STONE BOUNDARIES. Active elements of Arco landscape tapestry

The study focuses on dry-stone boundaries as significant elements of the landscape tapestry. These elements, considered minor, are still little known. However, they give the landscape a specific and identifying character. These elements are investigated in a specific area of the territory of Arco, in Trentino. Dry-stone boundaries delimit land, act as structures for terracing, enclose spaces between buildings and in some cases define pathways or military trenches. The method adopted in the research is based on LiDAR data, which have been integrated with field surveys and compared with spatial divisions of open data. The recognition of the elements and the results obtained are useful for defining scenarios in a perspective of conservation and enhancement of environmental and landscape components. The results are offered in particular as tools to support the drafting of land management plans and to identify the thematic routes linked to the construction of the territory and the dry-stone heritage.