Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer, M. Jahi Chappell, Elena M. Bennett
Summary: There has been a shift in scientific thinking about agriculture from focusing on maximizing yields to balancing trade-offs and delivering multiple ecosystem services. Maximizing yields often leads to environmental harm and benefits only a few, while ignoring other benefits of agriculture like health and livelihoods. Shifting the emphasis to multiple benefits and equitable delivery, we find scientific evidence of win-wins for people and nature through strategies that foster FARE agriculture.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Heitor Mancini Teixeira, Felix J. J. A. Bianchi, Irene Maria Cardoso, Pablo Tittonell, Marielos Pena-Claros
Summary: The study found that agroecological management led to increased plant diversity, thus enhancing soil quality in pastures. Despite higher weeding intensity and more external inputs in large-scale and conventional coffee farming systems, they did not result in improved soil quality or coffee productivity compared to agroecological systems.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Environmental Studies
Omoyemeh J. Ile, Hanna McCormick, Sheila Skrabacz, Shamik Bhattacharya, Maricar Aguilos, Henrique D. R. Carvalho, Joshua Idassi, Justin Baker, Joshua L. Heitman, John S. King
Summary: One of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal's aims is to enhance access to clean energy. Integrating Short Rotation Woody Crops (SRWC) into conventional agriculture provides opportunities for sustainable domestic energy production, rural economic development/diversification, and restoration of soil health and biodiversity. Our findings show that integrating SRWC into agricultural systems can potentially improve the climate of agricultural landscapes and enhance regional and national carbon stocks in terrestrial systems.
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Sara Bosshardt, Rodolphe Sabatier, Arnaud Dufils, Mireille Navarrete
Summary: Integrating chickens into orchards can provide income diversification and ecological benefits, but there is currently a lack of comprehensive research on this agroecosystem.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Linda R. Harris, Omar Defeo
Summary: This study aimed to comprehensively list and classify the ecosystem services provided by sandy shores and identified 11 ecosystem service bundles. The study discussed the threats to ecosystem service supply and proposed solutions to address these threats.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alberto Gonzalez-Garcia, Marina Arias, Susana Garcia-Tiscar, Paloma Alcorlo, Fernando Santos-Martin
Summary: This study maps and assesses the current and future capacity of marine phanerogams in Spain to store and sequester blue carbon. The results show that a majority of carbon storage is currently managed within Natura 2000 areas, but there is a projected decline in carbon storage by 2050. The economic implications of these losses are substantial, equivalent to around 1.6% of the Spanish GDP. It is concluded that transformative management change is necessary to conserve marine phanerogams in Spain.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arijit Das, Manob Das, Riya Gupta
Summary: Wetland ecosystems are highly productive and provide essential ecosystem services to humans. However, they are being degraded due to a lack of understanding of social benefits and economic values. This study compares two wetlands in Eastern India and identifies differences in ecosystem services and their perceived importance. The findings suggest the need for policy interventions and further research to ensure the sustainability of dependent communities and the ecosystem health of wetlands.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Frida Cital, Jorge Ramirez-Hernandez, Jaqueline Garcia-Hernandez, German Garcia-Leyva, J. Eliana Rodriguez-Burgueno, Maria Elizabeth Ramirez-Barreto
Summary: Agricultural ditches in the Mexicali Valley not only efficiently remove nutrients, but also provide bird habitat and sediment retention. Monitoring results showed a total nutrient removal efficiency of 39% over a year.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Carl Wepking, Hunter C. C. Mackin, Zach Raff, Debendra Shrestha, Anna Orfanou, Eric G. G. Booth, Christopher J. J. Kucharik, Claudio Gratton, Randall D. D. Jackson
Summary: The dominant forms of agricultural production in the U.S. Upper Midwest are negatively affecting human health and well-being. Restoring critical ecosystem functions to agriculture is crucial for climate stabilization, flood reduction, water purification, and biodiversity enhancement. Simulation models showed that perennial grasslands providing feed for dairy livestock significantly improved ecosystem functions compared to continuous corn, suggesting the importance of incentivizing multiple ecosystem services in agricultural management.
FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Santa Celma, Marina Sanz, Pilar Ciria, Oksana Maliarenko, Oleh Prysiazhniuk, Mudrite Daugaviete, Dagnija Lazdina, Moritz von Cossel
Summary: This study assessed the performance of woody crops on marginal agricultural land in Latvia, Spain and Ukraine, finding that productivity can be increased with optimized management practices. However, longer rotations and lower biomass yields are expected when growing woody crops on similar marginal agricultural land compared to high-value land. Future research should investigate the extent to which woody crops can contribute to rural development under these conditions.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jian Zhang, Wen Guo, Changjin Cheng, Zhiying Tang, Lianghua Qi
Summary: This study analyzes the bundling of different ecosystem services and their socioecological drivers in the Danjiangkou Basin. The results reveal the temporal and spatial variations of ecosystem services and their relationship with driving factors. By studying the spatiotemporal dynamics and distribution of ES bundles, this study provides support for future ecological policy planning and implementation.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Frederic Baudron, Bram Govaerts, Nele Verhulst, Andrew McDonald, Bruno Gerard
Summary: Increased agricultural production is a major driver of the current biodiversity crisis, with 'land sparing' and 'land sharing' being advocated as contrasting approaches to address the issue. However, these approaches have been mainly driven by conservation ecologists and often overlook important issues related to farming.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Virginia M. Moore, Brandon Schlautman, Shui-zhang Fei, Lucas M. Roberts, Marnin Wolfe, Matthew R. Ryan, Samantha Wells, Aaron J. Lorenz
Summary: Monoculture cropping systems are dominant in temperate agroecosystems, but intercropping offers various benefits. Breeding cultivars adapted to intercropping requires a systems approach and considering multiple factors. Agronomic and ecological knowledge, as well as collaboration with other researchers and stakeholders, are essential in designing selection schemes for cropping systems with greater complexity.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiqi Zhao, Yanming Chen, Yuda Cuan, Han Zhang, Wei Li, Sida Wan, Manchun Li
Summary: With the intensification of global warming, the research on ecosystem services and land use management has attracted increasing attention in countries facing development difficulties. The balance between ecological protection and economic development remains a challenge during urbanization. Identifying regional cultural ecosystem services and formulating regional development strategies by combining natural conditions with humanistic and social tendencies may be an effective approach to support decision-making in land and spatial planning.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andres Bravo-Oviedo, Douglas N. Kastendick, Iciar Alberdi, Christopher W. Woodall
Summary: The study found that the relationship between tree species richness and aboveground productivity shows a unimodal response in grasslands but to a lesser extent in forests. Increasing species richness can lead to higher carbon stocks in forests but does not necessarily result in higher timber volume production. Different factors, such as abiotic factors and management regimes, may influence this relationship.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Maartje Oostdijk, Erla Sturludottir, Maria J. Santos
Summary: The study found that marine fishes and invertebrates in Icelandic waters exhibit divergent responses to warming and acidification scenarios, with planktonic groups and forage fish benefiting while benthic groups and predatory fish decreasing. The results emphasize the interdependencies of global change drivers and their cascading effects on trophic organization, with implications for the stability of important species in Icelandic fisheries.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joan Sturm, Maria J. Santos, Bernhard Schmid, Alexander Damm
Summary: This study quantifies the response of Swiss forests to the 2018 drought in terms of resistance, recovery, and resilience using satellite data. The results show that a small percentage of the forest had low resistance to drought, and some areas continued to decline after the drought. Tree functional type was found to be the most important driver of drought resilience. These findings are important for understanding forest vulnerability to future extreme events and for finding appropriate adaptation strategies.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Shuqiong Wang, Jerry van Dijk, Martin J. Wassen
Summary: This study investigates the influence of nitrogen (N): phosphorus (P) stoichiometry on sexual reproduction performance in grassland species. The results suggest that under P limitation/co-limitation, grassland species tend to have earlier flowering time and longer seed stalk and seed panicle, but shorter flowering period and fewer flowers per individual. Soil pH and moisture also show significant correlations with sexual reproduction performance.
Article
Agronomy
Dabwiso Sakala, Stefan Olin, Maria J. Santos
Summary: Using biomass for charcoal production in sub-Saharan Africa may lead to irreversible changes in carbon balance, with high biomass biomes disproportionately affected. Charcoal production contributes to deforestation and significant carbon emissions, especially in tropical rain forests and montane forests. The recovery time for these biomes is much longer compared to others, indicating that current charcoal production practices in sub-Saharan Africa are not sustainable.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY BIOENERGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Martin Oliver Reader, Maarten B. Eppinga, Hugo Jan de Boer, Alexander Damm, Owen L. Petchey, Maria J. Santos
Summary: Global change is threatening nature and ecosystem services, and biodiversity may mediate these impacts. The study examines how biodiversity interacts with anthropogenic drivers and influences ecosystem services in mountains, islands, and deltas. The findings show that intact biodiversity strengthens driver-ecosystem service relationships, whereas higher species richness weakens them.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Silja Zimmermann, Brian J. Dermody, Bert Theunissen, Martin J. Wassen, Lauren M. Divine, Veronica M. Padula, Henrik von Wehrden, Ine Dorresteijn
Summary: Arctic food systems are facing challenges like climate change, food security loss, and destabilization of Indigenous practices. Despite growing scientific knowledge, Indigenous communities still struggle with sustainability challenges. A systematic review of 526 articles was conducted to understand the existing knowledge on Arctic Indigenous food systems. The study identified gaps and proposed directions for future research to enable sustainability transformations.
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Leila A. A. Schuh, Maria J. J. Santos, Michael E. E. Schaepman, Reinhard Furrer
Summary: In this study, a novel method was proposed to quantify multi-scale spatial structural diversity in continuous remote sensing data. The method combines information from different scales using an empirical Bayesian model and utilizes an entropy metric and a value co-occurrence approach to capture heterogeneity. Testing on NDVI data in northern Eurasia and simulated data showed that multi-scale structural diversity can manifest as patches and linear landscape features, revealing transition zones and areas of distinct values.
Article
Plant Sciences
Rafael Alcala-Herrera, Beatriz Moreno, Martin Aguirrebengoa, Silvia Winter, Ana Belen Robles-Cruz, Maria Eugenia Ramos-Font, Emilio Benitez
Summary: This study compared soils from organic and conventional vineyards and predicted functional profiles through metagenomic analysis. It found that organic viticulture enhances functions related to the cycling of organic N, P, and C substrates, while conventional management increases the potential capacity of the soil to regulate the cycling of inorganic forms of N. Organic viticulture has the potential to address climate change in the context of sustainable agriculture.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Robert Czubaszek, Agnieszka Wysocka-Czubaszek, Piotr Banaszuk, Grzegorz Zajac, Martin J. Wassen
Summary: Maintenance of urban green infrastructure generates biomass for biogas production. This study investigates the effect of cutting time and substrate preservation method on methane yield from urban grass. Results show higher methane yields with wet fermentation technology. Electricity and heat production are influenced by cutting time, preservation method, and AD technology. CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced by utilizing grass from roadside verges in biogas plants. Biogas production from grass waste in wet fermentation technology is stable. Cutting time and preservation method do not affect the AD process.
Article
Plant Sciences
M. J. J. van der Weiden, A. M. M. van Haperen, T. J. Kanters, M. J. Wassen
Summary: The Slikken van Flakkee, a former tidal wetland in the Netherlands, has experienced changes in vegetation and physico-chemical conditions since 1971. This study analyzes succession and quantifies geochemical processes in relation to the vegetation development. The research emphasizes the importance of active nature management in promoting species diversity and recommends hydrological-geochemical modeling to inform policy-making.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Maria Barciela-Rial, Remon M. Saaltink, Thijs van Kessel, Claire Chassagne, Stefan C. Dekker, Hugo J. de Boer, Jasper Griffioen, Martin J. Wassen, Johan C. Winterwerp
Summary: A new experimental setup was constructed to investigate the effect of Phragmites australis on the consolidation and drainage of dredged sediment. The results showed that Phragmites australis altered the pore pressure gradient and increased water loss through evaporation and transpiration. The study provides a foundation for further research on the impact of plant growth on consolidation.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Murray W. Scown, Frances E. Dunn, Stefan C. Dekker, Detlef P. van Vuuren, Sitar Karabil, Edwin H. Sutanudjaja, Maria J. Santos, Philip S. J. Minderhoud, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Hans Middelkoop
Summary: Deltas, with their large populations and productive croplands, are crucial for global sustainable development. However, they face multiple pressures due to their low-lying position between river basin development and rising seas. These pressures could undermine the persistence of delta societies, economies, and ecosystems.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Martin Oliver Reader, Maarten B. Eppinga, Hugo Jan de Boer, Alexander Damm, Owen L. Petchey, Maria J. Santos
Summary: The direct relationship between societal development and local ecosystem services breaks down at relatively minor levels of human modification of large river delta landscapes. As societies develop, they replace ecosystem services such as food or water regulation through trade and technology, leading to a decoupling of society and its local ecosystem. River deltas have become important urban, agricultural, and industrial centers but are also under threat. The study found that some ecosystem services increased with human modifications, while others declined.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joana Pereira, Maria Joao Santos, Luis Miguel Rosalino
Summary: This study used social network analysis to investigate the interactions between local communities and stakeholders in Quirimbas National Park, Mozambique. The results revealed limited cooperation and lack of bidirectional communication, resulting in low knowledge transfer but strong bonding among similar stakeholder groups. Local communities only interacted with the district government and had a passive voice in the system. Therefore, a more inclusive network structure is needed to achieve conservation and community livelihood goals.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2022)