Landscape valuation of environmental amenities throughout the application of direct and indirect methods

Landscape design, construction and management should no longer be the result of superficial approaches based exclusively on designers’ and planners’ ideas. This research starts with the assumption that the aesthetic component constitutes an essential attribute for better understanding and evaluating landscapes. This study analyzes the aesthetic quality and economic valuation of the Lower Guadiana river landscape, through the application of direct and indirect landscape evaluation methods. In order to gauge not only experts’ opinion, it is supported by the application of public participation techniques about the opinion and perceptions of the site visitors/users. The present research considered the analysis of six landscape subunits regarding landscape quality, fragility and visual absorption capacity. The obtained results showed that there are significant differences between the perceptions of the general public and experts’ analysis. Touristic Complexes and Golf Courses had high visual quality, while Agricultural and Production Areas had high visual fragility. Moreover, the performed analysis made clear that the combined use of landscape assessment methods is suited to this type of study, since it enables quantifying the value of existence, management and maintenance of a particular environmental assets and/or services.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inland or Coastal: That s the Question! Different Impacts of COVID-19 on the Tourism Sector in Portugal

The COVID-19 pandemic had severe implications in different economic sectors, among them tourism, with countries where tourism has a relevant economic role, such as Portugal, being greatly affected. However, the impact was different in the various regions of the country, which could be related to some tourism units, being more isolated or with fewer rooms, being seen as more attractive and safer. Based on data from Portuguese firms, and distinguishing their location between coastal and inland, it is possible to conclude that inland tourism units were less affected than coastal ones, which could be related to tourists seeking less densely populated areas, a relevant conclusion for the different agents.N/

Avaliação do impacto da intensificação agroecológica e da agricultura de precisão nos serviços ecossistémicos em paisagens agrícolas mediterrânicas

Estudos recentes prevêem que a população humana atinja os 9 bilhões de pessoas em aproximadamente 30 anos. A necessidade de produção de alimentos inerente a este cenário, associada ao progressivo aumento da taxa de declínio das espécies, que atingiu nos últimos anos níveis sem precedentes, representam um desafio extremamente difícil para o futuro da agricultura. Este desafio, não sendo novo, não é obviamente alheio à necessidade de produzir mais e melhores alimentos em menos espaço, com respeito pela natureza e pelo ambiente. Neste panorama, prevê-se que a intensificação agroecológica (IAE) possa constituir, em associação com a implementação de sistemas de gestão ligados à agricultura de precisão (AP), uma importante estratégia com vista não só à integração de princípios ecológicos específicos no sector agrícola, mas também de implementação de procedimentos de gestão da biodiversidade em sistemas agrícolas, minimizando entre outros aspetos o consumo de água e de agroquímicos, e maximizando os rendimentos através da utilização conjunta de práticas de natureza ecológica e de novas tecnologias. Esses fatos, conjugados com a necessidade de produzir alimentos de forma cada vez mais sustentável, não só em termos de eficiência das culturas, mas também em termos de uso do solo e da conservação da biodiversidade, destacam a necessidade de avaliar o impacto de diferentes sistemas produtivos no ambiente. A este respeito, o objetivo central deste trabalho é apresentar, descrever e contribuir para a divulgação de dados concretos inerentes ao processo de intensificação agroecológica (IAE) em associação com a agricultura de precisão (AP), junto dos principais stakeholders com atuação no sector agrícola, considerando não só a forma como as diferentes tipologias e intensidades culturais inerentes a cada processo de gestão agrícola, influenciam os serviços ecossistémicos (SE) por estes desenvolvidos quer localmente, quer ao nível dos agroecossistemas Mediterrânicos. Considerando este objetivo, a análise contemplou a comparação dos serviços ecossistémicos concedidos pêlos sistemas agrícolas tradicionais versus os associados à intensificação agroecológica e à agricultura de precisão. Os dados obtidos, tendo por base um processo de revisão, permitiram identificar a IAE como uma opção viável ao nível da sustentabilidade dos sistemas agrícolas, com vista ao incremento da produtividade, garantindo inclusivamente o reforço dos serviços ecossistémicos associados a estes sistemas, contribuindo ainda para a redução das externalidades negativas associadas a este setor. A análise realizada, pode, se devidamente enquadrada, contribuir de forma direta para o processo de decisão referente à conversão dos sistemas de produção agrícola, considerando por um lado o aumento do rendimento das culturas e por outro a garantia da manutenção e/ou incremento dos serviços ecossistémicos que lhe são inerentes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Concentrations of available heavy metals in mediterranean agricultural soils and their relation with some soil selected properties: a case study in typical mediterranean soils

The characterization of the content of trace metals in soils is an instrument in many programs of environmental protection, including the establishment of regional-level standards to detect sites affected by contamination. The objectives of the present study were to study the available levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface horizons of agricultural soils in a typical European Mediterranean region, to establish the geochemical baseline concentration (GBC), background level (BL), and reference value (RV) of each of these available metals, and to investigate their possible correlations with soil properties. To establish the GBC and RV values, we used the " standard threshold method". Topsoil samples (0-20 cm) were collected from 630 sites, and extracted with Diethylene Triamine Pentaacetic Acid (DTPA) to determine their available heavy metal concentrations. The GBC values established were: 0.04 to 0.90 mg kg(-1), 0.70 to 2.50 mg kg(-1), 0.10 to 6.30 mg kg(-1), 0.30 to 7.90 mg kg(-1), 0.29 to 4.50 mg kg(-1), and 0.18 to 2.50 mg kg(-1) for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, respectively. Soil properties were found to be correlated with the available heavy metal content, suggesting that the enhanced mobility of heavy metals are related to anthropic activities.Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics (CIEO); Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing the effectiveness of precision agriculture management systems in mediterranean small farms

While the world population continues to grow, increasing the need to produce more and better-quality food, climate change, urban growth and unsustainable agricultural practices accelerate the loss of available arable land, compromising the sustainability of agricultural lands both in terms of productivity and environmental resilience, and causing serious problems for the production-consumption balance. This scenario highlights the urgent need for agricultural modernization as a crucial step to face forthcoming di culties. Precision agriculture techniques appear as a feasible option to help solve these problems. However, their use needs to be reinvented and tested according to di erent parameters, in order to define both the environmental and the economic impact of these new technologies not only on agricultural production, but also on agricultural sustainability. This paper intends, therefore, to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of precision agriculture through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)/remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and normalized di erence vegetation index (NDVI) techniques in small Mediterranean farms. We present specific data obtained through the application of the aforementioned techniques in three farms located along the Portuguese-Spanish border, considering three parameters (seeding failure, di erentiated irrigation and di erentiated fertilization) in order to determine not only the ecological benefits of these methods, but also their economic and productivity aspects. The obtained results, based on these methods, highlight the fact that an e cient combination of UAV/RPAS and NDVI techniques allows for important economic savings in productivity factors, thus promoting a sustainable agriculture both in ecological and economic terms. Additionally, contrary to what is generally defended, even in small farms, as the ones assessed in this study (less than 50 ha), the costs associated with the application of the aforementioned precision agriculture processes are largely surpassed by the economic gains achieved with their application, regardless of the notorious environmental benefits introduced by the reduction of crucial production inputs as water and fertilizers.FCT (VALORIZA)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Using GIS towards the characterization and soil mapping of the Caia irrigation perimeter

El perímetro de riego de Caia es una infraestructura de riego implementada en 1968. Como en otros casos, el mapa de los suelos originales de esta región (data de 1961) no tiene la precisión necesaria para caracterizar una zona de tamaño relativamente pequeño, donde tienen lugar unas prácticas agrícolas intensivas. Utilizando la metodología de la FAO y con el objetivo principal de establecer un mapa de suelo de mayor escala, adecuados a las exigencias de una agricultura intensiva y moderna, recolectamos la caracterización geológica de la zona de estudio y de información acerca de la topografía, el clima y la vegetación de la región. Utilizando el software ArcGIS, tenemos esta información superpuesta y establecemos un pre-mapa de los recursos del suelo. Sobre la base de esta pre-mapa, hemos definido un conjunto de itinerarios detallados en el campo, uniformemente distribuido, en la que se recolectaron muestras de suelo. En esas unidades de diferentes suelos, abrimos varios perfiles, a partir de los cuales hemos seleccionado 26 para analizar en el presente estudio. Estos caracterizan la diversidad existente en términos de tipo y propiedades de los suelos. Basado en el trabajo de verificación, corrección y la reinterpretación del anteproyecto de mapa de suelo, llegamos a un último mapa de suelo para el perímetro de riego de Caia, que se caracteriza por una enorme heterogeneidad, típico de los suelos mediterráneos, que contiene 23 unidades cartográficas distintas, siendo la más representativa la del Distrito Fluvisols con inclusiones del Distrito Luvisols, que ocupan el 29,9% del total del área de estudio, y calcisoles Luvic con inclusiones de Luvisols endoleptic con 11,9% del área total. Teniendo en cuenta la información obtenida sobre las propiedades del suelo, ArcGIS se utilizó para elaborar un mapa en el que era posible determinar el impacto de la práctica continua de riego en esta zona. Esto nos permite presentar las conclusiones pertinentes sobre la necesidad de monitorizar y tener acceso a los suelos mediterráneos específicos a fin de mitigar el impacto ambiental de las prácticas de riego.The Caia Irrigation Perimeter is an irrigation infrastructure implemented in 1968. As is often the case, the original soil map of this region (dated from 1961) does not have the detail needed to characterize a relatively small-sized zone, where intensive agricultural practices take place. Using FAO methodology and with the main goal of establishing a larger-scale soil map, adequate for the demands of a modern and intensive agriculture, we gathered the geological characterization of the study area and information about the topography, climate, and vegetation of the region. Using ArcGIS software, we overlapped this information and established a pre-map of soil resources. Based on this pre-map, we defined a set of detailed itineraries in the field, evenly distributed, in which soil samples were collected. In those distinct soil units, we opened several soil profiles, from which we selected 26 to analyze in the present study, since they characterized the existing diversity in terms of soil type and soil properties. Based on the work of verification, correction, and reinterpretation of the preliminary soil map, we reached a final soil map for the Caia Irrigation Perimeter, which is characterized by enormous heterogeneity, typical of Mediterranean soils, containing 23 distinct cartographic units, the most representative being the Distric Fluvisols with inclusions of Luvisols Distric occupying 29.9% of the total study area, and Calcisols Luvic with inclusions of Luvisols endoleptic with 11.9% of the total area. Considering the obtained information on soil properties; ArcGIS was used to develop a map in which it was possible to ascertain the impact of the continuous practice of irrigation in this area. This allows us to put forward relevant conclusions on the need to access and monitor specific Mediterranean soils in order to mitigate the environmental impact of irrigation practices.Trabajo patrocinado por: Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics (CIEO) y . Ayuda económica Foundation for Science and Technology. Proyecto UID/SOC/04020/2013peerReviewe

An Integrative Variable and Person-Centered Approach to Representing Teachers\u27 Self-Efficacy: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

There has been substantial scholarly attention given to teachers’ functioning over the past two decades. Much of this attention has been precipitated by accounts of increasing teacher burnout and attrition from the profession. Central to this scholarly focus has been the construct of teacher self-efficacy, which has been shown to be a predictor of important teacher outcomes. However, there remain several unresolved issues in the teacher self-efficacy literature that limit the utility of the construct for understanding teachers’ effective functioning. First, there is little clarity about the dimensional structure of teachers’ self-efficacy data. Second, little empirical work has been conducted to investigate the important tenet that teachers may be differentially efficacious across distinct domains manifested as distinct profiles of teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs. Furthermore, it is unclear whether such profile configurations generalize across countries with distinct cultural norms and educational systems. Adopting a integrative variable and person-centered, multidimensional perspective on teachers’ self-efficacy, the current study aimed to (a) examine a bifactorial representation of teachers’ self-efficacy data as a way to reconcile conflicting psychometric representation of the construct and (b), based on the bifactorial structure, identify different profiles of teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in the U.S. and Brazil and examine the generalizability of the profiles across these groups. In addition, the study drew on social cognitive perspectives to posit gender and years of experience as predictors of teachers’ self-efficacy profile membership, and job satisfaction, teacher collaboration, and classroom disciplinary climate as distal outcomes of profile membership. Results revealed five teachers’ self-efficacy profiles in the US and Brazilian sample, which were not found to generalize. Profile membership was shown to be predicted in the U.S. and the Brazilian samples by teacher gender and years of experience, and job satisfaction, classroom disciplinary climate, and teacher collaboration were found to differ as a function of profile membership. Implications of the results for teachers’ self-efficacy theory and practice are discussed

Accessibility dynamics and regional cross-border cooperation (CBC) perspectives in the portuguese—spanish borderland

Accessibility plays a major role in achieving sustainable transport, and therefore urban and regional sustainability. The urban public transport system promotes mobility and realizes a large part of urban movements. Moreover, improving accessibility in order to promote sustainable transport requires the application of new concepts and indicators as a powerful tool in the process of creating a balanced urban transport system. In this regard, one of the main goals of this research is to present an overview of the relevant accessibility indicators and assessment of accessibility in regional Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) in order to transcendence challenges and obstacles for sustainable transportation in these regions along of Portuguese-Spanish border. This paper focuses on the accessibility of cross-border cooperation scenarios along the border regions of Alto Alentejo (Portugal) and Badajoz (Spain) where the Case Study Research Method (CSR) made it possible to recognize accessibility as a key factor in territorial success. Also, accessibility analysis can assess improvements as well as regional imbalances. In addition, this methodology can be used to identify missing links, which requires new investments enabling long-term sustainability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Influence of Affect in Help-Seeking Behaviors and Performance in an Intelligent Tutoring System

Help is a typical feature in ITSs The decision to seek help is influenced by metacognitive, affective, and social competencies

Landscape valuation of environmental amenities throughout the application of direct and indirect methods

Landscape design, construction and management should no longer be the result of superficial approaches based exclusively on designers’ and planners’ ideas. This research starts with the assumption that the aesthetic component constitutes an essential attribute for better understanding and evaluating landscapes. This study analyzes the aesthetic quality and economic valuation of the Lower Guadiana river landscape, through the application of direct and indirect landscape evaluation methods. In order to gauge not only experts’ opinion, it is supported by the application of public participation techniques about the opinion and perceptions of the site visitors/users. The present research considered the analysis of six landscape subunits regarding landscape quality, fragility and visual absorption capacity. The obtained results showed that there are significant differences between the perceptions of the general public and experts’ analysis. Touristic Complexes and Golf Courses had high visual quality, while Agricultural and Production Areas had high visual fragility. Moreover, the performed analysis made clear that the combined use of landscape assessment methods is suited to this type of study, since it enables quantifying the value of existence, management and maintenance of a particular environmental assets and/or service