Zoning mountain landscapes for a valorisation of high identity products

Mountain agriculture is made difficult by the geomorphological complexity of the territory. This is especially true for viticulture: over the centuries the work of men in such a difficult environment has produced unique, and valuable landscapes. Whereas some of these mountain viticultural sites have earned a place in the World Heritage List of UNESCO, not all of them are being actively preserved. In order to protect “heroic viticulture” it is crucial to build a complete and systematic inventory of these sites.

In partnership with the “Centro di Ricerca, Studi e Valorizzazione della Viticoltura Montana” (CERVIM), we developed a methodology to produce a landscape zoning of mountain territories or steep slopes territories.
This methodology is largely based on geographic information systems (GIS), and consists of a serie of analyses on high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Digital Surface Model (DSM), obtained by Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). We developed a methodology to identify two major components of these landscapes: flat areas, slope failure/break demarcation, and their succession. We developed an automated chain of landscape classification analyses on two areas (Val di Cembra Italy and Banyuls, France) which might be also applicated to larger areas. In addition to the technical processes, this method allowed us to understand the processes that created such landscapes. We also proposed a prototype of web interface that would allow the wine consumers to verify the mountain provenance of production. The underlying idea is to reconcile the mass consumer with the “heroic” territory that he is about to consume.