Desertification Vulnerability Map of Tavoliere, Apulia (Southern Italy)

Abstract

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Desertification strongly affects Southern Italy. One of the most vulnerable areas to desertification is the Northern Apulia, known as Tavoliere, which is also one of the more arid zones in Italy. In this study we have produced a desertification vulnerability map at a scale of 1: 25,000 of Tavoliere by combining two different approaches proposed, respectively, by the Sardinian Regional Agrometeorological Service and by Pimenta et al. (1999). The methodology, implemented within a geographic information system, is based on the combination of three indices (aridity index, drought index and soil loss index), each of which is related to one important water related field in the desertification process.