Land Units of Sarno River basin (southern Italy) for land evaluation

Abstract

In order to identify the Land Units of the Sarno river basin, research was conducted by analyzing the different environmental characteristics and drawing up thematic maps and synthesis GIS maps. In geomorphological terms, the study area has great carbonatic structures which, together with the Somma-Vesuvius volcanic complex, delimit a Plio-Pleistocene depression filled by transitional environment deposits and grooved by an extensive hydrographic network. Analysis of various aspects concerning the morphology, lithology, soil, vegetation and human impact on the area led us to identify 32 Land Units with homogeneous geolithologic, morphometric and geomorphologic attributes. The Map of Land Units is derived from the construction and synthetic overlay of various thematic maps comprising the Slope Map, the Lithologic Map, the Vegetation Map, the Soil Map, and the Land Use Map. It is an extremely useful innovative document both in environmental analysis and in land use planning in that it allows us to extract basic physical, biotic and impact themes to be elaborated for applicational uses.