The role of the vineyards on shallow landslides

Shallow landslides are frequent in steep wine-producing terrains, causing significant economical damage to cultivations and the loss of high productivity soils. In this work, the role of cultivated vineyards and abandoned vineyards to shallow landslides is investigated in north-eastern Oltrepò Pavese. More than 40% of the vineyards were abandoned in the period 1980–2009. These abandoned vineyards were recovered by shrub lands and woodlands, that are more susceptible to shallow landslides and demonstrated a impact of poor slope management. Cultivated vineyards provide a soil root reinforcement nearly 80% higher than that of the abandoned vineyards. Woodlands can provide a root reinforcement which is not enough to stabilize the very steep slopes. The restoration of grapevine cultivations may allow for stabilizing abandoned vineyards slopes, reducing shallow landsliding susceptibility.