Land-use trajectories and ‘syndromes’ of land degradation in northern italy

The expression Land Degradation (LD) refers to a reduction in the productivity of land and in the provision of ecosystem services. By linking trajectories of Land Use and Land Cover (lulc) and LD processes, the paper evaluates degradation ‘syndromes’ in the past, and develops future scenarios for sustainable land management. Emilia Romagna is a region characterized by major economic transformations reflected in its landscape. By analysing lulc over 54 years, two trajectories were identified and linked to LD ‘syndromes’: (i) urban expansion and (ii) abandonment of farmland. The result is a loss of farmland which has impacted negatively on the primary sector.