The Development of Soil Science in Molise

Surveys on soil science in Molise are relatively recent as the first scientific studies were carried out only in the early 1990s and financed by the Integrated Mediterranean Programs (IMPs). Promoted by the National Pedological Observatory, the pedological cartography of Molise started in 1992 at a scale of 1:250,000. Between 1998 and 2008, a regional soil mapping laboratory hosted at ARSARP (Italian acronym for Regional Agency for Agricultural, Rural and Fisheries Development) created several thematic maps at a scale of 1: 50,000. The territory of Molise is predominantly mountainous, and forests, pastures and natural meadows represent the most important use of the territory that needs to be protected from water erosion and other hydrogeological phenomena such as floods and landslides. Subsequently, a soil database was developed in 2006 as part of the “Ecopedological Map” project of the European Soil Bureau and the Italian Ministry of the Environment and built at a scale of 1:250,000. Eighteen soil surveys were carried out using Ecopedological Units with natural or semi-natural vegetation, and the sites included were within the Natura 2000 sites. The interest in volcanic soils began in September 2007 with the IX Edition of the Italian Pedological Meetings, which included a description of a field trip on “Pyroclastic levels in the Matese area: type and evolution of volcanic soils” along with a report of the Summer School in Forest Soils and Global Change (FSGC). The Summer School in Forest Soils and Global Change was organized in Campobasso by Molise University with the collaboration of the University of Turin and the University of Palermo. One of the outputs of the summer school was the monograph “Field guide of forest soils of Matese of Molise region”. Later, research on water erosion was carried out in hilly agricultural areas. Following these studies, it was possible to produce a regional map for susceptibility to erosion based on the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). Nitrogen leaching and groundwater pollution were extensively investigated during 2008–2010. Land management, soil, land use, and climatic characteristics were studied for four years to see how they affected nitrate leaching in vulnerable areas in Molise. Currently, soil science research in the Department of Agriculture, Food Science, and Environment in Molise will likely move toward soil contamination, water erosion, and carbon sequestration using soil spectroscopy.