Mapping Agricultural Terraces in Italy. Methodologies Applied in the MAPTER Project

Agricultural terraced systems and their geographical distribution are not often represented in maps, even if they play an important role in hydro-geological hazard: Moreover, detailed cartography of these features could improve understanding and valuing their environmental, social, and economic complexity. Thegeneral aim of the MAPTER project is to map and quantify the extension the Italian terraced systems. To do that, it was necessary to apply different methodologies according to different data sources locally available: (i) traditional cartographic and photo analysis, (ii) orthophoto and high-resolution satellite images, (iii) DTM LiDAR analysis, (iv) Web Map Services and Geobrowser analysis, (v) participatory mapping and Voluntary Geography Activities, (vi) the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). At the time of this paper, the LiDAR DTM allows us to highly improve the traditional methodologies of cartographic and aerial photos analyses, in terms of precision, costs, and time-consuming: Many terraced systems in Italy appear to be underestimated by the previous, traditional, methodologies in comparison with the results obtained by LiDAR technology and LiDAR data elaboration. This work tested different methodologies and approaches to survey study areas in the Italian context, representing a starting point to coordinate researches among academic institutions, public administrations, voluntary geographers, and citizens science, in order to implement the geographical knowledge for terraced systems and landscapes, key heritage of Italian territories.