Article
Environmental Sciences
Hsin-Pei Chen, Mengshan Lee, Pei-Te Chiueh
Summary: This study aims to improve the LCA model by incorporating the impacts of land use on ecosystem services into the existing impact assessment method. The results showed that the type of land use intervention, contamination levels, and material or energy use are key factors determining the impact level of land use on ecosystem services.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Calli P. VanderWilde, Joshua P. Newell
Summary: This study reviewed research on ecosystem services and life cycle assessment using bibliometric mapping and network analysis. It found that despite shared environmental sustainability objectives, these two areas have evolved as distinct fields with little interaction. The research identified a limited number of LCA studies that integrate biotic ecosystem services meaningfully, with a focus on regulation and maintenance services over provisioning services.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Charlene Vance, Matia Mainardis, Francesca Magnolo, Joseph Sweeney, Fionnuala Murphy
Summary: This study integrates system dynamics (SD) thinking with life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) to understand the impact of seagrass meadow degradation on the circular bioeconomy. The results highlight the complexities in stakeholder perspectives and the importance of considering environmental and community impacts in assessing ecosystem services and restoration costs.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Tong Li, Lizhen Cui, Zhihong Xu, Hongdou Liu, Xiaoyong Cui, Peter Fantke
Summary: Soil ecosystems are facing increasing pressure from human activities, including the introduction of micro-and nanoplastics (MNPs), which have become prevalent worldwide. However, the environmental impact of MNPs on soil ecosystem services has not been adequately addressed in current Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods. This study provides an overview of the current understanding of MNPs in soil ecosystems and proposes a conceptual approach to link MNPs impacts to soil ecosystem services damage.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Laura Scherer, Francesca Rosa, Zhongxiao Sun, Ottar Michelsen, Valeria De Laurentiis, Alexandra Marques, Stephan Pfister, Francesca Verones, Koen J. J. Kuipers
Summary: Land use poses a significant threat to terrestrial biodiversity. Life cycle assessment is a valuable tool for evaluating such threats and aiding environmental decision-making. This study focuses on land use impacts and introduces new characterization factors that consider land use intensities and fragmentation, as well as updates the dataset used for modeling. The findings provide practical guidance for the use of these factors and offer a critical assessment of their strengths and limitations.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas Elliot, Benjamin Goldstein, Erik Gomez-Baggethun, Vania Proenca, Benedetto Rugani
Summary: Climate change and biodiversity loss are pressing environmental challenges tightly linked to urban processes. This study utilizes a novel method to model future urban supplies and demands of ecosystem services, finding that ecosystem deficits are projected to increase in global climate regulation and global habitat maintenance. The authors emphasize the need for urban sustainability strategies to address multi-level environmental impacts by promoting local restoration and changes to consumption patterns, as well as remote ecological restoration.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Serenella Sala, Andrea Martino Amadei, Antoine Beylot, Fulvio Ardente
Summary: Life cycle thinking (LCT) and life cycle assessment (LCA) are crucial concepts and methods for sustainable transitions, particularly in EU policies. While there has been an increasing mention of life cycle concepts and approaches in EU policies over three decades, implementation remains a challenge, especially in certain sectors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pradeep Kumar Badapalli, Raghu Babu Kottala, Rajasekhar Madiga, Veeraswamy Golla
Summary: This study assesses land degradation and desertification over the past 29 years using remote sensing and geographical information system. The results show a slight increase in water bodies, a significant increase in built-up land, and a severe decrease in vegetation. Fallow land, degraded land, and desertified lands have increased at alarming rates.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Gulizar Balcioglu, Harish K. Jeswani, Adisa Azapagic
Summary: This study evaluates the life cycle environmental impacts and costs of heat and electricity generation from poplar and Miscanthus, two potential energy crops in Turkey. The results show that poplar-based combined heat and power (CHP) combustion is the best option in terms of environmental impacts. All bioenergy plants provide significant reductions in global warming potential, fossil fuel depletion, and human toxicity. Poplar-based energy plants have better environmental and economic profiles compared to Miscanthus, except when land use change is considered.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Lia Laporta, Tiago Domingos, Cristina Marta-Pedroso
Summary: The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2020 led to spatially explicit quantifications of Ecosystem Services in Europe. In Portugal, the MAES initiative aimed to address this strategy by evaluating ecosystems and their services. The study in the Alentejo region detailed methodological and analytical frameworks and highlighted the potential of MAES for landscape planning.
Article
Environmental Studies
Claudinei Oliveira dos Santos, Alexandre de Siqueira Pinto, Janete Rego da Silva, Leandro Leal Parente, Vinicius Vieira Mesquita, Maiara Pedral dos Santos, Laerte Guimaraes Ferreira
Summary: Brazil, the seventh largest emitter of greenhouse gases in 2020, showed that 73% of its emissions were related to land use. This study utilized the CENTURY model, georeferenced databases, and the R environment to map and analyze the dynamics of carbon stocks in the pasture areas of the Cerrado biome from 2000 to 2019. The results revealed a loss of approximately 103 MtC in Cerrado pasture soils over the past twenty years. Mapping and monitoring carbon stocks in this land use type are crucial in supporting Brazil's efforts to mitigate carbon emissions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Annalisa C. M. Mazzorato, Ellen H. Esch, Andrew S. MacDougall
Summary: The study found that the interaction of management legacy, soil texture, and nutrients plays a more important role in predicting SOC than short-term retirement. Maintaining SOC on cropland remains a management priority as cropland represents a significant proportion of total farm SOC. Remnant forests contain high levels of SOC and play an important role in maintaining SOC stocks in farm landscapes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhou Shen, Lorie Hamelin, Ligia Tiruta-Barna
Summary: Bioeconomy can address the triple balancing challenge of the Paris Agreement by using woody plants as construction materials, absorbing CO2 and replacing petrochemical or energy-intensive materials. This study investigates the long-term environmental performance of using black locust planted on carbon vulnerable lands and finds that it can store additional carbon in soils. However, GHG emissions from manufacturing and end-of-life processes offset the carbon capture benefit.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Silvia Iodice, Elena Garbarino, Maria Cerreta, Davide Tonini
Summary: This study focuses on the socio-economic and environmental implications of Construction and Demolition Waste management in the Campania Region, Italy, investigating three scenarios: Status Quo, Linear Economy, and Best Practice. It highlights the significant potential environmental and social benefits of best practices, such as saving CO2 emissions and creating additional jobs, but also points out that economic costs may hinder their application.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Nicole Bamber, Ryan Johnson, Emily Laage, Goretty Dias, Peter Tyedmers, Nathan Pelletier
Summary: This manuscript reviews LCA studies of organic field crops and aims to identify best practices in collecting life cycle inventory data. Based on the analysis of previous studies, recommendations are provided for data collection and model selection for future research.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marco Vittorio Ecclesia, Joao Santos, Paul E. Brockway, Tiago Domingos
Summary: The declining EROIs of energy sources imply a decrease in the efficiency of extracting and producing energy globally. This study introduces a new societal EROI measure that takes into account a broader range of energy sources and the influence of imported and exported energy. Using Portugal as a case study, the new EROI is found to be considerably lower but stable, indicating its independence from economic growth. The declining societal EROI at the final stage emphasizes the importance of producing new and more efficient energy converting capital for a successful transition to renewables.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Tiago G. Morais, Marjan Jongen, Camila Tufik, Nuno R. Rodrigues, Ivo Gama, David Fangueiro, Joao Serrano, Susana Vieira, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira
Summary: In this study, remote sensing and machine learning methods were used to estimate the properties of sown biodiverse pastures rich in legumes in Portugal. The results showed that the random forest algorithm had the best estimation accuracy for all pasture characteristics.
PRECISION AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Michael G. Parkes, Duarte Leal Azevedo, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira
Summary: This paper presents a literature review on agricultural technology for urban agriculture, specifically focusing on the benefits of controlled environment agriculture and soil-less growing systems in urban buildings. The review finds that while these technologies have been widely recognized for their potential advantages, there is limited data to quantify these benefits and determine the exact environmental effects.
Article
Environmental Studies
Manuel P. dos Santos, Tiago G. Morais, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira
Summary: This study measures and values the ecosystem services provided by pasture-based beef farms in Alentejo, focusing on grasslands and croplands. The results show that these farms play a significant role in providing ecosystem services, particularly in soil protection. However, these positive environmental effects are currently not remunerated by the market.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jose Santos-Silva, Susana P. Alves, Alexandra Francisco, Ana Paula Portugal, Maria Teresa Dentinho, Joao Almeida, Jose Leandro Regedor da Silva, Leticia Fialho, Liliana Cachucho, Eliana Jeronimo, Ana Barradas, Antonio Rodrigues, Nuno Rodrigues, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira, Tiago Domingos, Rui J. B. Bessa
Summary: This study compared the effects of two diets on the growth performance, carcass and meat quality, fatty acid profile, and carbon footprint of young crossbred-bulls. The results showed that a diet with high forage content and low starch content supplemented with sunflower seeds can be an alternative to conventional diets, although it may slightly reduce animal performance. This alternative diet has a strong impact on reducing dependence on external resources.
Correction
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Tiago G. Morais, Marjan Jongen, Camila Tufik, Nuno R. Rodrigues, Ivo Gama, David Fangueiro, Joao Serrano, Susana Vieira, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira
PRECISION AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Michael Graham Parkes, Rebekah O'Rourke, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira
Summary: An experimental urban-agriculture project in Lisbon, Portugal, started in 2018 with multiple stakeholders, but was closed in 2022. The project involved an indoor vertical farm in a university building and showed promising outcomes initially. However, the analysis revealed a failure to establish consistent engagement of stakeholders in governance practices and a lack of critical governance factors. This case study emphasizes the importance of investing in good governance structures, promoting dialogue between parties, and cultivating a shared culture for future urban-agriculture projects to be sustainable.
Article
Environmental Studies
Giacomo Ravaioli, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira
Summary: Agent-based models (ABMs) are not widely used by policymakers for simulating the behaviour of agricultural agents in response to land use (LU) policy. LU ABMs mainly rely on pre-defined behavioural rules at the individual farmers' level and prioritize explanatory purposes over predictive purposes. We propose a framework to develop data-driven ABMs for agricultural LU by integrating machine learning (ML) algorithms to learn agents' behavioural rules from data, which can provide novel insights and improve the ability of ABMs to predict policy outcomes at the micro-level.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giacomo Ravaioli, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira
Summary: Portugal implemented a program to incentivize the adoption of sown biodiverse permanent pastures rich in legumes (SBP) to offset animal farming emissions. However, no proper evaluation was conducted on its outcome. To address this gap, an agent-based model (ABM) was developed to study the adoption of SBP in Portugal and assess the program's outcome. The ABM confirmed the program's effectiveness in expanding the adoption of SBP, but also showed that the adoption rate would have been higher without payments and decreased after the conclusion of the program. These findings highlight the importance of reliable models and considering residual effects in designing land use policies. The ABM developed in this study provides a basis for future research to promote the adoption of SBP.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Andreia Saavedra Cardoso, Tiago Domingos
Summary: Landscape changes and agricultural land take impact the provision of ecosystem services in city regions. The study proposes an Edible Green Infrastructure (EGI) in peri-urban and rural contexts and analyzes food system relocalization in Lisbon. The research examines land cover flows, performs EGI mapping and landscape planning, and assesses food provisioning ES supply, budgets, footprint, and the loss of land biocapacity due to land take. The results support the integration of food system planning into spatial planning and the development of city region food systems.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Agronomy
Tiago G. Morais, Tiago Domingos, Ricardo F. M. Teixeira
Summary: In this study, a neural network algorithm was developed to characterize the Portuguese agri-forestry system Montado using high-resolution orthophotos. The algorithm successfully identified regions with trees, shrubs, covered and/or bare soil in grasslands. The model can effectively identify the shrub encroachment status of the Montado ecosystem, providing valuable information for future management.
REMOTE SENSING FOR AGRICULTURE, ECOSYSTEMS, AND HYDROLOGY XXIV
(2022)