Spatial Analysis of the Impact of Rural Buildings on the Agro-Forestry Landscape Using GIS

Abstract

Farm buildings constitute a witness of the economic and productive organization of a specific rural territory. Designed over the centuries in order to fulfil their primary agricultural role, they now constitute a widespread heritage, which in some cases possesses an irreplaceable architectural value. Moreover, they also play a central role for the sustainability of the rural environment, since they can influence natural and semi-natural habitats, both in terms of their structure and biodiversity. Mostly in some southern European countries, these rural structures have been built basing on agricultural needs and land characteristics. Considering the land abandonment occurred during the last centuries, most of these historical farm buildings have been abandoned, causing a possible loss of the historical-cultural heritage of the rural landscape. In this paper, the potential of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess the impact of farm buildings on the surrounding agroforestry landscape has been explored with reference to a protected area of Basilicata Region, which has been considered as a case study. Through the implementation of a GIS, the land cover changes over the past 30 years—focusing mainly on the afforestation processes—have been identified and connected to the position of the geo-localized rural buildings.