawbacks on the water quality, biodiversity, and ecosystem integrity of downstream river reaches. In this study, the impacts of hydraulic dredging at the Ambiesta Reservoir (Eastern Italian Alps) on the physical habitat and the biological communities (i.e., benthic macroinvertebrates and fish) of the downstream river were assessed by comparing the pre-dredging conditions with data collected on three post-dredging occasions. The dredging operation lasted 68 days and removed an overall sediment volume of 30,600 m3. During this operation, suspended sediment concentration (SSC) was monitored by turbidimeters and, on average, it was considerably lower than the SSC limit of 1.5 g/L, which exceeded approximately 15% of the overall operation time. Additionally, the dredging operation resulted in negligible deposition of fine sediment on/into the riverbed (0.24–0.7 kg/m2). Results for fish and benthic macroinvertebrate communities indicated weak differences in the density (~20% reduction) and diversity of these organisms between pre- and post-dredging sampling occasions. Moreover, the results on the biomonitoring indices based on macroinvertebrates showed a recovery during the last two sampling occasions. Compliance with the SSC limit and avoidance of high SSC peaks, along with limited fine sediment deposition, allowed to successfully mitigate the ecological impacts of this relatively long operation of sediment removal.

Ancestry and kinship in a Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages cemetery in the Eastern Italian Alps

In South Tyrol (Eastern Italian Alps), during Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages, archeological records indicate cultural hybridization among alpine groups and peoples of various origin. Using paleogenomics, we reconstructed the ancestry of 20 individuals (4th-7th cent. AD) from a cemetery to analyze whether they had heterogeneous or homogeneous ancestry and to study their social organization. The results revealed a primary genetic ancestry from southern Europe and additional ancestries from south-western, western, and northern Europe, suggesting that cultural hybridization was accompanied by complex genetic admixture. Kinship analyses found no genetic relatedness between the only two individuals buried with grave goods. Instead, a father-son pair was discovered in one multiple grave, together with unrelated individuals and one possible non-local female. These genetic findings indicate the presence of a high social status familia, which is supported by the cultural materials and the proximity of the grave to the most sacred area of the church.

Exposure to Forest Air Monoterpenes with Pulmonary Function Tests in Adolescents with Asthma: A Cohort Study

Increasing evidence supports the direct healing effects of forests, partly attributed to the exposure to plant-emitted monoterpenes available in the forest atmosphere. The potential benefits on respiratory functions from inhaling monoterpenes have gained attention, especially due to the global rise in respiratory diseases. This study involved 42 asthmatic adolescents attending a summer rehabilitation camp at an Altitude Pediatric Asthma Center within a densely forested area in the Eastern Italian Alps. Volatile organic compound measurements indicated a pristine atmosphere, enabling the modeling of continuous hourly monoterpene concentration. The monoterpene concentration exposure and total inhaled dose were assessed over a 14-day stay, during which spirometry, lung oscillometry, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide were measured. Statistically significant correlations were observed between modifications in lung function parameters among asthmatic adolescents and monoterpene exposure. These findings suggest a potential localized airway effect that is specific to monoterpenes. This pilot cohort study might pave the way for further investigations into the therapeutic effects of forest monoterpenes on lung function tests, asthma, and the broader healing potential of forest environments.

Primary succession and its driving variables – a sphere-spanning approach applied in proglacial areas in the upper Martell Valley (Eastern Italian Alps)

Abstract. Climate change and the associated glacier retreat lead to considerable enlargement and alterations of the proglacial systems. The colonisation of plants in this ecosystem was found to be highly dependent on terrain age, initial site conditions and geomorphic disturbances. Although the explanatory variables are generally well understood, there is little knowledge on their collinearities and resulting influence on proglacial primary succession. To develop a sphere-spanning understanding of vegetation development, a more interdisciplinary approach was adopted. In the proglacial areas of Fürkeleferner, Zufallferner and Langenferner (Martell Valley, Eastern Italian Alps), in total 65 plots of 5×2 m were installed to perform the vegetation analysis on vegetation cover, species number and species composition. For each of those, 39 potential explanatory variables were collected, selected through an extensive literature review. To analyse and further avoid multicollinearities, 33 of the explanatory variables were clustered via principal component analysis (PCA) to five components. Subsequently, generalised additive models (GAMs) were used to analyse the potential explanatory factors of primary succession. The results showed that primary succession patterns were highly related to the first component (elevation and time), the second component (solar radiation), the third component (soil chemistry), the fifth component (soil physics) and landforms. In summary, the analysis of all explanatory variables together provides an overview of the most important influencing variables and their interactions; thus it provides a basis for the debate on future vegetation development in a changing climate.

Scale Dependence of Errors in Snow Water Equivalent Simulations Using ERA5 Reanalysis over Alpine Basins

This study aims to evaluate the potential of ERA5 precipitation and temperature reanalysis for snow water equivalent (SWE) simulation by considering the role of catchment spatial scale in controlling the errors obtained by comparison with corresponding SWE simulations from ground stations. This is obtained by exploiting a semi-distributed snowpack model (TOPMELT) implemented over the upper Adige River basin in the Eastern Italian Alps, where 16 sub-catchments of varying sizes are considered. The comparison is carried out from 1992 to 2019. The findings show that ERA5 precipitation overestimated low-intensity rainfall (drizzle problem) and underestimated high-intensity rainfall, while ERA5 temperature underestimated observations. The overestimation of low-intensity rainfall created fictitious low-intensity snowfall events, which, when combined with colder ERA5 temperature, resulted in delayed snowmelt and increased fictitious snow-cover days over the study area. The quantile mapping (QM) technique was used to remove errors in ERA5 variables. It was shown that ERA5 could struggle to resolve the orographic enhancement in precipitation, which may be particularly important during high-SWE years. This reduces the positive precipitation bias during those years, thus reducing comparatively the ability of the quantile mapping technique to correct for bias homogeneously during all years. This study highlighted the importance of temperature correction over precipitation correction in SWE simulation, particularly for smaller basins.

Archaeological questions and genetic answers: Male paternal kinship in a copper age multiple burial from the eastern Italian Alps

In 2010, a detailed anthropological study regarding two adult individuals and one foetus-newborn buried in a Copper Age (ca. 3000–2700 cal. BC) multiple grave site found in Ora/Auer in the eastern Italian Alps (Alto Adige/ Südtirol) was published. This exceptional archaeological finding provides a rare insight into an inhumation prehistoric ritual discovered within a natural alpine rock shelter.Due to the presence of an infant in the grave, the authors were doubtful of the anthropological male sex assignment given to both adult individuals found there. Additionally, correlation of non-metric traits suggested a possible kinship between them. To determine the biological sex and to investigate genetic relatedness, we performed a paleogenetic investigation (shotgun and enrichment data of ∼2 million SNPs) of the two adults.We successfully analyzed the ancient DNA of these individuals, confirming that biologically, both were males (XY). Moreover, through kinship analyses and data from unilinear-transmitted markers (Y-Chromosome and mitochondrial DNA), we detected a first-degree paternal kinship (most likely father-son).This study underlines the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue between archaeology, anthropology and palaeogenomics, demonstrating how the latter can significantly support the interpretation of funerary contexts.

HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT AND ROAD COLLISIONS WITH UNGULATES. A RISK ANALYSIS AND DESIGN SOLUTIONS IN TRENTINO, ITALY

Abstract. This study investigates wildlife vehicle collisions with wild ungulates in the Italian Autonomous Province of Trento (PAT) located in the Eastern Italian Alps with a consistent anthropic population and pervasive summer and winter tourism. Both the populations of wild ungulates and vehicular traffic are increasing as well as road collisions leading to animals killed, vehicles damaged and human injuries and fatalities. The purpose of this work was to use FOSS4G to identify the road sections with a high number of collisions and then propose and design practical engineering solutions tailored to each of these hotspots. QGIS 3.16.6, GRASS 7.8.5 and GRASS 8.2 were used to standardize the data set, process georeferenced road collision with ungulates registered by local authorities, perform the hotspot analysis and the final maps. Field surveys were carried out to investigate the local morphology at each hotspot and once the more appropriate practical solutions were chosen, a specific detailed project was proposed including its costs. A cost benefit analysis comparing the cost of the infrastructures with the cost of roadkills shows that the infrastructures are effective in reducing the costs in the medium-long term. The construction of the five proposed infrastructures would reduce deer investments by 6% (about 250 collisions avoided in five years). Such solutions should be more numerous and widely distributed in order to have a greater impact. This FOSS4G procedure can be replicated elsewhere to plan the position of crossing structures, and for application to EU funds, thus mitigating Human-wildlife conflicts (HWC).

MAPPING COVID-19 EPIDEMIC DATA USING FOSS

Abstract. The recognition of spatial and temporal patterns in the distribution of a pandemic plays a pivotal role in guiding policy approaches to its management, containment and elimination. For this purpose, a database has been built for the COVID-19 pandemic in the Trentino Province, in the eastern Italian alps, near the border between Italy and Austria. The database management system and the WebGIS mapping these data is based on Free and Open Source Software. The Data Base Management System (DBMS) runs on MySQL, available under the GNU General Public License, storing and processing geographic data. A custom procedure has been created to update the dataset, with the capability to import data from suitably formatted spreadsheets by an authenticated administrator. To ensure flexibility and responsiveness on desktop and mobile devices, the WebGIS has been created with a client-side approach, using the Leaflet and Bootstrap JavaScript language libraries, available with Open Source Licenses. These libraries, with additional custom scripts, create the user interface and render geographic data into maps. The exchange of data between the DBMS server and the client is performed using geojson tables. To protect the privacy of the patients, WebGIS users cannot access the source data even though maps and graphs can be downloaded as pictures. Geo-statistical analysis aimed at the detection of spatial and temporal patters is underway.

Isotopic and chemical signatures of high mountain rivers in catchments with contrasting glacier and rock glacier cover

Glaciers and rock glaciers are key elements of mountain hydrological systems, but their relative influence on the chemical and isotopic conditions of streams within the river continuum is still overlooked. During three consecutive years (2019–2021), we studied 24 stream sections in two catchments (Plima and Schnals, Eastern Italian Alps) with varying cover of glaciers and rock glaciers. End-member mixing models based on δ2H and d-excess revealed a large spatial and temporal variability in the contribution of different water sources to stream runoff. Overall, snowmelt (77 ± 17 %) and rainwater (5 ± 5 %) were the largest and the smallest runoff components, respectively. The ice melt contribution was high in streams fed by glaciers (23 ± 15 %) and rock glaciers (16 ± 16 %). In the highly-glacierised Plima basin, the tracer-based estimation of annual ice melt fraction matched reasonably well (90–167%) the mean annual glacial ice loss estimated by geodetic mass balance. In contrast, we found a large overestimation of the ice melt component derived from mixing models in the poorly glacierised (but rock glacier-rich) Schnals catchment. In streams influenced by rock glaciers, at both catchments the particular temporal patterns of electrical conductivity resulted in unreliable estimates of the meltwater/groundwater fractions of runoff. Depending on the local lithology, concentrations of trace elements (Sr, Ni, Ba, Mn, Zn, Al) were high in streams fed by rock glaciers and glaciers, and close/below the limits of quantification in non-glacial streams. In alpine areas, the abundance of rock glaciers can confound the isotopic and chemical signature imparted by glaciers, thus hindering the use of tracer-based methods for hydrograph separation. Under the combined influence from glaciers and rock glaciers, concentrations of trace elements can surpass the limits for drinking water quality even in downstream areas, as we observed at the Schnals catchment for nickel.

Wolf coverage and framing by newspapers across the Italian Eastern Alps

ABSTRACT The Alps are among the most human-exploited mountain regions in the world and are undergoing a rapid recolonization by wolves, causing social conflicts and great attention by the public and the media. We conducted a content analysis of newspaper articles published between 2019 and 2020 (n = 803) across the Eastern Italian Alps to assess how the wolf is covered and framed and to get an insight into public attitudes and debate around the topic. Although our results show a general neutral depiction of wolves, where wolf management and predations are the main new topics, interesting differences both among areas and newspapers were found, with Belluno being the province with the highest coverage and the most negative framing of the species, whereas Trento province turned out as the area with the more positive portrayal. Our results provide important insight to help improve communication and thus coexistence with the species.

Non-Volatile Terpenoids and Lipophilic Flavonoids from Achillea erba-rotta Subsp. moschata (Wulfen) I. Richardson.

Musk yarrow (Achillea erba-rotta subsp. moschata (Wulfen) I. Richardson) is endemic to the Central Alps, and is used to flavour alcoholic beverages. Despite its popularity as aromatizing agent and its alleged beneficial effects on digestion, the phytochemical profile of the plant is still largely unknown and undiscovered. As a consequence, its authentication in aromatized products is impossible beyond sensory analysis allowing forgery. To address these issues, we phytochemically characterized a sample of musk yarrow from the Italian Eastern Alps, identifying, in addition to widespread phytochemicals (taraxasterol, apigenin), the guaianolides 3, 8, 9; the seco-caryophyllane 6; and the polymethoxylated lipophilic flavonoids 1, 4, and 5. The flavonoid xanthomicrol 1, a major constituent of the plant, was cytotoxic to HeLa cells, but only modestly affected primary 3T3 fibroblasts. On account of their stability, detectability by UV absorption, and concentration, the oxygenated flavonoids qualify as markers to validate the supply chain of the plant growers to consumers.

Geomorphology of the Liera catchment (Dolomites, NE Italy): understanding landscape response to an extreme event

ABSTRACT Geomorphological field surveys and mapping have been carried out in a catchment of the Dolomites (eastern Italian Alps) as part of a research project aiming at the assessment of sediment availability for mass wasting in mountain environments. The study area is the Liera catchment which was severely affected by a high-intensity, regional-scale storm named ‘Vaia’ (27–30 October 2018), which induced relevant morphological changes, caused a major flood in the main stream and triggered debris flows in many tributaries. This contribution gives a snapshot of the present-day state of the study area to improve the understanding of such a landscape by characterizing the processes that control its geomorphological spatio-temporal dynamics and evolution.

Rockfalls change the runout and frequency of debris flows at Punta Nera (Eastern Italian Alps)

In the Dolomitic region, many debris flow basins have headwaters characterized by extremely steep slopes of bare outcropping rock. Cliffs are commonly incised by multiple chutes which rapidly deliver runoff at their base where the channels incise scree deposits. Debris flows mobilize and transport sediment along such ephemeral channels following intense summer convective rainstorms. In the debris flow basin of Punta Nera, a series of rockfalls, which occurred in the upper part of the headwater between 2013 and 2016, caused dramatic changes in the debris flow dynamics. Starting from the summer of 2014, the runout of debris flow events increased so much that it reached the national road, which runs at the toe of the debris flow fan, attracting media attention and prompting the adoption of protective measures. Here, we use newspaper reports, direct observations, aerial and terrestrial photograph, monitoring data and topographic surveys to document the rockfalls and the debris flow activity. The sudden increase in sediment availability changed the magnitude of events, their runout and the critical conditions for debris-flow occurrence.

Study of debris-flow initiation through the analysis of seismic signals

Monitoring data gathered in the headwaters of the Gadria catchment, eastern Italian Alps, have been analysed to study debris-flow initiation. The active channel, located at 2200 m a.s.l., was instrumented with a geophone, a time-lapse video camera and a rain gauge. The peak amplitude and duration of the seismic signals and their frequency content were analysed and compared with video images. Results showed that different seismic sources produced signals with different characteristics and that it is possible to discriminate the most intense runoff by analysing the combination of peak amplitude and duration of the seismic signal. The further development of this research would be to create an algorithm able to automatically classify the seismic sources and identify intense channel processes that can generate debris flows. In perspective, the combination of seismic detection in the initiation area with monitoring just above the infrastructures at risk could represent an effective solution to expand the lead time of an early warning system.