Evaluación, gestión y propuestas de mejora de suelos dedicados a diferentes usos en un sector del Parque Natural de Montesinho (Vilar de Ossos), Portugal

El objetivo principal de este trabajo es evaluar la calidad de cuatro suelos con usos y manejos diferentes (pasto, cereal, castañar y robledal) para comprobar si su uso es el adecuado y proponer mejoras. Se ha realizado en Vilar de Ossos, un sector del Parque Natural de Montesinho, noreste de Portugal. Los resultados se consiguieron en campañas de campo y análisis de más de 25 parámetros en laboratorio (análisis textural, NPK, capacidad y bases de cambio catiónico, pH, grado de saturación, materia orgánica, pedregosidad, profundidad útil, y drenaje entre otros). También se ha realizado una estimación de la pérdida de suelo mediante el método USLE, los cálculos obtenidos dan tasas bajas de erosión para pasto y robledal y medios para cereal y castañar. Con los resultados conseguidos se hicieron sendas evaluaciones mediante el sistema de Clases Agrológicas y el sistemade Riquier et al. (1970) que adjudicaron clases aptas para el cultivo en todos los casos excepto para el castañar y que nos llevan a proponer un cambio de uso para el cereal. Finalmente, en base a las evaluaciones se hacen recomendaciones para una mejora de la calidad del suelo. Para el pastizal, se propone el control de sus valores nutricionales; para el cereal un laboreo de conservación; para el castañar evitar el laboreo, y para el robledal, sistema no antropizado, se propone dejarlo en su estado actual.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Towards a Sustainable and Adaptive Groundwater Management: Lessons from the Benalup Aquifer (Southern Spain)

Reversing the chemical and quantitative impacts derived from human activity on aquifers demands a multidisciplinary approach. This requires, firstly, to update the hydrogeological knowledge of the groundwater systems, which is pivotal for the sustainable use of this resource, and secondly, to integrate the social, economic and administrative reality of the region. The present work focuses on the Benalup aquifer, whose exploitation plays a major role in the economy of the area, based mainly on irrigated agriculture. This activity has had negative consequences for the aquifer in quantitative and chemical terms, leading to its declaration as in poor condition. The study presented here shows the results obtained from the application of hydrogeological techniques, remote sensing and citizen participation tools, which have allowed us to deepen and improve the current knowledge of the system's hydrogeological, geometric, administrative and social aspects. Additionally, the lessons learned from this case study are analyzed. The deficiencies detected are discussed, and alternatives aimed at the sustainable use of groundwater are proposed, such as the possibility of a joint use of surface and groundwater resources, the creation of a Water User Association responsible for the management of groundwater and the need for greater efforts aimed at educating and raising awareness of water conservation among citizens

Applications of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) in Hydrology: A Review

In less than two decades, UASs (unmanned aerial systems) have revolutionized the field of hydrology, bridging the gap between traditional satellite observations and ground-based measurements and allowing the limitations of manned aircraft to be overcome. With unparalleled spatial and temporal resolutions and product-tailoring possibilities, UAS are contributing to the acquisition of large volumes of data on water bodies, submerged parameters and their interactions in different hydrological contexts and in inaccessible or hazardous locations. This paper provides a comprehensive review of 122 works on the applications of UASs in surface water and groundwater research with a purpose-oriented approach. Concretely, the review addresses: (i) the current applications of UAS in surface and groundwater studies, (ii) the type of platforms and sensors mainly used in these tasks, (iii) types of products generated from UAS-borne data, (iv) the associated advantages and limitations, and (v) knowledge gaps and future prospects of UASs application in hydrology. The first aim of this review is to serve as a reference or introductory document for all researchers and water managers who are interested in embracing this novel technology. The second aim is to unify in a single document all the possibilities, potential approaches and results obtained by different authors through the implementation of UASs

Learning from hydrological and hydrogeological problems in civil engineering. Study of reservoirs in Andalusia, Spain

This study presents a novel review of seven case histories of Andalusian reservoirs (Southern Spain) affected by different hydrological and hydrogeological problems that have led to severe malfunctions. The failures reported are related to (i) water quality degradation due to salinization and acid mine drainage, (ii) leakage in karstified terrains, (iii) environmental and hydrogeological impacts associated with an inadequate water planning and (iv) large evaporative losses from the reservoir. Detailed information on the geological context, hydrological/hydrogeological origin of the problem, repercussions on infrastructure functioning and remedial measures applied or proposed has been gathered for each case. Results of on-site research carried out by the authors in some of the locations studied and a comparative analysis of similar case histories at international level are also included. The purpose of this work is to emphasize the need of learning from past mistakes and provide guidance for future dam construction works, especially in the Mediterranean region. It also highlights the role of geological and hydrogeological research in dam sitting and the consequences of inadequate terrain characterisation, biased hydrological planning and data misinterpretation or undervaluation. This review evidences the need of conducting comprehensive studies that do not only focus on the infrastructure itself, but also on non-constructive aspects (monitoring of geological features and hydrological variables) and relevant processes (e.g. leakage, salinization and contamination) that might compromise the efficient functioning of the infrastructur

Short and Long-Term Effect of Land Use and Management on Soil Organic Carbon Stock in Semi-Desert Areas of North Africa-Tunisia

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays an important role in the global C cycle, as well as in the maintenance and improvement of the soil quality. Over time, special attention has been paid to it in the study of the SOC reserves worldwide; however, reduced attention has been given to assessing the spatial patterns of SOC stock (SOCS) in semi-desert ecosystems. In this line, there are no conclusive studies in drylands of Africa affected by aeolian processes (semi-desert conditions) mainly due to the complexity of sample collection, and this is especially significant in some soil types such as Arenosols (AR) and Calcisols (CL). This study evaluated the spatial variability of SOC and SOCS in AR and CL with woody crops in relation to land use and management (old plantations > 100 years: centenary olive grove; new plantations < 12 years: young olive grove, almond, and pistachio) in semi-desert conditions. For this purpose, 16 soil profiles (for 0–40 and 40–100 cm depth) were selected and studied in an experimental area of Menzel Chaker-Sfax in southeastern Tunisia (North Africa). The main results indicated that the SOCS on average was higher in Old Cultivated AR (OC-AR) with 41.16 Mg ha−1 compared to Newly Cultivated AR (NC-AR) with 25.13 Mg ha−1. However, the SOCS decreased after a long period of cultivation in CL from 43.00 Mg ha−1 (Newly Cultivated CL: NC-CL) to 32.19 Mg ha−1 (Old Cultivated CL: OC-CL). This indicates that in the long term, CL has more capacity to store SOC than AR, and that in the short term, AR is more sensitive to land management than CL

Using UAV Photogrammetry and Automated Sensors to Assess Aquifer Recharge from a Coastal Wetland

Novel data-acquisition technologies have revolutionized the study of natural systems, allowing the massive collection of information in situ and remotely. Merging these technologies improves the understanding of complex hydrological interactions, such as those of wetland–aquifer systems, and facilitates their conservation and management. This paper presents the combination of UAV technology with water level dataloggers for the study of a coastal temporary wetland linked to an underlying sandy aquifer and influenced by the tidal regime. Wetland morphology was defined using UAV imagery and SfM algorithms during the dry period. The DTM (6.9 cm resolution) was used to generate a flood model, which was subsequently validated with an orthophoto from a wet period. This information was combined with water stage records at 10-min intervals from a network of dataloggers to infer the water balance of the wetland and the transfers to the aquifer. Inflows into the pond were around 6200 m3 (40% direct precipitation over the pond, 60% surface runoff). Outputs equalled the inputs (41% direct evaporation from water surface, 59% transfers into the aquifer). The proposed methodology has demonstrated its suitability to unravel complex wetland–aquifer interactions and to provide reliable estimations of the elements of the water balance21 página

Psychosocial and sociodemographic predictors of attrition in a longitudinal study of major depression in primary care: the predictD-Spain study

Few data exist on the psychosocial factors associated with attrition in longitudinal surveys. This study was undertaken to determine psychosocial and sociodemographic predictors of attrition from a longitudinal study of the onset and persistence of episodes of major depression in primary care

Predicting the onset of anxiety syndromes at 12 months in primary care attendees. The PredictA-Spain study

Background: There are no risk algorithms for the onset of anxiety syndromes at 12 months in primary care. We aimed to develop and validate internally a risk algorithm to predict the onset of anxiety syndromes at 12 months. Methods: A prospective cohort study with evaluations at baseline, 6 and 12 months. We measured 39 known risk factors and used multilevel logistic regression and inverse probability weighting to build the risk algorithm. Our main outcome was generalized anxiety, panic and other non-specific anxiety syndromes as measured by the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders, Patient Health Questionnaire (PRIME-MD-PHQ). We recruited 3,564 adult primary care attendees without anxiety syndromes from 174 family physicians and 32 health centers in 6 Spanish provinces. Results: The cumulative 12-month incidence of anxiety syndromes was 12.2%. The predictA-Spain risk algorithm included the following predictors of anxiety syndromes: province; sex (female); younger age; taking medicines for anxiety, depression or stress; worse physical and mental quality of life (SF-12); dissatisfaction with paid and unpaid work; perception of financial strain; and the interactions sex*age, sex*perception of financial strain, and age*dissatisfaction with paid work. The C-index was 0.80 (95% confidence interval = 0.78–0.83) and the Hedges' g = 1.17 (95% confidence interval = 1.04–1.29). The Copas shrinkage factor was 0.98 and calibration plots showed an accurate goodness of fit. Conclusions: The predictA-Spain risk algorithm is valid to predict anxiety syndromes at 12 months. Although external validation is required, the predictA-Spain is available for use as a predictive tool in the prevention of anxiety syndromes in primary care.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health (grant FIS references: PI041980, PI041771, PI042450 and PI06/1442) and the Andalusian Council of Health (grant references: 05/403 and 06/278); as well as the Spanish Network of Primary Care Research ‘redIAPP’ (RD06/0018), the ‘Aragón group’ (RD06/0018/0020), the ‘Baleares group’ (RD07/0018/0033), and the ‘SAMSERAP group’ (RD06/0018/0039)

Multiple health behaviour change primary care intervention for smoking cessation, physical activity and healthy diet in adults 45 to 75 years old (EIRA study): a hybrid effectiveness-implementation cluster randomised trial

Methods: A cluster randomised effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial-type 2 with two parallel groups was conducted in 25 Spanish Primary Health Care (PHC) centres (3062 participants): 12 centres (1481 participants) were randomised to the intervention and 13 (1581 participants) to the control group (usual care). The intervention was based on the Transtheoretical Model and focused on all target behaviours using individual, group and community approaches. PHC professionals made it during routine care. The implementation strategy was based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Data were analysed using generalised linear mixed models, accounting for clustering. A mixed-methods data analysis was used to evaluate implementation outcomes (adoption, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility and fidelity) and determinants of implementation success. Results: 14.5% of participants in the intervention group and 8.9% in the usual care group showed a positive change in two or all the target behaviours. Intervention was more effective in promoting dietary behaviour change (31.9% vs 21.4%). The overall adoption rate by professionals was 48.7%. Early and final appropriateness were perceived by professionals as moderate. Early acceptability was high, whereas final acceptability was only moderate. Initial and final acceptability as perceived by the participants was high, and appropriateness moderate. Consent and recruitment rates were 82.0% and 65.5%, respectively, intervention uptake was 89.5% and completion rate 74.7%. The global value of the percentage of approaches with fidelity ≥50% was 16.7%. Eight CFIR constructs distinguished between high and low implementation, five corresponding to the Inner Setting domain. Conclusions: Compared to usual care, the EIRA intervention was more effective in promoting MHBC and dietary behaviour change. Implementation outcomes were satisfactory except for the fidelity to the planned intervention, which was low. The organisational and structural contexts of the centres proved to be significant determinants of implementation effectiveness

High-resolution late Holocene sedimentary cores record the long history of the city of Cádiz (south-western Spain)

Today, coastal cities worldwide are facing major changes resulting from climate change and anthropogenic forcing, which requires adaptation and mitigation strategies to be established. In this context, sedimentological archives in many Mediterranean cities record a multi-millennial history of environmental dynamics and human adaptation, revealing a long-lasting resilience. Founded by the Phoenicians around 3000 years ago, Cadiz (south-western Spain) is a key example of a coastal resilient city. This urban centre is considered to be one of the first cities of western Europe and has experienced major natural hazards during its long history, such as coastal erosion, storms, and also tsunamis (like the one in 1755 CE following the destructive Lisbon earthquake). In the framework of an international, joint archaeological and geoarchaeological project, three cores have been drilled in a marine palaeochannel that ran through the ancient city of Cadiz. These cores reveal a >= 50m thick Holocene sedimentary sequence. Importantly, most of the deposits date from the 1st millennium BCE to the 1st millennium CE. This exceptional sedimentary archive will allow our scientific team to achieve its research goals, which are (1) to reconstruct the palaeogeographical evolution of this specific coastal area; (2) to trace the intensity of activities of the city of Cadiz based on archaeological data, as well as geochemical and palaeoecological indicators; and (3) to identify and date high-energy event deposits such as storms and tsunami