Article
Agronomy
Wooiklee S. Paye, Sultan Begna, Rajan Ghimire, Sangamesh Angadi, Paramveer Singh, Mathada Rangappa Umesh, Murali Darapuneni
Summary: Winter canola is an economically viable alternative crop for the semiarid southern Great Plains, but there is a lack of independent guidelines on fertility recommendations. This study evaluated different nitrogen application timings on winter canola growth, yield components, and nitrogen use efficiency. The results showed that the FS50 treatment, with 50% of nitrogen applied in fall and 50% in spring, was the most efficient in terms of winter biomass accumulation, seed yield, and seed oil and protein contents.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Xinwei Yin, Qi Feng, Xinjun Zheng, Xue Wu, Meng Zhu, Fangqiang Sun, Yan Li
Summary: The study found that the application of water-saving irrigation techniques and increased total precipitation altered water exchange fluxes and groundwater dynamics, significantly reducing spatial heterogeneity in soil moisture in oasis fields. Water-saving irrigation, in conjunction with restrictions on land reclamation and adjustments in water management practices, is the most effective way to maintain the coexistence of oasis and desert ecosystems in arid inland regions.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Gonzalo Navarro, Shelley MacDonell, Remi Valois
Summary: This study develops a conceptual hydrological model of the Chilean semiarid Andes headwaters based on an analysis of published research. Important knowledge gaps related to hydrogeomorphological understanding of permafrost area and its interaction with groundwater, as well as deep aquifer recharge and circulation, were identified. These areas of research are crucial for improving predictions of catchment response to future climate change.
PROGRESS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY-EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Anna C. Ortiz, Lixin Jin
Summary: Soil salinization is a global issue, especially in irrigated aridlands. The study found that salt loading in agricultural soils is mainly determined by the quantity and quality of irrigation water, with dust and fertilizer loadings being negligible. Soil texture differences affect solute transport and salt accumulation, with many soils approaching salinity thresholds after just 90 years of cultivation.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Guo Xiaojun, Cui Peng, Chen Xingchang, Li Yong, Zhang Ju, Sun Yuqing
Summary: Rainfall in mountainous watershed exhibits high spatial variability due to elevation effects, leading to uncertainties in forecasting hydrological hazards like water floods and debris flows. This study investigates the spatial variation of rainfall in a small watershed with 10 rain gauges, establishing a rainfall-elevation relationship based on 52 rainstorm events. Results show lower interpolation errors in areas with high rainfall amounts, while estimating rainfall in high-elevation regions proves more challenging. The study highlights the importance of gauge placement and spacing in accurate rainfall estimation for hazard forecasting.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Youness Ouassanouan, Younes Fakir, Vincent Simonneaux, Mohamed Hakim Kharrou, Houssne Bouimouass, Insaf Najar, Mounia Benrhanem, Fathallah Sguir, Abdelghani Chehbouni
Summary: Mediterranean piedmonts play a crucial role in hydro-agricultural systems, connecting mountains and plains. However, the impacts of climate variability and recurrent droughts on hydrology and agriculture in the Mediterranean basin are not well understood. This study assesses the effects of climate variability and agricultural changes on water resources in a traditional irrigated piedmont in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains. The findings show that droughts have led to decreased water resources, while agricultural practices have transitioned from seasonal crops to perennial crops.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Roberta Emanuele Meneghel, Mateus Marques Pires, Cristina Stenert, Leonardo Maltchik
Summary: This study investigates the impact of different fallow periods and wetlands on the community structure of aquatic insects in rice fields. The results show that changing the fallow period can have varying effects on the community structure of aquatic insects in irrigated rice fields.
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiahui Liu, Ting Sun, Guangheng Ni
Summary: This study investigates the impact of irrigation on the atmospheric hydrological cycle in the Tarim Basin and highlights the potential threat to the sustainability of irrigated agriculture due to water scarcity. The findings show that a significant amount of irrigated water is transported through atmospheric processes, but future warming may result in water loss due to weakened wind regimes. Additionally, irrigation contributes to extreme rainfall events, with the southwestern Tarim Basin being a primary destination for irrigated water. The study emphasizes the urgency of addressing the sustainability of irrigated agriculture and local water resources in the face of impending global warming.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Tugkan Tanir, Andre de Souza de Lima, Gustavo de A. Coelho, Sukru Uzun, Felicio Cassalho, Celso M. Ferreira
Summary: This study investigates the flood vulnerability of agricultural communities in the Potomac River Watershed, finding that different regions have vulnerability at different time periods, aiding decision-makers in formulating disaster mitigation plans.
Article
Soil Science
Courtland Kelly, Steven J. Fonte, Anil Shrestha, Kent M. Daane, Jeffrey P. Mitchell
Summary: The study found that in temperate regions, cover crop rotation and reduced tillage have a positive impact on soil macrofauna abundance and taxonomic richness, which can increase soil carbon content, water infiltration, and soil aggregate stability.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Li Wen, Tanya J. Mason, Shawn Ryan, Joanne E. Ling, Neil Saintilan, Jose Rodriguez
Summary: This study investigates the long-term condition dynamics of six vegetation communities in the Macquarie Marshes using a time series of Enhanced Vegetation Index derived from Landsat imagery. The results show that the EVI is a useful metric for monitoring wetland condition and its response to climatic and hydrological drivers. Wetland communities are responsive to river flow and seasonality, while terrestrial communities are responsive to climate and seasonality. There is no long-term trend of declining condition, but an increase in condition variability towards the end of the time series requires continued monitoring.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chao Wang, Tamlin M. Pavelsky, Ethan D. Kyzivat, Fenix Garcia-Tigreros, Erika Podest, Fangfang Yao, Xiao Yang, Shuai Zhang, Conghe Song, Theodore Langhorst, Wayana Dolan, Martin R. Kurek, Merritt E. Harlan, Laurence C. Smith, David E. Butman, Robert G. M. Spencer, Colin J. Gleason, Kimberly P. Wickland, Robert G. Striegl, Daniel L. Peters
Summary: In this study, a cloud-based workflow was built to map wetland vegetation communities in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD), Canada, using high-resolution multi-sensor datasets. The results show that classifications derived from AVIRIS-NG have higher accuracies than UAVSAR or LiDAR for mapping wetland vegetation communities. Combining information from multiple sensors can improve classification accuracy, and the best performing model achieved an overall accuracy of 93.5%.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
L. Phil Graham, Lotta Andersson, Michele Warburton Toucher, J. Jacob Wikner, Julie Wilk
Summary: This paper describes the development and testing of a simple local seasonal forecast system for rainfall and hydrological conditions. The system combines global forecast models with local monitoring data to provide reliable predictions for agricultural extension officers.
Article
Microbiology
Gregory Martin, Chansotheary Dang, Ember Morrissey, Jason Hubbart, Elliot Kellner, Charlene Kelly, Kirsten Stephan, Zachary Freedman
Summary: Freshwater ecosystems are at risk of biodiversity loss due to land conversion, particularly from forests to agriculture and urban development. Sediments in these ecosystems harbor microorganisms that play vital roles in ecosystem services. In a study in West Virginia, USA, sediment bacterial communities were found to be compositionally distinct across sites, with greater resilience to agricultural land use than urban land use. Predicted metagenomes showed differences in potential microbial function across changes in land use, suggesting that even low levels of urban land use change can impact stream ecosystem services in the face of global land use change.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Mary E. DuPre, Tim Seipel, Maryse Bourgault, Darin L. Boss, Fabian D. Menalled
Summary: The study found that under warmer and drier conditions, the effectiveness of cover crop mixtures in increasing biomass is not as pronounced as under ambient climate conditions. Additionally, changes in climate and management systems also lead to shifts in weed communities.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Noelia Guaita-Garcia, Julia Martinez-Fernandez, Carlos Javier Barrera-Causil, Miguel Angel Esteve-Selma, H. Carl Fitz
Summary: This study analyzed the local community perception in the Mar Menor area about the current problems, finding a broad consensus in diagnosing the issues, but significant differences in suggested solutions, highlighting a potential conflict that should be considered in decision-making processes.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Julia Martinez-Fernandez, Isabel Banos-Gonzalez, Miguel Angel Esteve-Selma
Summary: The analysis of sustainability requires a holistic approach to address social, economic, institutional, and environmental factors in complex socio-ecological systems. Despite the recognition of such approaches, their application in real systems is limited. Challenges include the need for new conceptual perspectives on science-system relationships and tools to manage system complexity. The proposed methodological framework prioritizes hierarchical sustainability goals, dynamic system modeling, vulnerability analysis, policy assessment, and uncertainty evaluation to guide decision-making for improved sustainability.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Tenza-Peral, I. Perez-Ibarra, A. Breceda, J. Martinez-Fernandez, A. Gimenez
Summary: The rural depopulation has negative impacts on regions, and it is necessary for governments to implement policies to promote rural development, especially in vulnerable areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Noelia Guaita-Garcia, Julia Martinez-Fernandez, Carlos Javier Barrera-Causil, H. Carl Fitz
Summary: This article conducts a stakeholder analysis in the Mar Menor region through participatory methodology, identifying seven main stakeholder groups and revealing discrepancies in their preferences for management measures. However, all interviewed actors agree on prioritizing the measure of reducing the irrigated area. The study also finds discrepancies between the preferences of certain stakeholders and the group of population they belong to.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Juan Miguel Moya-Perez, Miguel Angel Esteve-Selma, Adrian Ruiz Rocamora, Antonio Felix Carrillo
Summary: This study aims to validate the suitability of a habitat quality index and assess its potential inclusion in forest management programs.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maria A. Perez-Navarro, Olivier Broennimann, Miguel Angel Esteve, Guillem Bagaria, Antoine Guisan, Francisco Lloret
Summary: This study investigated the decline of plant communities after an extreme drought event using species distribution models (SDMs) and niche distances. The results showed that both SDMs and niche distances can effectively predict population performance, with niche distances being more accurate in predicting mortality and remaining green canopy responses. However, climatic suitability failed to predict performance under extreme climate conditions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose M. Gil-Sanchez, Roberto C. Rodriguez-Caro, Marcos Moleon, Maria C. Martinez-Pastor, Mario Leon-Ortega, Sergio Eguia, Eva Gracia, Francisco Botella, Jose A. Sanchez-Zapata, Julia Martinez-Fernandez, M. A. Esteve-Selma, A. Gimenez
Summary: This study investigated the predation of spur-thighed tortoises by golden eagles and found that eagles showed a marked preference for adult female tortoises. This could potentially threaten the local population viability of the tortoises.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Ines Pereira, Sara Alcalde-Aparicio, Montserrat Ferrer-Julia, Maria Francisca Carreno, Eduardo Garcia-Melendez
Summary: Torrential rainfall regimes, such as the cold drop 'DANA' in September 2019, lead to accelerated soil erosion and sedimentation in the Rambla del Beal in the southeastern Mediterranean region of Spain. This study used satellite imagery and spectral analysis techniques to map the distribution of iron oxides and hydroxyl-bearing minerals in the sediments deposited during the DANA event. The results showed increased extension of iron oxides and hydroxyl-bearing minerals, with agricultural land being the most affected by iron oxide deposition and grassland/scrubland having the highest content of hydroxyl-bearing minerals.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Paula Andrea Zuluaga-Guerra, Julia Martinez-Fernandez, Miguel Angel Esteve-Selma, Jampel Dell'Angelo
Summary: This article presents a socio-ecological-system characterization of the Segura River basin in South-East Spain, focusing on the interactions between institutional performance and expectations on irrigation water supply. The research provides a conceptual model based on Systems Dynamics and generates policy-relevant insights into the basin's crisis. The results show significant loss of drylands and agro-natural landscapes to agriculture, as well as groundwater overexploitation within the modeling horizon.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Isabel Arce, Maria Sanchez-Garcia, Javier Martinez-Lopez, Maria Luz Cayuela, Miguel Angel Sanchez-Monedero
Summary: In arid regions like Southeast Spain, there are many dry riverbeds due to agricultural activities and the removal of native riparian vegetation. Our study focused on examining CO2 and N2O emissions in these riverbeds and found that all riverbeds can emit CO2 regardless of agricultural impact. N2O emissions were only observed during rewetting events and biogeochemical processes were mainly controlled by sediment organic C availability rather than agriculturally derived nitrate.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Simon Willcock, Danny A. P. Hooftman, Rachel A. Neugarten, Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer, Jose I. Barredo, Thomas Hickler, Georg Kindermann, Amy R. Lewis, Mats Lindeskog, Javier Martinez-Lopez, James M. Bullock
Summary: The lack of access to ecosystem services (ES) models and knowledge of their accuracy hinders the sustainability of these services, especially in poorer regions. We developed global ensembles of ES models that were more accurate than individual models. Ensemble accuracy was equitably distributed globally and not correlated with research capacity, providing freely available ES information for regions with low data availability or capacity. This effort aims to reduce the capacity and certainty gaps hindering ES sustainability at local to global scales.
Article
Ecology
Javier Martinez-Lopez, Bastian Bertzky, Marine Robuchon, Francisco J. Bonet, Gregoire Dubois
Summary: Biophysical characterization analyses are essential for informed planning and management decisions of protected areas (PA). This study combines remote sensing and modeling to identify functional habitat types and map similar areas. New habitat diversity and irreplaceability indices allow for the comparison and ranking of PAs. The results inform PA planning, management, conservation efforts, and ecological connectivity studies.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Julia Martinez-Fernandez, Irene Perez-Ibarra, Isabel Banos-Gonzalez, Miguel Angel Esteve-Selma
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Carolina Boix-Fayos, Javier Martinez-Lopez, Juan Albaladejo, Joris de Vente
Summary: Aligning with people's values in political decisions can minimize conflicts and support social acceptability. This paper explores the importance of shared and diverging values and co-creation of solutions for resolving conflicts and managing socio-ecosystems.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
