With the installation of the final structure at Passo Brocon (Trentino), the construction of the three experimental sites planned under the PRIN2022PNRR CAROLINA project has been officially completed. The project focuses on studying the impact of drought on semi-natural Italian grasslands subject to pastoral management.
In total, three experimental sites have been established, selected along a climatic gradient of temperature and precipitation:
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The first site, San Rossore, is a Mediterranean grassland at sea level (0 m a.s.l.), located in the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Regional Park in Tuscany.
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The second site, San Venanzo, is a montane-Mediterranean grassland at 500 m a.s.l., located in Umbria, on Monte Peglia.
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The third site is a subalpine grassland at 1700 m a.s.l. in Trentino, near Passo Brocon (Cinte Tesino, TN).
The percentage of rainfall reduction applied at each site simulates extreme drought conditions, defined as a reduction corresponding to the 1st percentile of local historical climate data, in accordance with the Drought International Protocol.
The experimental sites were developed under the technical supervision of Dr. Leonardo Latilla, with the support of researchers and technicians from IRET-CNR.
The project team expresses its gratitude for the availability and collaboration of local institutions and individuals involved: Angelo Gualdana for the San Venanzo site, the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Regional Park Authority for the San Rossore site, and the Municipality of Cinte Tesino for the site at Passo Brocon.
The CAROLINA project investigates the consequences of climate change and changes in management practices on biodiversity and the functioning of vegetation and soil systems. It combines various approaches, including climate change simulations, time series analysis, and the study of chronosequences.
For more information:
Dr. Olga Gavrichkova (CAROLINA Project PI)