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Educational Sessions
Urban Soils
Pervious vs. Impervious Pavements for Sidewalks: Effects on Soil Characteristics and Physiology
Monday, 10 August 2015
1:00 PM — 1:40 PM
Osceola Ballroom C
A, M, Bs
The aim of this experiment was to assess the effects of four sidewalk designs, differing in permeability to water and gases, on some soil chemico-physical parameters and on growth and physiology of newly Celtis australis and Fraxinus ornus. Treatments were: 1) impervious design (asphalt on concrete sub-base); 2) permeable design (curb on crushed rock sub-base); 3) porous design (porous pavement on crushed rock sub-base); 4) control (unpaved soil, kept free of weed by chemical control). Pavements were built in Novembre 2011 and trees were planted in March 2012. Since 2012, soil (temperature, moisture, oxygen content and CO2 efflux) and plant (growth, leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, water relations) parameters were measured. Results showed that soil traits were highly affected by pavements, while plant traits were less affected, probably because of the little time since planting.
Presenter Information
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Alessio Fini
Alessio Fini is a researcher at the Department of Agri-Food Production and Environmental Sciences at Florence University. Since 2005, he has been working on projects regarding sustainable cultivation techniques for nursery production and urban forestry and on stress tolerance of urban trees. Research topics include: reduction in use of herbicides, irrigation and chemical fertilizers; effects of shading on leaf gas exchange and leaf anatomy; alternative techniques to tillage and their effects on plant physiology; effects of mulching on plant physiology and soil chemical, physical and biological properties; development of native and species-specific mycorrhiza to improve health and growth of urban trees; development of nursery pre-conditioning techniques to improve success at transplant; roles of phenolic compounds in plant response to stress and plant responses to climate change. In 2011, he got a PhD in “Animal and vegetal production for sustainable landscape development” at the University of Florence. His PhD thesis dealt with the mechanisms of drought tolerance of shade trees and the selection of drought tolerant species. Since 2006 he is member of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and, since 2010, he is the representative for Europe in the ISA Membership Committee. In 2014, he was awarded with the Early Career Scientist Award by the International Society of Arboriculture. He is author of more than 70 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and conference proceedings.
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Francesco Ferrini
From 1990 he has published more than 220 scientific and technical papers in Italian and in English in international referred and nationwide journals. He has given more than 100 talks in several international and national congresses. He cares the Faceblog “Arboriculture and Urban Forestry” In 2009 he has been the recipient of the Fabio Rizzi Award for his constant commitment in the research and extension service in the field of Plant Nursery Science and of Urban Arboriculture and for his continuous activity with researchers and contractors all over the world. In 2010 he has been the recipient of L.C. Chadwick Award for Arboricultural Research Recipient: The L.C. Chadwick award is granted to individuals to recognize research that has contributed valuable information to arboriculture. Past-President of the Italian Society of Arboriculture November 2014-November 2015 Chair of IASHK (International Arboriculture Summit - Hong Kong) Board of Advisors Senior Director of the scientific magazine Advances in Horticultural Sciences Associate Editor of the Arboriculture & Urban Forestry journal.
Presentation file information