The Mediterranean region is exposed to desertification risk because of the joint impact of soil degradation, land-use change and global warming, although the individual role of such drivers has been occasionally investigated. The present study clarifies the spatial linkage between desertification risk and urbanization, intended as a pervasive form of landscape transformation in Southern Europe, by analyzing trends over time in the Environmentally Sensitive Area Index (1960–2010) at different settlement densities in Italy. Seven density classes, representing a vast range of local contexts from pristine, natural sites to peri-urban conditions with moderate (or high) human pressure, were considered. While land surface with medium-high settlement density increased between 1960 and 2010, reflecting semi-dense urban growth (1960–1990) and settlement sprawl (1990–2010), the spatial distribution and extent of land sensitive to desertification in Italy followed more complex dynamics over both time and space. Divergences in the level of desertification risk along the settlement density gradient increased markedly in 1990 and 2010. The highest level of risk was observed for land with intermediate settlement density, representing economically dynamic rural contexts with high (and possibly increasing) human pressure. Despite some exceptions, a lower level of risk was observed in urban and peri-urban areas with denser settlements. The spatially asymmetric increase in the level of desertification risk contributed to alter the polarization in affected and non-affected areas characteristic of early-1960s Italy. A rising impact of settlement density on desertification risk has been recorded in more recent years. Based on the empirical results of this study, National Action Plans to combat desertification in Mediterranean Europe are definitely required to incorporate specific measures of urban containment and mitigation of the negative effect of sprawl on land degradation at a local scale.

由于土壤退化、土地利用变化和全球变暖的共同影响，地中海地区面临荒漠化风险，尽管偶尔会研究这些驱动因素的个别作用。本研究通过分析意大利不同聚居密度下的环境敏感区域指数（1960-2010）随时间变化的趋势，阐明了荒漠化风险与城市化之间的空间联系，旨在作为南欧景观转变的一种普遍形式。考虑了七个密度等级，代表从原始自然场所到具有中等（或高）人类压力的城市周边条件的广泛当地环境。1960 年至 2010 年间，中高沉降密度的地表增加，反映半密集的城市增长（1960-1990）和定居点蔓延（1990-2010），意大利对荒漠化敏感的土地的空间分布和范围在时间和空间上都遵循更复杂的动态。1990 年和 2010 年，沿聚居密度梯度的荒漠化风险水平差异显着增加。在中等聚居密度的土地上观察到的风险水平最高，代表了具有高（并且可能增加）人类压力的经济动态农村环境。尽管有一些例外，但在居住区较密集的城市和城郊地区观察到的风险水平较低。荒漠化风险水平的空间不对称增加有助于改变 1960 年代初期意大利受影响和未受影响地区的两极分化。近年来，聚居密度对荒漠化风险的影响越来越大。根据本研究的实证结果，欧洲地中海地区防治荒漠化的国家行动计划肯定需要在地方范围内纳入城市遏制和缓解蔓延对土地退化的负面影响的具体措施。