Linking traditional tree-crop landscapes and agro-biodiversity in central Italy using a database of typical and traditional products: a multiple risk assessment through a data mining analysis

Understanding the latent relationship between rural landscape and biodiversity conservation is of key importance when aiming to preserve food security, ecosystem services and the quality of the environment. Crop intensification negatively impacted the biodiversity of rural areas and was followed by the adoption of mono-cultural production models. The conservation of traditional agricultural landscapes (TALs) based on traditional land management approaches, ensures the conservation of the ecosystem’s complexity and high levels of biodiversity. In Europe, Mediterranean TALs are threatened by a combination of anthropogenic and natural factors. The need to preserve TALs is widely recognized despite the lack of comprehensive information and collective policy strategies. On the other hand, inventories are available for endangered cultivars, typical products and traditional agricultural practices. This study focuses on the relationship between TALs and the use of local varieties/typical products. The analysis will: (i) define, map and characterize the tree-crop based traditional landscapes in one of the Mediterranean regions (Latium, central Italy) through a land-use change detection analysis (1960–2000) and (ii) identify the most endangered TALs based on environmental risk factors, on autochthonous agro-biodiversity at risk of varietal erosion and on traditional products that risk to disappear. Results prove that the most endangered rural landscapes are the ones located on fringe and marginal lands due to climate aridity and soil erosion. The identification of the endangered TALs contributes to constructing more effective strategies for the preservation of agro-biodiversity and natural ecosystem functionality.