Landscape and the city. Agro-forest systems, land fragmentation and the ecological network in Rome, Italy

This study investigates changes over time (2006–2012) in the composition of agro-forest landscape mosaics in Rome, Italy, and discusses landscape dynamics in light of ecological networks’ design and management. A multi-temporal analysis of land-use dynamics allows an empirical test of the hypothesis that urban expansion has a non-negligible role in degradation and loss of natural and agricultural land under environmental constraints. Recent urban expansion in different components of Rome's ecological network (REP) negatively affected frequency and size of natural and semi-natural habitats. Empirical results pointed out that establishing a statutory REP in Rome, has partially contained metropolitan expansion in natural areas, while cropland were still converted to urban settlements in a relatively high rate. Implications of such dynamics for policies preserving agro-environmental connectivity are discussed in light of a more ‘holistic’ strategy of land fragmentation containment.