Human impact and slope dynamics evolutionary trends in the monoclinal relief of the Adriatic central Italy

The present work deals with a large area of the Marche–Abruzzi monoclinal relief which is made up of a clayey sediment succession with sandy–conglomeratic levels alternating at varying stratigraphic heights. The east-verging monocline was generated by an intense Quaternary tectonic uplifting. It differs approximately in the west-east and in the southern directions forming three wide morphostructures. The deep fluvial down-cutting disjointed the monoclinal relief into a succession of high hills which give the area a typical cuesta morphology, with fronts facing the western quadrants. The present study aims at contributing to the knowledge of recent slope morphodynamics by analyzing the spatial distribution and state of activity of fast hydro-erosion processes and superficial mass movements. Correlations are made between these phenomena and the morphotectonic and lithological features of the various sectors in the area, with particular reference to agricultural land use. The present research underlines how the badlands represent the most spectacular form of fast erosion, whereas the landslide phenomena, which affect the prevalently loamy–clayey eluvial–colluvial covers, are the most widespread processes. Despite the distribution, density and recent, or current, evolutionary trends, are generally associated with different morphostructural features of the various sectors of the area, they prove to be strictly controlled by agricultural exploitation and by the connected techniques and types of cultivation.