Fontanili are quasi-natural lowland springs built in the middle age by monk for allowing the agricultural use of a large part of the Po valley. This is the the larger plan of Italy (47000 km2) and now is the main national agricultural area with intensive farming activities. Several cases of water contamination have been reported, the most frequent diffuse sources of pollution in fontanile are represented by agrochemicals, in particular herbicides, and by nitrate. A groundwater dependent ecosystem is present around those springs. Impact response ecosystem service models have been developed from hydrogeological, biogeochemical and ecological models for identifying the options to protect this fontanile ecosystem. The role of crop rotation, irrigation techniques and vegetative filter strips has been assessed. Numerical simulations have been performed at the 1D scale using SWAP for assessing the water dynamics, FocusPearl for predicting the environmental fate of pesticide, Armosa for the Nitrogen and VFSmod for assessing the effect of vegetative filter strips. Predicted pesticide and nitrate concentration have been validated with the ones measured in ground water. Climate change has been also considered using two datasets based on A1B emission scenario, and simulation results suggest that water recharge, recharge regime and substance transfer will change in the future. Mitigation option were modelled for identifying the best protection strategy. The impact-response models suggest that the assurance of the spring water flow is more important than its water quality, therefore the introduction of sprinkler irrigation in the area is not suggested. However reduction of pesticide contamination can be reached by the introduction of complex rotations. Nitrogen environmental behaviour is difficult to predict but it can be managed by good practices. Riparian filter strips are tools that can reduce runoff contamination.

Protection of the environment is a matter of conceptual model integration: An Italian example

248th National Meeting (2014)

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