Article
Environmental Sciences
Shijun Zhou, Ling Cong, Jiakai Liu, Zhenming Zhang
Summary: This study examined the dynamics of water-insoluble PM (WIPM) and water-soluble ions (WSII) during the removal of PM from the leaf surface by rainfall at different canopy heights. The results showed variations in the composition and proportions of WIPM and WSII at different stages of the rainfall process, and slightly different concentrations of WIPM and WSII were removed from upper and lower leaves, especially at high rainfall intensity.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Guojian Chen, Lin Lin, Yang Hu, Yuxin Zhang, Keming Ma
Summary: The study found that different plant species have varying abilities and efficiencies in removing particulate matter (PM), with species with high self-cleaning ability generally having higher net PM removal efficiency, while coniferous trees have lower net PM removal efficiency. Furthermore, there are greater differences in the net removal ability of fine and coarse PM compared with large PM, suggesting that careful consideration should be given when selecting species for fine and coarse PM mitigation.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Min Young Kim, Yong Gi Jung, Jin Chul Park, Young Kwon Yang
Summary: The study found that forced resuspension is an effective method for reducing deposited particulate matter in indoor environments, with four-way airflow being more effective than one-way airflow. The orientation and velocity of the airflow have an impact on the resuspension and removal efficiency of particulates, with a flow velocity of 5 m/s or higher being necessary to resuspend deposited particulate matter.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shijun Zhou, Ling Cong, Ying Liu, Lumeng Xie, Shiqiang Zhao, Zhenming Zhang
Summary: The study found that rainfall had different removal effects on plant leaf surface PM of different categories of urban greenery at different rainfall intensities. Among the same category of plants, different plants showed varying particle retention capabilities. Higher rainfall intensity resulted in the highest mass of PM removed from leaf surface units for all tested plants.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melissa Mendez-Lopez, Cristina Eimil-Fraga, Flora Alonso-Vega, Roque Rodriguez-Soalleiro, Esperanza Alvarez-Rodriguez, Manuel Arias-Estevez, Juan Carlos Novoa-Munoz
Summary: This study investigates the variation of mercury concentration and pools in soils collected from Pinus pinaster stands along a coastal-inland transect in SW Europe. The results show that total mercury concentration is higher in the organic subhorizons compared to the mineral soil, and it decreases with depth. The climatic factors, particularly precipitation, along the transect have a significant influence on the variation of total mercury concentration in the organic subhorizons.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhang Yu, Yan Guoxin, Dai Liyi, Cong Ling, Wu Yanan, Zhai Jiexiu, Zhang Zhenming
Summary: This study quantitatively analyzed and compared the near-surface particulate matter removal ability of different land types under different pollution levels. The results showed that the removal effect of forests on particulate matter was better than that of wetlands.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Shu-Ye Jiang, Ali Ma, Srinivasan Ramachandran
Summary: A bio-generator of negative air ions (NAIs) has been developed in this study to help plants generate NAIs for more efficient removal of particulate matter. The use of this bio-generator can significantly reduce PM2.5 concentration in a growth chamber within a short period of time.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pablo Giraldez, Jesus R. Aboal, J. Angel Fernandez, Antonio Di Guardo, Elisa Terzaghi
Summary: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important pollutants mainly emitted from incomplete combustion of organic materials. They exist in high concentrations in cities and contaminate air in both gas and particle form. Using plants to capture PAHs is an effective measure to mitigate pollution. This study found variations in PAH uptake and enrichment ability among different conifer species, providing equations to fine tune the reduction of PAH concentrations in air by adjusting plant biomass.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jeongju Kim, Jeong Jae Kim, Sungho Park, Jihwan Kim, Sang Joon Lee
Summary: This study experimentally investigated the PM removal effects of electro-charged water droplets through electrospray atomization by quantitatively monitoring the PM concentration inside a test chamber. The results showed that the electrically charged water droplets have a significant impact on PM removal efficiency and deposition constant. The electrospray system can be utilized in real life to effectively remove indoor PM.
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xiangzheng Cui, Yongchun Zhao, Yushan Ji, Jingchao Liu, Tian Gao, Gangzhong Yang, Yi Wang, Rihong Xiao, Xing Chuai, Junying Zhang
Summary: The study examines the effect of heterogeneous agglomeration technology on the migration and emission of three trace elements (arsenic, selenium, and lead) in the tail flue gas of a domestic coal-fired power plant. The results demonstrate the efficient attachment of gaseous harmful trace elements to particulate matter, leading to significant reductions in their concentrations.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Fei Zang, Hong Wang, Chuanyan Zhao, Zhongren Nan, Shengli Wang, Jianhong Yang, Na Li
Summary: The study investigated atmospheric trace element (TE) deposition in remote forests of the Qilian Mountains. Results showed that copper (Cu) was the most abundant TE in wet deposition, with higher concentrations in Qinghai spruce forest compared to Qilian juniper forest. Factors influencing atmospheric TE deposition included rainfall amount, intensity, duration, humidity, and wind speed. Three major sources of particulate matter were identified as industrial activities and waste incineration, traffic emissions and coal combustion, and biomass burning. Long-range transport of TEs significantly impacts remote forest ecosystems in the Qilian Mountains.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Wei Ouyang, Pengtao Wang, Shaoqing Liu, Xin Hao, Zeshan Wu, Xintong Cui, Ri Jin, Weihong Zhu, Chunye Lin
Summary: The study revealed that carbon dioxide emissions in the Shuidong forest wetland catchment were mainly controlled by ecosystem respiration instead of gross primary production, and were significantly correlated with air temperature and relative humidity. Additionally, hydrological transport from upland forests may trigger the soil priming effect, leading to higher CO2 emissions within the local footprint area.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Chiara Vergata, Felice Contaldi, Ivan Baccelli, Alberto Santini, Francesco Pecori, Matteo Buti, Alessio Mengoni, Francesca Vaccaro, Barbara Basso Moura, Francesco Ferrini, Federico Martinelli
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the gene regulatory networks and leaf microbiome changes in response to air particulate matter (PM) pollution in plants, with the goal of exploring the potential of Phylloremediation in improving air quality. The results showed that plants under high PM levels had 28 differentially expressed genes, primarily involved in restructuring of the cell wall and membrane and repression of lipid desaturases. In addition, high PM levels suppressed genes related to primary metabolism and carbon assimilation pathways. Microbiome analysis revealed different effects on fungi belonging to the genera Epicoccum and Dioszegia. A transcriptional regulation model for plants in response to air PMs was proposed.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mengyan Chen, Jiayu Jiang, Shasha Feng, Ze-Xian Low, Zhaoxiang Zhong, Weihong Xing
Summary: The study introduced GO nanosheets into PVDF NFMs to prepare highly efficient air filters, with different GO loadings resulting in NFMs with diverse surface properties, static electricity, and filtration performance. The optimized GO/PVDF NFMs showed higher PM2.5 removal efficiency and better reusability compared to pristine PVDF NFMs and GO@PVDF NFMs.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhaoji Shi, Jiaen Zhang, Zeheng Xiao, Tiantian Lu, Xiaoqiao Ren, Hui Wei
Summary: The study found that acid rain inhibits plant growth and that aboveground and belowground plant parts respond differently to acid rain. Additionally, the acidity and interval of acid rain directly affect plant growth. Moreover, there are interactive patterns between acid rain pH and other acid rain characteristics and experimental factors.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tobias Fremout, Evert Thomas, Hermann Taedoumg, Siebe Briers, Claudia Elena Gutierrez-Miranda, Carolina Alcazar-Caicedo, Antonia Lindau, Hubert Mounmemi Kpoumie, Barbara Vinceti, Chris Kettle, Marius Ekue, Rachel Atkinson, Riina Jalonen, Hannes Gaisberger, Stephen Elliott, Esther Brechbuhler, Viviana Ceccarelli, Smitha Krishnan, Harald Vacik, Gabriela Wiederkehr-Guerra, Beatriz Salgado-Negret, Mailyn Adriana Gonzalez, Wilson Ramirez, Luis Gonzalo Moscoso-Higuita, Alvaro Vasquez, Jessica Cerron, Colin Maycock, Bart Muys
Summary: Restoring degraded ecosystems is a global priority, with tree planting playing a key role. The D4R tool integrates habitat suitability maps, functional trait analysis, and seed zone maps to select tree species and seed sources that best match restoration site conditions and objectives.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Charlotte Watteyn, Olivia Dejonghe, Kaat Van Hoyweghen, Jose Bernal Azofeifa Bolanos, Adam P. Karremans, Liesbet Vranken, Bert Reubens, Bart Muys, Miet Maertens
Summary: The study reveals that surveyed farmers generally have positive attitudes towards vanilla cultivation, preferring agroforestry systems, crop wild relatives, and manual pollination. They are more inclined to sell green vanilla beans and engage in cooperatives providing training and production contracts. Preferences vary among farmers, with the majority showing a strong preference for agro-ecological vanilla cultivation in diversified agroforestry systems.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Frederik Gerits, Bert Reubens, Lies Messely, Pallieter De Smedt, Dries Landuyt, Annelies Loos, Kris Verheyen
Summary: Landscape composition and its related functional agrobiodiversity (FAB) have been simplified in the past decades. Woody vegetation in rural landscapes plays a crucial role in buffering soil moisture and temperature variation. The activity-density of natural enemies and pollinators is influenced by agricultural land use and urban green. Different crops respond differently to higher temperature ranges. Overall, landscape composition does not have a direct relationship with crop yield.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Juan Zuo, Bart Muys, Matty P. Berg, Mariet M. Hefting, Richard S. P. van Logtestijn, Jurgen van Hal, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen
Summary: This study investigated earthworm communities in decaying deadwood and examined how their dynamics are influenced by tree species, wood decomposition stage, and forest environment. The results showed that tree species, wood decomposition stage, and forest type influenced the composition and abundance of earthworm communities in deadwood. Additionally, the interaction between these factors played a role in shaping the community dynamics. The findings suggest that the diversity of deadwood resources contributes to earthworm diversity in forests.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Economics
Georg Winkel, Marko Lovric, Bart Muys, Pia Katila, Thomas Lundhede, Mireia Pecurul, Davide Pettenella, Nathalie Pipart, Tobias Plieninger, Irina Prokofieva, Constanza Parra, Helga Pulzl, Dennis Roitsch, Jeanne-Lazya Roux, Bo Jellesmark Thorsen, Liisa Tyrvainen, Mario Torralba, Harald Vacik, Gerhard Weiss, Sven Wunder
Summary: This paper assesses the state and prospects of forest ecosystem services provision in Europe, identifying six challenges and three opportunities. Four policy pathways are introduced to better align forest ecosystem services provision and demand. The momentum of the EU Green Deal is emphasized for incentivizing the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ellen Desie, Juan Zuo, Kris Verheyen, Ika Djukic, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Harald Auge, Nadia Barsoum, Christel Baum, Helge Bruelheide, Nico Eisenhauer, Heike Feldhaar, Olga Ferlian, Dominique Gravel, Herve Jactel, Inger Kappel Schmidt, Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas, Celine Meredieu, Simone Mereu, Christian Messier, Lourdes Morillas, Charles Nock, Alain Paquette, Quentin Ponette, Peter B. Reich, Javier Roales, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Steffen Seitz, Anja Schmidt, Artur Stefanski, Stefan Trogisch, Inge van Halder, Martin Weih, Laura J. Williams, Bo Yang, Bart Muys
Summary: Tree species diversity has a significant impact on litter decomposition in forests. Our study, conducted in 15 tree diversity experiments across three continents, found that tree identity has a significant effect on decomposition, while tree species richness does not. Additionally, litter quality, stand age, and density also influence decomposition.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura Nikinmaa, Marcus Lindner, Elena Cantarello, Barry Gardiner, Jette Bredahl Jacobsen, Alistair S. Jump, Constanza Parra, Tobias Plieninger, Andreas Schuck, Rupert Seidl, Thomas Timberlake, Kristen Waring, Georg Winkel, Bart Muys
Summary: Against the backdrop of increasing climate-induced disturbances, there is an urgent need to enhance the resilience of forests and forest management. However, current methods for assessing resilience lack considerations for trade-offs. This study proposes a hierarchical framework that considers trade-offs between mechanisms, social-ecological system components, ecosystem services, and spatial and temporal scales to assess resilience.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nick Gutkin, Valens Uwizeyimana, Ben Somers, Bart Muys, Bruno Verbist
Summary: Eastern Rwanda has diverse land cover types including agroforestry, forest patches, and shrubland, all of which have tree cover. The use of automated methods and satellite imagery, such as Google Earth Engine and the random forests algorithm, allows for cost-effective and time-efficient mapping and monitoring of the landscape. This study combined Sentinel-2 satellite imagery with various vegetation indices, texture metrics, principal components, and non-spectral layers to classify land cover types in the study area. The results showed high classification accuracies for forest, shrubland, and agroforestry, with non-spectral layers and texture metrics being important for accurate classification.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arne Verstraeten, Nicolas Bruffaerts, Fabiana Cristofolini, Elena Vanguelova, Johan Neirynck, Gerrit Genouw, Bruno De Vos, Peter Waldner, Anne Thimonier, Anita Nussbaumer, Mathias Neumann, Sue Benham, Pasi Rautio, Liisa Ukonmaanaho, Paeivi Merilae, Antti-Jussi Lindroos, Annika Saarto, Jukka Reiniharju, Nicholas Clarke, Volkmar Timmermann, Manuel Nicolas, Maria Schmitt, Katrin Meusburger, Anna Kowalska, Idalia Kasprzyk, Katarzyna Kluska, Lukasz Grewling, Malgorzata Malkiewicz, Lars Vesterdal, Morten Ingerslev, Miklos Manninger, Donat Magyar, Hugues Titeux, Gunilla Pihl Karlsson, Regula Gehrig, Sandy Adriaenssens, Agneta Ekebom, Asloeg Dahl, Marco Ferretti, Elena Gottardini
Summary: The effects of tree pollen on precipitation chemistry are not fully understood, which may lead to misinterpretations of element deposition in European forests. The study found that tree pollen has an impact on the element fluxes in forest throughfall, but the extent of the impact varies among different tree species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mingjuan Xie, Xiaofei Ma, Yuangang Wang, Chaofan Li, Haiyang Shi, Xiuliang Yuan, Olaf Hellwich, Chunbo Chen, Wenqiang Zhang, Chen Zhang, Qing Ling, Ruixiang Gao, Yu Zhang, Friday Uchenna Ochege, Amaury Frankl, Philippe De Maeyer, Nina Buchmann, Iris Feigenwinter, Jorgen E. Olesen, Radoslaw Juszczak, Adrien Jacotot, Aino Korrensalo, Andrea Pitacco, Andrej Varlagin, Ankit Shekhar, Annalea Lohila, Arnaud Carrara, Aurore Brut, Bart Kruijt, Benjamin Loubet, Bernard Heinesch, Bogdan Chojnicki, Carole Helfter, Caroline Vincke, Changliang Shao, Christian Bernhofer, Christian Bruemmer, Christian Wille, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Eiko Nemitz, Franco Meggio, Gang Dong, Gary Lanigan, Georg Niedrist, Georg Wohlfahrt, Guoyi Zhou, Ignacio Goded, Thomas Gruenwald, Janusz Olejnik, Joachim Jansen, Johan Neirynck, Juha-Pekka Tuovinen, Junhui Zhang, Katja Klumpp, Kim Pilegaard, Ladislav Sigut, Leif Klemedtsson, Luca Tezza, Lukas Hoertnagl, Marek Urbaniak, Marilyn Roland, Marius Schmidt, Mark A. Sutton, Markus Hehn, Matthew Saunders, Matthias Mauder, Mika Aurela, Mika Korkiakoski, Mingyuan Du, Nadia Vendrame, Natalia Kowalska, Paul G. Leahy, Pavel Alekseychik, Peili Shi, Per Weslien, Shiping Chen, Silvano Fares, Thomas Friborg, Tiphaine Tallec, Tomomichi Kato, Torsten Sachs, Trofim Maximov, Umberto Morra di Cella, Uta Moderow, Yingnian Li, Yongtao He, Yoshiko Kosugi, Geping Luo
Summary: A framework combining machine learning, determination coefficient (R2), Euclidean distance, and remote sensing (RS) was established to simulate daily net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) and water flux (WF) of meteorological stations in Eurasia. The generated carbon-water flux datasets have the potential to improve assessments of ecosystem carbon-water dynamics.
Article
Education & Educational Research
Frederik Gerits, Hanne Cooreman, Laure Triste, Bert Reubens, Kris Verheyen, Lies Messely
Summary: Learning about natural resources through citizen science projects can promote environmentally friendly behavior. This study explores the learning outcomes of a citizen science project that focused on agrobiodiversity in landscape observatories in Flanders, Belgium. Participants gained practical knowledge and changed their views and actions towards agrobiodiversity, particularly those with less prior knowledge. The tactile tool of the m(2) gardens and frequent communication were considered key learning tools.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
E. Dhiedt, L. Baeten, P. De Smedt, K. Verheyen
Summary: Trees have a strong influence on soil properties, even after they are removed. This study investigated the effects of soil legacies of tree species richness on tree seedling growth and how these legacies interact with irrigation frequency. The results showed that species richness did not have a significant effect on plant performance or response to irrigation frequency. However, the effect of irrigation frequency varied depending on the species identity of the seedlings. These patterns can be attributed to the young age of the forest and the previous agricultural land use, which have a greater impact on soil characteristics and plant response to drought than species diversity.
Article
Plant Sciences
Eline Lorer, Kris Verheyen, Haben Blondeel, Karen De Pauw, Pieter Sanczuk, Pieter De Frenne, Dries Landuyt
Summary: Species are adjusting their phenology in response to warming temperatures. This study focuses on understory plants in forests, which experience different light and temperature conditions compared to open environments due to tree canopy shading. The researchers recorded the flowering patterns of 10 temperate forest understory plant species in mesocosm experiments to understand how phenology is influenced by sub-canopy warming and illumination. They found that flowering onset is advanced by an average of 7.1 days per 1 degree Celsius warming, with warm-adapted species showing greater advances. The study suggests that considering sub-canopy temperature and light availability is crucial for understanding future phenological responses of understory plants.
Article
Forestry
Ellen Desie, Bart Muys, Jan den Ouden, Bart Nyssen, Rita Sousa-Silva, Leon van den Berg, Arnold van den Burg, Gert-Jan van Duinen, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Maaike Weijters, Karen Vancampenhout
Summary: The vitality of European forests is declining due to various factors, including pests, diseases, climate change, and nitrogen deposition. Deteriorating soil health is a major reason for the low vitality of West-European forests. This study evaluated the impact of black cherry on the vitality of neighboring pedunculate oak in mixed forests in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The findings suggest that while black cherry admixture has negative effects on oak foliar nutrient concentrations, it can also reduce defoliation caused by herbivory. The study also highlighted the limited indirect effects of black cherry on oak vitality via improved soil health.
Article
Forestry
Bart Muys, Christian Messier
Summary: The UNFCCC COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh confirmed that climate policies heavily rely on forest mitigation instead of transitioning away from fossil fuels to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C. However, the decline in forest vitality highlights the urgent need for forest adaptation, which is not being adequately addressed by foresters. This letter explores the reasons for this inaction and proposes a diversity-based no-regret approach as a way forward.
ANNALS OF FOREST SCIENCE
(2023)