This past September I attended a week-long international summer school in Sestola, Italy. The programme: ‘Assessment of high mountain ecosystems by soil survey, remote sensing and GIS-based maps’ focussed on key skills, including soil profile description, sampling techniques, pedodiversity and biodiversity assessment, soil ecosystem functions, and the construction of GIS-based maps for land evaluation and management. Held in the historic Sestola Castle, the week was balanced between lectures and hands-on workshops.
A particular highlight was a field excursion up Mount Cimone – at 2,165m above sea level it is the highest mountain in the Northern Apennines. At the summit we visited the Italian Climate Observatory ‘Ottavio Vittori’, a research infrastructure managed by the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, of the National Research Council. The observatory has enabled continuous monitoring of climate-altering compounds and solar radiation since 1991. Touring the observatory was an insightful experience, it was fascinating to see how the observatory data is utilised alongside data from satellites and model simulations to better understand climatic changes. We were fortunate to visit Mount Cimone on a clear day and were able to appreciate the amazing panoramic views from the summit.
On our descent we stopped to dig a soil pit to explore the pedogenesis of this high-altitude environment. While identifying the horizons in the soil profile, we discovered that the profile was polycyclic, indicating that the soil had undergone more than one cycle of formation. This gave a glimpse into the landscape’s historical evolution – a particularly memorable learning experience.
Back in the classroom, the session on developing GIS mapping skills was particularly valuable. Learning the various stages in creating soil maps was insightful and since returning from Italy I have been excited to put my new mapping skills into action with my own soil science research.
I am especially grateful to the team who organised and led excellent sessions, in particular Mauro De Feudis, Marcello Di Bonito and Paolo Cristofanelli. I am also grateful for the opportunity to connect with soil scientists from around the world. Overall, the summer school in Sestola provided me with valuable insights into high-mountain ecosystems and climate science.
