**3. Results and discussion**

### **3.1 Results of chemical investigations**

Following (**Tables 2** and **3**) the results of the chemical investigations carried out in the three MTPs identified are reported.

As far as the environmental parameters and the concentration of the nutrient observed, the MTP n.3 resulted in the richest of the investigated elements among the three sites selected. The proximity to the marine environment is demonstrated by the higher levels of conductivity and salinity encountered compared to the other two internal sites. Noteworthy is also the water temperature of 24°C revealed in MTP n.3 very higher compared to the other two sites, and it is also greater concerning the mean seasonal values.


#### **Table 2.**

*Results of the analyses of the environmental parameters and nutrients investigated in the three identified study sites.*


#### **Table 3.**

*Results of the PPPs investigated in the three identified study sites.*

Regarding the residues of the PPP investigated, about 7 % of the substances analyzed were revealed in a quantifiable amount. Among the substances positively quantified, two of these were insecticides (Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid), two fungicides (Carbendazim and Metalaxyl), and three herbicides (Bentazone, Glyphosate, and AMPA). In the MTP n.3, all these pesticides were found to be above the limit of quantification and with higher concentrations. On the contrary, in MTP n.2, just two of these were positively quantified and in MTP n.1 six of seven. At no site were any exceeding of the regulatory threshold values found.

### **3.2 Results of the GIS procedure**

The results of the applied GIS procedure are reported below. In **Figure 3**, it is possible to observe the subdivision of the main basin into subbasins and the actual coincidence, with margins of error of a few meters (absolutely acceptable given the presence of morphological aspects that can alter the natural conformation of the territory such as roads and small bridges) of the temporary ponds with their closing sections. It is interesting to note that other temporary ponds could potentially form in areas with other closed sections.

The identification of sub-basins and cultivation practices for each of them is very important as it allows to identify the potential origin of the sources of contamination that have the greatest impact on these delicate ecosystems. The proposed monitoring sheet is filled out for each of them.

### **3.3 Results of insect monitoring**

The results relating to the number of identified insects, for each monitored site, are reported directly in **Table 4**.

**Figure 3.** *Basins and sub-basins identified.*




**Table**  *Monitoring of Temporary Ponds as Indicators of Environmental Quality DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.107885*

#### **3.4 Data integration results**

Below are the results achieved for each temporary pond monitored and the relative monitoring carried out at different points for each sub-basin. **Table 1** shows the data for a simple and immediate comparison.

In **Figure 4**, the resulting data integration values mapped on GIS are reported.

#### **4. Discussion**

The results show that along the path from upstream to downstream of the entire catchment area of the *Lama Balice*, n. 3 different situations: upstream, the quality state can be defined as intermediate and going downstream, it first becomes good and then worsens. This can be explained by the presence of a highly natural area between the mountain area where the city of *Bitonto* is located and the valley area where, in addition to the city of *Bari*, there are numerous anthropogenic activities, especially of industrial type.

Rather than evaluating the absolute value of the score obtained, this methodology is considered more appropriate for a relative evaluation of the state of the places. The colors that are assigned also represent a priority for intervention in certain areas and facilitate the understanding of dynamics in progress: for example, discontinuous colors suggest the presence of limited and site-specific changes.

The different inspections carried out and the results of the application of this methodology made it possible to identify some best practices to be implemented for the management of the embankments, such as:


with the following application implications:


The innovative aspects that can be introduced by adopting this methodology refer to the systematic use in operational investigation practices of methodologies based on "knowledge management" that allows the collection, evaluation, analysis, integration, and interpretation of all the information available regarding decision-making or investigative need, allowing to represent the interactions and evolutions. This technique favors the deepening of the theoretical bases of predictivity, through the more intrinsic analysis of the cases that led to the configuration of environmental pollution, the reconstruction of the relative model and the interpolation, for predictive purposes, of what and when it may occur. The development of the monitoring method, predictive analysis, the creation of concentration maps, and overall the creation of an information system for the management and use of the data collected and transmitted can be based on techniques of knowledge extraction through Machine methodologies. Learning and Data Mining (clustering, sequence clustering, decision trees, time series, and logistic regression) and Association Rules Discovery to identify information based on associative rules are able to describe an interesting relationship between different phenomena taking place in extremely complex environments and ephemeral [47].
