Integrated multiple approaches to map effects of anthroposequence trends on soil erosion, landslide stability, and SOC stocks

Soil is a fundamental part of an ecosystem, ensuring most of its functions and services, such as food and water security and climate regulation. Most of the world’s soil resources are in poor condition, with soil erosion and subsequent loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrients representing the gravest issue. Landslides, a kind of soil erosion, and climate change are closely related. However, the potential impacts of these processes on SOC stocks in Mediterranean pedosystems are challenging to be predicted because of anthropogenic variations in soil use management, often bringing to unsustainable land-use practices. The research aimed to map and quantify soil erosion, landslide stability, and SOC stocks along an anthroposequence (AS) belonging to a typical Mediterranean landscape. A catchment area was selected in Sardinia (southern Italy) for its representativeness in terms of human-modified landscape. Different land use areas were identified and compared, according to an AS trend, i.e., from natural till to most human-impacted soil conditions. The AS was identified, mapped, and analyzed through a step-by-step QGIS analysis. Compared areas have similar soil, parent material, climatic, and morphological conditions. Soil erosion was analyzed through the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). SOC was estimated through the integrated use of free database and field measurements. Landslide stability was analyzed through the SOSlope hydro-mechanical model. Multivariate statistics were used to understand observed variability and relationships among investigated parameters. Results showed that integrated multiple approaches increased our understanding of multiple complex processes affecting soil erosion, landslides, and subsequent loss in SOC stocks. Due to the climate change issue, mapping such multiple interconnected processes will be of growing interest in the next few years. This study represents a further step towards increasing awareness that soil management must be conducted through a preventive approach rather than a reparative one. Finally, new insights for stakeholders and policymakers are provided to: i) develop appropriate strategies to achieve sustainable land resources planning in Mediterranean areas, thus ii) mitigate effects on soils affected by future and unforeseen climate change scenarios.