Southeast Of Italy Research Articles

Evaluation of Eco-Friendly Consolidating Treatments in Pugliese Tuff (Gravina Calcarenite) Used in Italian Heritage Buildings

This work evaluates the effectiveness of various consolidating treatments applied to Pugliese tuff (Gravina Calcarenite). This type of stone has been used in numerous historic buildings in the Puglia area (southeast of Italy), which presents durability problems due to high porosity, low cohesion between clasts, and low mechanical resistance. Eco-friendly treatments that generate CaCO3 have been selected, specifically bioconsolidant KBYO biological and lime water, which a priori are capable of consolidating without occluding the pores or reducing them excessively, thereby creating compounds similar to those contained in the stone and being respectful of the environment. Nano-sized treatments have also been tested, including nanosilica and nanolime, to compare results with eco-friendly treatments. The bioconsolidating treatment has been applied in two different ways, the usual way consisting of two applications a day for 7 days, as well as a double treatment that is applied in two batches of 7 days with a rest of 7 days between applications. Double treatment has shown a great improvement in consolidation compared to the usual 7-day application; this treatment has obtained the best results in both mechanical and petrophysical properties. This study not only demonstrates the effectiveness of the bioconsolidant but also expands eco-friendly conservation strategies to improve the preservation of historical structures built in calcarenite.

Evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions from aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment plants in Southeast of Italy

An evaluation of the operative functioning data of 183 Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in Apulia (Southeast of Italy) has been carried out aimed to assess their Green House Gases (GHGs) emissions and the level for which the use of anaerobic sludge treatment should be more convenient in terms of electricity consumption and of GHGs emissions. Out of the 183 studies WWTPs, 140 are practicing aerobic digestion of sludge, while the remaining 43 are practicing anaerobic digestion of sludge. WWTPs in Apulia are serving about 4,81 million PE (Population Equivalent), yielding approximately 600,000-ton equivalent CO2 per annum. The production of GHGs emissions has been estimated by evaluating the contribution of CO2 deriving from: a) electric energy consumption (fossil CO2), b) biogenic CO2, c) N2O and d) CH4 emissions. The present study investigates a number of technical measures for upgrading the existing WWTPs, so to reduce GHGs emissions through the amelioration of CH4 production and capture in the anaerobic step, and through reducing the production of biogenic N2O and CO2 emissions in the aerated basin. The methodology employees artificial intelligence-based control for upgrading the aerobic oxidation of the organic carbon and the nitrification-denitrification steps. As a result, GHGs emissions are expected to be reduced by approximately: 71% for CH4, 57% for N2O, 20% for biogenic CO2 and 15% for fossil derived CO2.

Population status, distribution and trophic implications of Pinna nobilis along the South-eastern Italian coast

The dramatic Mass Mortality Event, MME, of Pinna nobilis populations initially detected in the western Mediterranean basin, has also spread rapidly to the central and eastern basin. Unfortunately, there is still a significant lack of information on the status and health of P. nobilis, since only a fragmentary picture of the mortality rate affecting these populations is available. Regarding the Italian coast, several surveys have given only localized or point-like views on the distribution of species and the effect of the MME. Therefore, for the first time, this study investigated P. nobilis density of individuals, distribution and mortality throughout 161 surveys along 800 km of coastline in the Apulia region (South-east of Italy). The geographical scale of this investigation made it the largest ever conducted in Italy, and this was achieved through a rapid and standardized protocol. During this monitoring campaign, 90 km of linear underwater transects were surveyed, along which no live individuals were observed. This result allowed to estimate that the P. nobilis populations had totally collapsed, with a mortality rate of 100% in Apulia. The distributional pattern of the species showed a strong overlap with seagrass meadows on meso- and macro-geographical scale, however this was not the case on a micro-scale. This result evidenced that relationships between P. nobilis and seagrass meadows are not limited to the habitat patch, but cross the boundaries of seagrass leading us to suggest that the distribution of P. nobilis hold a trophic link through the cross-boundary subsidy occurring from seagrass meadows to the nearby habitat, by means of the refractory detrital pathway.

DNA Barcode Gap Analysis for Multiple Marker Genes for Phytoplankton Species Biodiversity in Mediterranean Aquatic Ecosystems

Simple SummaryEnvironmental DNA metabarcoding (eDNA) has strong potential in the assessment of biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems. The incompleteness of DNA barcode reference libraries represents a current limit to unveiling the whole biodiversity of an aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, barcode gap analyses at species level are of great significance, in particular at local/regional level, for the advancement of eDNA metabarcoding application to aquatic ecosystems surveillance and future biodiversity assessment.The implementation of DNA metabarcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA) to the biodiversity assessment and biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems has great potential worldwide. However, DNA metabarcoding and eDNA are highly reliant on the coverage of the DNA barcode reference libraries that are currently hindered by the substantial lack of reference sequences. The main objective of this study was to analyze the current coverage of DNA barcode reference libraries for phytoplankton species of the aquatic Mediterranean ecoregion in the southeast of Italy (Apulia Region) in order to assess the applicability of DNA metabarcoding and eDNA in this area. To do so, we investigated three main DNA barcode reference libraries, BOLD Systems, GenBank and SILVA, for the availability of DNA barcodes of the examined phytoplankton species. The gap analysis was conducted for three molecular gene markers, 18S, 16S and COI. The results showed a considerable lack of barcodes for all three markers. However, among the three markers, 18S had a greater coverage in the reference libraries. For the 18S gene marker, the barcode coverage gap across the three types of ecosystems examined was 32.21–39.68%, 60.12–65.19% for the 16S marker gene, and 72.44–80.61 for the COI marker gene. Afterwards, the interspecific genetic distance examined on the most represented molecular marker, 18S, was able to distinguish 80% of the species mined for lakes and 70% for both marine and transitional waters. Conclusively, this work highlights the importance of filling the gaps in the reference libraries, and constitutes the basis towards the advancement of DNA metabarcoding and eDNA application for biodiversity assessment and biomonitoring.

Dynamic Behaviour of Abandoned Underground Mines: Insights from Numerical Simulations

The Apulian region (south-east of Italy) is characterized by the presence of old underground cavities used for the extraction of soft calcarenite rocks and then abandoned over time. The assessment of stability of these caves represents a challenging problem, especially for the areas of possible interaction of the caves with overlying structures and infrastructures. The role of environmental factors in triggering disruption processes in the cave has been extensively studied in the literature, but the instability effect related to dynamic loads is often underestimated. Consequently, the purpose of the present work is to propose some advancements in this field by evaluating the effects of dynamic loads, consistent with the regional seismicity, on the stability of calcarenite underground cavities. A large number of two-dimensional parametric finite element analyses has been carried out on ideal cases of single rectangular cavities. The study allowed to detect appreciable instability effects caused by the dynamic input, depending on the cavity width, the thickness of the roof, and the energy content of the dynamic input. The interaction between twin cavities under dynamic conditions has been also studied from a numerical point of view. The results show that plastic failure in the septum is reached earlier under dynamic conditions than static and it is again dependent on the cavity width and the roof thickness. Lastly, a numerical procedure to calculate factor of safety against either shear failure or tensile failure mechanisms has been proposed, which allows to quantify the change of the stability conditions from static to dynamic conditions.

A composite tourism index for the competitiveness of marginal areas: a pilot application in a Southern Italy province

PurposeDifferently from traditional approaches that rely on the analysis of single dimensions of the tourism phenomenon, this study aims to experiment a systemic approach based on structured and unstructured data sources to elaborate a composite index to measure the tourist competitiveness of marginal areas, with the final aim to design and plan proper socio-economic development strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology adopted to carry out the study follows a four-step process and relies on indicators that are both relevant and accessible. The first step concerns the analysis of the literature about the existing approaches to calculate a tourism index. The second step concerns the definition of the indicators and the collection of data by using both structured and unstructured sources. The third step focuses on the population of the data set. Finally, the fourth step aims at calculating the tourism index through a composite-based methodology and using it for a pilot application in a Southern Italy province.FindingsThe study calculates a synthetic tourism index for each of the 97 municipalities of the Province of Lecce (a city located in the southeast of Italy). The proposed index combines administrative, institutional and open data sources to derive a single indicator for each municipality, thus supporting decision-makers in understanding the complex reality and competitiveness level of territories in the tourism industry.Originality/valueThe main elements of originality of the study are the breadth and typology of data sources considered to calculate the composite indicator of tourism competitiveness (both structured and unstructured); and the use of weighting and aggregation procedures in the methodological issues.

Agri-food Exports and Challenges of Foreign Markets for a Small region: a Network Approach

Over the last decades, the agri-food sector has been involved in a substantial process of internationalisation. For many agri-food firms, internationalisation has become a significant element of competitiveness and an essential condition for their survival and success in spite of the possible initial difficulties in competing and organising activities in uncertain and complex environments. These challenges concern mainly agri-food small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that, due to their size, are in a more vulnerable position in relation to trade barriers compared to larger firms. Based on these premises, we investigated the structure of the agrifood exports of a small region by exploring its characteristics and evolution over time. While this research is relevant per sé, it can also explain the macroeconomic dynamics of the whole area and determine the further development of agri-food exports of a small region to non-EU countries. The analysis concentrates on exports to extra-EU countries from agri-food firms located in the province of Foggia (the south-east of Italy), a small area characterised by a large presence of SMEs and micro firms that are mainly devoted to agricultural production and food processing. To answer the research question, we employ the social network analysis, a method increasingly used for analysing international trade patterns. The use of this methodology has allowed us to conduct an in-depth analysis of firms and countries that occupy a strategic position in the network. These actors are crucial for the network’s survival since their removal could make the network more fragmented and disconnected. The analysis has been conducted in a dynamic way by exploring the characteristics of the network in 2014–2019, allowing us to assess its evolution over time. The results show that the structural properties of the analysed network have remarkably enhanced over time. However, the current network structure is not satisfactory yet since it relies, for the most part, on the connections among a few leading firms and a limited number of destination countries.

Effects of Weed Control Practices on Plant Diversity in a Homogenous Olive-Dominated Landscape (South-East of Italy).

Olive groves represent an important economic, agro-ecological, and cultural resource in the Mediterranean Basin. Weed management plays a fundamental role in their sustainable management. The aim of this work was to characterize and assess the plant diversity associated with different weed control practices, in a homogeneous olive-dominated landscape in the South-East of Italy. Sixty-five vegetation plots were sampled in orchards treated with different weed control practices: mowing, tillage, and use of chemical herbicides. The multi-response permutation procedure was used to test the hypothesis of no difference among the treatments. The relationships between plots were visualized by means of non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination. A generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the relationships between weed control practices and life forms, chorotypes, and diversity indexes. The results showed that the three weed control practices determined slightly different plant communities. Chemically weeded orchards showed an impoverished floristic composition and the lowest diversity, whereas mowing and tillage yielded similar values. These latter two treatments differed for the percentages of hemicryptophytes and therophytes. Moreover, different from other studies, we did not find plant species of particular concern for biodiversity conservation. We hypothesize that this result is due to the monotonous structure of the agro-landscape we investigated, where natural elements are almost lacking. From this point of view, a correct management of agro-districts should consider both the agronomic practices at the level of the individual olive groves and the structure of the agro-landscape.

Implementation hypothesis of the Apulia ITACA Protocol at district level – part II: The case study

Nowadays, the goal of national and international policies is to define strategies to achieve Zero Energy Districts (ZEDs). The transition from ZEBs to ZEDs entails an increase in complexity and one of the main challenges is the definition of criteria for assessing the district sustainability performances. Part I of this paper presents a new methodology for assessing all aspects related to the sustainability of a district. The new Apulia ITACA - District Protocol is the extension to the district level of the existing and widely used Italian Apulia ITACA –Building Protocol. The proposed Protocol permits the assessment of any type of district, with no extension limitations. Part II shows an application of the Protocol for the evaluation of the current state of a small district of Lecce, a city in the south-east of Italy with a Mediterranean climate. The district falls in a peripheral social housing area and is composed of two residential buildings and a school. Several strategies have been proposed to improve the overall score of the district, showing both an ideal and realistic renovation. The high flexibility of the protocol in the direct identification of the weaknesses and strengths of the district was demonstrated.

A Thermal Analysis-Based Approach to Identify Different Waste Macroplastics in Beach Litter: The Case Study of Aquatina di Frigole NATURA 2000 Site (IT9150003, Italy)

The dispersion of commercial plastics in the marine environments is a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services of the last decades. The lower density of the plastics with respect to marine water density determines their floating, transferring, and accumulation in sandy beaches. Sandy beaches represent a natural sink ecosystem for marine plastics, where the latter are fragmented and photo-degraded in relation to the kind of polymer. Here, we propose an accurate and cost-effective method, the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), to identify different polymers from plastic samples collected on the Aquatina di Frigole beach (Apulia Region, Southeast of Italy), included in the NATURA 2000 Site coded as IT9150003. Our results reveal the exclusive presence of thermoplastic polymers in the beach plastic samples, mostly belonging to the polyolefin family. They appear to be remnants of larger plastic fragments, which could impact biodiversity and ecosystem services such as beach recreation activities and tourism.

Gap analysis for DNA barcodes of aquatic macroinvertebrate species in the Southeast of Italy

DNA metabarcoding for the identification of species and ecosystem biomonitoring is a promising innovative approach. The applicability of this tool is at first dependent on the coverage of the DNA sequence reference libraries. We performed a gap analysis of available DNA barcodes in the international databases using the aquatic macroinvertebrate species checklist of the Apulia region in southeast Italy. Our analyses show that 42% of the 1546 examined species do not have representative DNA barcodes in the reference libraries, indicating the importance of working toward their completeness and addressing this effort toward specific taxonomic groups in particular at local/regional level. The DNA-barcode coverage also varies among different taxonomic groups and aquatic ecosystem types in which a large number of species are rare. We also analyzed the DNA barcode reference libraries for the primer set used to barcode species. Only for 52% of the examined barcoded species were the primers reported, indicating the importance of uploading this information in the databases for a more extensive use of the DNA metabarcoding. We also highlighted the opportunity to develop combinations of primers useful at the regional level. We tested the application of the DNA barcoding single species to a lagoon ecosystem (the lagoon named “Aquatina di Frigole” in the Apulia region) which are richer in humic substances than other aquatic environments and in which DNA metabarcoding remains under explored.

The Olive Quick Decline Syndrome: A Syndemic Outbreak in the Apulia Region, Southern Italy

Since a decade in Apulia, south-east of Italy, an increasing number of olive trees developed the quick decline syndrome (OQDS) leading to partial or total dessication of the canopy and subsequent death. Currently six million of olive trees show the symptoms of the decline, despite the mitigation measures which were undertaken to contrast the progression of the dessication. Associated with the syndrome, several phytopathogenic fungi were detected in the rhizosphere, endosphere and phyllosphere of the trees, along with the phytopathogenic bacterium Xylellafastidiosasubsp. pauca. Alongside, other pathogenic events were clearly identified, mostly defeating soil resilience: salinization, pollution, erosion, decline of biodiversity. Further events include delays in the adoption of appropriate mitigation measures not directed to challenge solely a bacterial pathogen, misuse of the territory, erratic agronomic management practices. The OQDS impacted also societal aspects. All the above concurrent causes strongly suggest that (1) the olive quick decline in Apulia is not a too symplistic epidemic outbreak due to a bacterium, but rather a syndemic outbreak formed by several diverse biotic and abiotic pathologies and (2) only a more holistic approach can help coping with the uncertainties and difficulties of an enduring co- existance with this syndemic events.

On farm survival of Apulian legume and cereal landraces in relation to land cover/land use changes. A case study

Apulia (southeast of Italy) has always been an agricultural region in the Italian landscape. Nowadays, the countryside is a mix of natural environments and artificial landscapes. From 2014 to 2016, the region has been the object of a project aimed to collect information about geographic position and surface devoted to legume and/or cereal landrace cultivation. The collection missions carried out allowed the acquisition of 352 samples belonging to eight legumes and six cereal species. Chickpeas predominated among legumes, while durum and common wheat landraces prevailed among cereals. The cultivation of these landraces was mainly located in the marginal areas of central and southern Apulia region. The geographical information system technology, used in order to geo-reference the collection sites, allowed investigating the changes in land cover/land use (LCLU) occurred over the last three decades at each collecting site. In addition to the evidences collected at field level, the comparison of old ortho-photos and recent satellite images, available on Copernicus Land Monitoring Service of European Environment Agency, shown that very limited changes of LCLU have occurred. Near the collection sites, the agrarian landscape is remained highly fragmented as it was three decades ago. The cultivation side by side of irregular patches with legumes, cereals, olive trees, and grapevine characterise the agricultural landscape. Based on these evidences it can be infer that the absence of significant changes in LCLU has play a positive role in the safeguard of on farm conservation of Apulian landraces.
 Highlights - Analysis of present distribution of Apulian legume and cereal landraces. - Short description of the landscape of collection sites. - Comparison of present and past diffusion of landrace cultivation. - Changes in land cover/land use that occurred over the last three decades.

Gap Analysis for DNA Barcode Reference Libraries for Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Species in the Apulia Region (Southeast of Italy)

The use of molecular tools (DNA barcoding and metabarcoding) for the identification of species and ecosystem biomonitoring is a promising innovative approach. The effectiveness of these tools is, however, highly dependent on the reliability and coverage of the DNA sequence reference libraries and it also depends on the identification of primer sets that work on the broadest range of taxa. In this study, a gap analysis of available DNA barcodes in the international libraries was conducted using the aquatic macroinvertebrate species checklist of the Apulia region in the southeast of Italy. Our analyses show that 42% of the 1546 examined species do not have representative DNA barcodes in the reference libraries, indicating the importance of working toward their completeness and addressing this effort toward specific taxonomic groups. We also analyzed the DNA barcode reference libraries for the primer set used to barcode species. Only for 52% of the examined barcoded species were the primers reported, indicating the importance of uploading this information in the databases for a more effective DNA barcode implementation effort and extensive use of the metabarcoding method. In this paper, a new combination of primers has revealed its experimental effectiveness at least on the species belonging to the three most represented taxa in the aquatic ecosystems of the Apulia region, highlighting the opportunity to develop combinations of primers useful at the regional level and the importance of studying DNA barcode gaps at the local/regional level. The DNA barcode coverage also varies among different taxonomic groups and aquatic ecosystem types in which a large number of species are rare. We tested the application of the DNA barcoding single species to a lagoon ecosystem (the lagoon named “Acquatina di Frigole” in the Apulia region) and we sampled two macroinvertebrate species lacking DNA barcodes from “Aquatina di Frigole” NATURA 2000 Site IT9150003, Fabulina fabula and Tritia nitida, generated two new CO1 barcodes and added them to a DNA barcode reference library.

Lo uno y lo múltiple : una autoetnografía en un centro para refugiados en el sureste de Italia.

Este texto fue escrito por una estudiante de antropología en 2005, a partir de notas escritas por la misma estudiante, cinco años atrás. Muestra la tensión producida por tener que escribir algo con valor académico para que sea aceptado como antropología, mientras al mismo tiempo se cuestiona la obligación de decir cosas que otros ya hubieran dicho con el fin de que fueran aceptadas como válidas. A partir de mi experiencia como voluntaria, en el año 2000, en un centro para refugiados en el sureste de Italia, tomo como excusa la multiculturalidad, el encuentro de diferentes culturas en un mismo espacio, usando la autoetnografía y también el concepto de lo uno y lo múltiple.

Tourism-Based Circular Economy in Salento (South Italy): A SWOT-ANP Analysis

This paper is aimed at eliciting, by means of a multi-level perspective, potential drivers and barriers of the tourism industry in order to generate valuable information for policy makers to improve policy strategies for an effective transition towards sustainability. A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats–Analytic Network Process (SWOT-ANP) framework was employed to explore the potential development of a second-generation biorefinery in Salento (a touristic area located in the southeast of Italy in Apulia Region) able to integrate waste management, renewable energy and bio-products production based on resource circularity in the tourism industry. Results indicate that survey participants recognized a higher level of priority for the pressures coming from the overall external setting involving values, dominant practices, rules and technologies (landscape and regime) over the internal tourism industry dynamics (niche). Results also show that the top five ranked factors are mainly pertaining to weaknesses (excessive bureaucracy and lack of technology and infrastructure) and threats (social acceptability and lack of long-term planning by governments), which can concretely jeopardize the transition towards a greater sustainability in the investigated area. The analysis presented constitutes a valuable model for agenda setting in order to find adequate policy actions to promote the transition.

Rocky coastal vegetation of the class Crithmo-Staticetea in the south-east of Italy

AbstractIn the south-east of Italy, rocky coasts are almost entirely concentrated in the Apulia region. Several phytosociological papers have already dealt with the rocky coastal vegetation of the classCrithmo-Staticeteain some parts of the Apulian coast. However, there is still no overall revision carried out by using modern statistical treatments of phytosociological data. This paper aims to revise the syntaxonomy and nomenclature of the classCrithmo-Staticeteain the south-east of Italy. The revision is based on a data set of 225 relevés consisting of new and original phytosociological relevés (66) and others already published. The data matrix was classified with the use of flexible beta clustering. Indicator species analysis was employed to identify the indicator species of the main clusters of relevés. Results were interpreted from a syntaxonomic point of view. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination was performed in order to visualize the floristic relationships among associations. Rocky coastal vegetation of theCrithmo-Staticeteaclass in the south-east of Italy is represented by two orders,Crithmo maritimi-StaticetaliaandHelichrysetalia italici. The first one includes two alliances,Crithmo-StaticionandLimonion anfracti-cancellati, with four associations and one, respectively. However, since they rely on very few character species, the floristic and syntaxonomic relationships between these two alliances need to be deepened by further investigations, involving a larger data set and investigation area. The second order,Helichrysetalia italici, includes two associations, well differentiated by their ecology, structure and floristic composition. For this reason, they were classified within two different alliances,Anthyllidion barbae-jovisandHelichrysion litorei. TheHelichrysion litoreiis here validated.

NEW COASTAL VIDEO-MONITORING SYSTEM ACHIEVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

A new coastal video monitoring system for Apulia region, southeast of Italy, is under development. It is composed of visible and thermal streams and featured to be included in a wider meteo-oceanographic monitoring network. The system is designed for use on sandy beaches. The regional Basin Authority (AdBP) through previous field campaigns has identified for long-term monitoring purposes two hotspots, prone to erosion and flooding: Torre Canne (Fasano, BR) and Torre Lapillo (Porto Cesareo, LE), facing the Adriatic and Ionian seas, respectively. This paper presents the actual architecture and some initial findings of its implementation aiming at a complete automatic analysis of morphological features and hydrodynamic studies, mainly focused in swash zone.

Wind characterization in Taranto city as a basis for innovative sustainable urban development

The city of Taranto, in the south-east of Italy, is experiencing a transition from one of the most polluted and industrialized area characterized by the presence of the largest integrated steelworks in Europe, to a center of attractions of investments in innovation on sustainability and tourism. Among sustainability projects, urban wind energy is emerging as a technology useful in diffusion of smart grids for energetic sustainable development and also an interesting growing niche market in which there could be new investment opportunities. Numerous projects aimed at developing wind energy production are under constructions and wind characteristics and power potential of various sites have been studied in many Mediterranean countries. The urban wind analysis may represent a new tool to complete local wind atlases including the built environment, to evaluate changes that weathering may cause in the physical and architectural state of buildings, and to analyze the dispersion of pollutants from sources to receptor sites. In this paper, an analysis of wind potential and characteristics in Taranto, Apulia, a north Jonian urban site in Italy, has been performed by using high time resolved (10 min) meteorological data collected over a time span of two years, in the aim to describe the numerical procedures adopted to perform fitting of wind speed data without using special software. This urban site, in the first year of investigation from May 1st, 2009 to April 30th, 2010, was subjected to main wind regimes that come mostly from N with 12.27% and SSW with 9.89% of total hours; the calm occurred with a frequency of 10.94%. In the second year, from May 1st, 2010 to April 30th, 2011, the winds also blown predominantly from N with 12.56% of the total annual hours, and SSW with 9.33%, while the calms reached 11.08%. Dispersion of pollutants emitted from various sources among cement factory, a quarry/landfill, a refinery and the steelworks, poses serious health risks to population mainly resident downwind the prevalent wind directions. Simply computed mean wind speeds had values of 1.84 (sd = 0.26 m/s) in the first year and 1.90 m/s (sd = 0.30 m/s) in the second year under investigation. Weibull’s k values, measuring the wind potential of the site, were higher during the spring-summer warmest months and lower during the autumn-winter; the lowest appeared in November 2009 (0.639) the highest in June 2010 (1.665). Mean yearly values of k were 1.210 (sd = 0.18) in the first year and 1.065 (sd = 0.24) in the second year of the study, the correlation between the monthly values of k in the years under consideration was R2 = 0.59 (p = 0.043) indicating that although variations occurred, the wind potential remain partly unaltered from one year to the other examined. LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity) for the wind turbines chosen among the 35 ones listed in the “Catalogue of European Urban Wind Turbine Manufactures”, excluding those with rated power below 0.1 kW, ranged from 0.12 to 10.6 €/kWh and differs slightly in the two years examined. The values were competitive with some off-shore and on-shore installations, biogas and photovoltaic, but it does not consider pollution costs and subsidies. The proposed solution was economically viable, also by considering the possible integration in a hybrid photovoltaic-wind system, or fossil-based heat generator system supplemented by solar photovoltaic and wind energy.

A new video monitoring system in support of Coastal Zone Management at Apulia Region, Italy

New systems for video monitoring and surveillance of Apulian coasts (South-east of Italy) have been recently employed. The system design aims at obtaining a tool able to automatically perform image acquisition, image processing and dissemination of results on a web portal. In the present paper, the system implementation and video stations installation at two different sites are described. A new specific Shoreline Detection Model (SDM) has been developed, based on boundary extraction procedure from automatic segmented coastal area. In real time, processed images and shoreline maps are uploaded and make freely downloadable. Moreover, shoreline time variation analysis is available on user-selected transects in cross-shore direction. The SDM model validation is here presented at one location. Over a set of testing images, the pixel-based comparison between manually and automatically detected shorelines lead to a mean distance of about 1.17pixel. Then, the reconstruction of intertidal bathymetry from video is reported and compared with topographical (d-RTK) field survey, in order to assess the system efficacy and accuracy in coastal area monitoring, resulting in a mean RMS error overall the transects investigated equal to 0.025 m.