The land cover changes as tools to support the preservation of naturalness at the Sele Coastal Plain (Southern Italy)

he effects of changes of land-cover on biodiversity at Sele coastal plain (Southern Italy), together with the use of the green infrastructures have been evaluated. First, we briefly comment on the territorial system evolution during the last 150 years, a fundamental step to understand the causes which lead to the urban sprawl and the agricultural vocation of this area. Afterwards, we analyze the present planning tools to preserve the environmental and landscape quality and the urban liveability as well. This analysis evidences that the Sele coastal plain still has areas with a good degree of naturalness, some of which located in protected zones. However, the agricultural crops represent the dominant scenery. The grain cereals and vegetable plants, with a medium degree of naturalness, are the most common land-cover classes, representing the 50% of the whole area. We aim at illustrating how the use of agricultural practices, as identified in the new Common Agricultural Policy, hedges, beetle banks and rows of trees, and old infrastructures of the area, could improve the biodiversity framework of the area.