174 research outputs found
Relevance of Integrated Air, Soil and Water Research Studies for the New Millennia
Our ecosystems are facing changes at a local andglobal scale because of human interventions. These transformations are a result
of drastic urbanization, rapid industrialization, and natural resources exploitation to provide livelihoods and commodities for the increasing population.
Recent global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic or cross-bordering conflicts are not delaying these changes. To understand these
changes, increasing efforts of the scientific community to find sustainable solutions is vital as it is consistent financial support from governments
and scientific agencies. Air, Soil and Water Research (ASW) Editorial Board envision multidisciplinary and transversal research as an interesting
strategy to develop knowledge and useful datasets which can directly benefit society through efficient land management plans
Manure Effect on SoilâPlant Interactions in Capia Pepper Crops under Semiarid Climate Conditions
One of the biggest threats to agro-ecosystems, especially in arid and semiarid areas, is
the deterioration of soil quality, which is associated with low soil organic matter levels. Despite
the elevated volume of publications related to soil quality and crops, information about specific
plants such as the Capia pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv.) with clear economic relevance in semiarid
environments is missing. The aim of present study is to investigate the effects of different doses
of manure on Capia pepper focusing on soilâplant interaction, soil quality, and plant yield in an
experimental area located in Turkey. Key soil properties were monitored and relationships between
plant and soil properties were evaluated using the principal component analysis (PCA). At the end
of the first and second growing season, the effects of manure application on some plant and soil
characteristics were statistically significant at different levels. According to the PCA result, 15 plant
characteristics and 7 soil characteristics were grouped into five factors and defined 85.4% and 90.9%
of the total variability in the population in the first and second growing seasons, respectively. Our
research concluded that sustainable soil management such as the use of specific dose of manure
improves soil quality and plant productivity.Yozgat Bozok University Application and Research Center of Project Coordination 6602b-ZF/18-17
Transforming 2D Radar Remote Sensor Information from a UAV into a 3D World-View
This research work was supported by the "European Regional Development Fund" (EFRE) in the context of the aim of "Investment in Growth and Employment" (IWB) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.Since unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been established in geoscience as a key and
accessible tool, a wide range of applications are currently being developed. However, not only the
design of UAVs themselves is vital to carry out an accurate investigation, but also the sensors and the
data processing are key parts to be considered. Several publications including accurate sensors are
taking part in pioneer research programs, but less is explained about how they were designed. Besides
the commonly used sensors such as a camera, one of the most popular ones is radar. The advantages
of a radar sensor to perform research in geosciences are the robustness, the ability to consider large
distances and velocity measurements. Unfortunately, these sensors are often expensive and there is a
lack of methodological papers that explain how to reduce these costs. To fill this gap, this article aims
to show how: (i) we used a radar sensor from the automotive field; and (ii) it is possible to reconstruct
a three-dimensional scenario with a UAV and a radar sensor. Our methodological approach proposes
a total of eleven stages to process the radar data. To verify and validate the process, a real-world
scenario reconstruction is presented with a system resolution reaching from two to three times the
radar resolution. We conclude that this research will help the scientific community to include the use
of radars in their research projects and programs, reducing costs and increasing accuracy.European Regional Development Fund" (EFRE) in the context of the aim of "Investment in Growth and Employment" (IWB) in Rhineland-Palatinate, German
Effect of plot size and precipitation magnitudes on the activation of soil erosion processes using simulated rainfall experiments in vineyards
Soil erosion is recognized as a threat to humankind and to natural ecosystems
when sustainable limits are exceeded. Several researchers have used various
tools, such as rainfall simulators, to assess extreme rainfall events and nonsustainable
soil management practices. However, combinations of two
different devices of different sizes has not been tested before, especially in
vineyards. The aim is to verify whether plot size, connectivity processes and
rainfall distribution affect the activation of soil erosion. In this research on soils
cultivated with vineyards in the Moravia Region in the south-eastern part of the
Czech Republic, we have performed various rainfall simulation experiments
with a small device (1 Ă 1 m) and with a large device (8 Ă 1 m). Our results show
that the surface runoff was approximately 30% higher on the small plot than on
the large plot. The large rainfall simulator produced sediment concentration
that was up to 3 times higher, and soil loss that was up to 1.5 times higher, even
when the surface runoff was 30%â50% lower for the large rainfall simulator. We
therefore conclude that there is a clear influence of surface length and plot size
on surface runoff, soil loss and sediment concentration activation. When
planning their experiments, researchers need to consider that the type of
device can have a drastic influence on the final results. Two devices
subjected to the same rainfall intensity (60mmhâ1) can produce very
different results, e.g., depending on plot size and kinetic energy. Our results
can be effectively used to plan soil protection measures and to inform local
authorities about areas prone to flooding and about loss of sediments.Technology Agency of the Czech Republic TJ02000234Ministry of Agriculture, Czech Republic QK1810341
QK1910029
QK22010261Grant Agency of the Czech Technical University in Prague SGS 20/156/OHK1/3T/1
Examining the Effectiveness of Catch Crops as a NatureâBased Solution to Mitigate Surface Soil and Water Losses as an Environmental Regional Concern
Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada/CBUA. This research was funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 603498 (RECARE project). Artemi Cerda thanks the Co-operative Research programme from the OECD (Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems) for its support with the 2016 CRP fellowship (OCDE TAD/CRP JA00088807).The main goal of this research was to conduct a biophysical, economic, social, and perception-based approach to foresee the
solutions that could be used to mitigate the soil loss problem cost-effectively in âLa Ribera del XĂșquerâ district (Valencia
Region, Spain). To achieve these goals, a farmer perception survey was carried out, and an assessment of the biophysical
impact of catch crops on soil organic matter, bulk density, steady-state infiltration rate (double-ring infiltrometer) and runoff
generation, and soil erosion (rainfall simulation experiments) was carried out in 2016. For the biophysical approach, two
paired plots, i.e., catch crops vs. glyphosate herbicide treatment (in advance, control plot), were selected under clementine
citrus production. The results show that soil organic matter increased from 1.14 to 1.63%, and bulk density decreased from
1.47 to 1.27 g cmâ
3 after 10 years of treatments using catch crops. They also facilitated higher infiltration rates from 16.7
to 171 mm hâ
1 and a delay in runoff generation from 149 to 654 s for control and catch crop plots. Both runoff rates (from
50.6 to 3.1%) and soil erosion (from 3.9 to 0.04 Mg haâ
1 hâ
1) were reduced once the catch crops were deployed in the field.
After surveying (2018â2019), farmers stated the use of catch crops as a speck of dirt and a cause of possible loss of reputation
when used. Moreover, farmers (N = 73) would accept the catch crops as an effective nature-based alternative only if a
subsidy of 131.17⏠haâ
1 would be paid. The survey results also demonstrated that the farmers' community would see catch
crop more as a benefit for the planet's health and society. Few constraints, such as ageing of the farmersâ population, lack
of education and negative perception for other management factors, are the critical detrimental factors for adopting catch
crops as a nature-based solution to reduce soil and water losses. There is a need for an effective agrarian extension service
to change the fate of the current agriculture and achieve sustainability by adopting new management strategies in contemporary
agricultural practices.Universidad de Granada/CBUAEuropean Commission 603498Co-operative Research programme from the OECD (Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems) OCDE TAD/CRP JA0008880
Designing grazing susceptibility to land degradation index (GSLDI) in hilly areas
Evaluation of grazing impacts on land degradation processes is a difficult task due to the
heterogeneity and complex interacting factors involved. In this paper, we designed a new
methodology based on a predictive index of grazing susceptibility to land degradation index
(GSLDI) built on artificial intelligence to assess land degradation susceptibility in areas affected
by small ruminants (SRs) of sheep and goats grazing. The data for model training, validation, and
testing consisted of sampling points (erosion and no-erosion) taken from aerial imagery. Seventeen
environmental factors (e.g., derivatives of the digital elevation model, small ruminantsâ stock), and 55
subsequent attributes (e.g., classes/features) were assigned to each sampling point. The impact of SRs
stock density on the land degradation process has been evaluated and estimated with two extreme
SRsâ density scenarios: absence (no stock), and double density (overstocking). We applied the GSLDI
methodology to the Curvature Subcarpathians, a region that experiences the highest erosion rates in
Romania, and found that SRs grazing is not the major contributor to land degradation, accounting for
only 4.6%. This methodology could be replicated in other steep slope grazing areas as a tool to assess
and predict susceptible to land degradation, and to establish common strategies for sustainable landuse
practices.Consiliul National al Cercetarii Stiintifice (CNCS)
Unitatea Executiva pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii (UEFISCDI) PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-118
Experimental Design of Nature-Based-Solution Considering the Interactions between Submerged Vegetation and Pile Group on the Structure of the River Flow on Sand Beds
Designing correct engineering infrastructures to reduce land degradation processes and
considering natural elements to achieve this goal are key to correctly managing potential natural
hazards affecting human activities and natural ecosystems. This research investigated the scour
depth and velocity vectors around bridge piles with and without upstream vegetation protection. A
Doppler velocity meter was used to measure velocity components in a channel 90 cm wide, 16 m long,
and 60 cm high. Variable parameters were the number of bridge piles, the height, density, and width
of vegetation upstream, as well as the distance between bridge piles. Using a triple pile group with
a distance between piles of 10 cm and overall vegetation across the channel, the depth of the scour
hole upstream of the first pile decreased by 40% compared to the single pile with no vegetation. This
result shows the significant impact of using vegetation and pile groups to reduce scour around piles.
Lower vertical velocity gradients, more consistent velocity vectors, reducing the downstream flow
range, and restraining horseshoe vortexes and wake vortices were observed in utilizing vegetation.
We confirmed that vegetation is an essential factor in changing the flow, transportation of sediment,
and conserving ecological services in rivers
Cuantificación de los gradientes térmicos a nivel superficial a lo largo del Rheinland-Pfalz (Renania-Palatinado, Alemania)
A methodological sequence with calculations of atmospheric thermal gradients at surface level is proposed in this study. This methodology has been applied in the Rheinland-Pfalz state (Rhine-Palatinate, Germany), where we can observe interesting effects, such as the differences between the atmospheric state of high and valley areas. Thermic inversions at certain altitude intervals during particular months, thermic imbalances by external factors and keys for improving land management in different land uses have been detected. To define the thermal gradients, this paper will begin with a cluster analysis and calculations of linear estimates. Finally they will be represented in graphics with trend lines.En este estudio se propone una secuencia metodolĂłgica apoyada en el cĂĄlculo de gradientes tĂ©rmicos atmosfĂ©ricos a nivel de superficie. El trabajo es aplicado dentro del estado del Rheinland-Pfalz (Renania-Palatinado, Alemania), donde se observan interesantes resultados que muestran la apariciĂłn de diferencias entre el estado termomĂ©trico de la atmĂłsfera en las åreas mĂĄs elevadas y los fondos de valle. Se aprecian inversiones tĂ©rmicas en algunos intervalos de altitud y meses concretos, desajustes por culpa de factores externos y claves para favorecer una correcta ordenaciĂłn del territorio orientada a unos usos determinados del suelo. Para definir los gradientes tĂ©rmicos, se parte de un anĂĄlisis clĂșster y el cĂĄlculo de estimaciones lineales representadas finalmente en grĂĄficas con lĂneas de tendencia.
Reseña de Key Concepts in Geomorphology
Datos BibliogrĂĄficos Nombres y apellidos de los coordinadores: Bierman, Paul R., y David R. Montgomery. TĂtulo de la obra: Key Concepts in Geomorphology Lugar donde se editĂł: EE.UU. Editorial: W. H. Freeman and Company Fecha de ediciĂłn: 2019. NĂșmero de pĂĄginas: 500. ISBN-10: 1429238607
Da Costa Gomes, Paulo Cesar (2023). La geografĂa de la visibilidad : Consideraciones teĂłricas-metodolĂłgicas para observar los espacios pĂșblicos
Obra ressenyada: Paulo Cesar DA COSTA GOMES, La geografĂa de la visibilidad: Consideraciones teĂłricas-metodolĂłgicas para observar los espacios pĂșblicos. Granada: Editorial Universidad de Granada, 2023. ISBN 978-84-338-7136-7
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