Salt-Affected Soils in Italy

Soil salinization and sodification risks are two of the main threats in agricultural soils of Italy
(Dazzi, 2008). In Italy they are mainly due to irrigation with saline waters (Dazzi and Lo Papa,
2013), to seawater intrusion (Castrignanò et al., 2008, Dazzi and Lo Papa, 2013, Selvaggi et al.,
2010), and to saline parent materials (Dazzi and Fierotti, 1994). The water level is strictly regulated
by channels and pumping stations (Vittori Antisari et al., 2020; Buscaroli and Zannoni, 2010;
Teatini et al., 2007), and seawater intrusion along rivers, canals and in the groundwater aquifer is
exacerbated by subsidence (Teatini et al., 2005). The salt-rich parent material can be exposed due
to soil erosion (Piccarreta et al., 2006; Cocco et al., 2015). In the last decades, several Italian regional
authorities for soil data produced soil salinity (risk) maps, resorting to different mapping
approaches. Previous examples of salinity risk maps of Italy have been also attempted (Dazzi, 2008,
Costantini et al. 2009). This works presents the maps of salt-affected soils of Italy, as part of the 1k
grid GSSmap, realized adopting the procedure proposed by the Global Soil Partnership (GSP), and
involving the Italian regional authorities, which are part of the Italian Soil Partnership.