Search results for "Land Use"
showing 10 items of 333 documents
Regional climate model simulations for Europe at 6 and 0.2 k BP: sensitivity to changes in anthropogenic deforestation
2014
International audience; This study aims to evaluate the direct effects of anthropogenic deforestation on simulated climate at two contrasting periods in the Holocene, ∼ 6 and ∼ 0.2 k BP in Eu-rope. We apply the Rossby Centre regional climate model RCA3, a regional climate model with 50 km spatial resolution, for both time periods, considering three alternative descriptions of the past vegetation: (i) potential natural vegetation (V) simulated by the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS, (ii) potential vegetation with anthro-pogenic land use (deforestation) from the HYDE3.1 (History Database of the Global Environment) scenario (V + H3.1), and (iii) potential vegetation with anthropogenic land …
Local Equalization and Wide Areas Land Planning in Syracuse
2016
Abstract The implementation process of the Syracuse's Master Plan is characterized by the widespread use of “urban negotiation”. The Municipality has drawn up a protocol aimed at obtaining areas for facilities and public infrastructure in different areas basing on the rule of the transfer of a portion of land in return for the building permission for the remaining part. Since these areas are variously characterized, the negotiation process may not be fair to Municipality or convenient to land owners. Basing on an equalization pattern, this study provides, for each area, the indexes of fairness and convenience, and, more specifically, the difference between the market value of the areas achi…
Influence of Site and Check Dam Characteristics on Sediment Retention and Structure Conservation in a Mexican River
2020
Previously, in a large river of Mexico regulated by more than 200 check dams, we demonstrated that vegetation cover and channel characteristics were the dominant factors on the structure conditions and capacity to store sediments. This study focuses on other categorical (i.e., check dam type and location, soil texture and land use) and numerical (i.e. water discharge, check dam dimensions) variables, to whom statistical analysis is applied, in order to assess their influence on sediment filling degree and conditions (functional or destroyed) of the check dams in the same river. ANOVA has shown that: (i) check dam type (gabion or stone) and location (headwater, middle or valley reaches), and…
The significance of soils and soil science towards realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
2016
Abstract. In this forum paper we discuss how soil scientists can help to reach the recently adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the most effective manner. Soil science, as a land-related discipline, has important links to several of the SDGs, which are demonstrated through the functions of soils and the ecosystem services that are linked to those functions (see graphical abstract in the Supplement). We explore and discuss how soil scientists can rise to the challenge both internally, in terms of our procedures and practices, and externally, in terms of our relations with colleague scientists in other disciplines, diverse groups of stakeholders and the policy arena. To meet th…
Assessing impacts of soil management measures on ecosystem services
2018
Only a few studies have quantified and measured ecosystem services (ES) specifically related to soil. To address this gap, we have developed and applied a methodology to assess changes in ecosystem services, based on measured or estimated soil property changes that were stimulated by soil management measures (e.g., mulching, terracing, no-till). We applied the ES assessment methodology in 16 case study sites across Europe representing a high diversity of soil threats and land use systems. Various prevention and remediation measures were trialled, and the changes in manageable soil and other natural capital properties were measured and quantified. An Excel tool facilitated data collection, c…
Effectiveness of cover crops to reduce loss of soil organic matter in a rainfed vineyard
2020
Cover crops (CCs) minimize the loss of soil in permanent cropping systems where the soil is usually bare due to intense tillage or overuse of herbicides. The topsoil, the richer layer in soil organic carbon and organic matter (OM), is affected by water erosion. Nature-based solutions appear as a suitable option for sustainable farming. In this study, the effectiveness of two years of CC management to reduce the OM loss is evaluated in a rainfed vineyard in a rolling landscape (Huesca, NE Spain). Two sediment traps collected runoff over 15 months. Topsoil OM contents (1.64% and 1.60%) and sediment/soil OM enrichment ratio (2.61 and 3.07) were similar. However, the average annual rate of OM l…
Using Beerkan experiments to estimate hydraulic conductivity of a crusted loamy soil in a Mediterranean vineyard
2019
Abstract In bare soils of semi-arid areas, surface crusting is a rather common phenomenon due to the impact of raindrops. Water infiltration measurements under ponding conditions are becoming largely applied techniques for an approximate characterization of crusted soils. In this study, the impact of crusting on soil hydraulic conductivity was assessed in a Mediterranean vineyard (western Sicily, Italy) under conventional tillage. The BEST (Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters) algorithm was applied to the infiltration data to obtain the hydraulic conductivity of crusted and uncrusted soils. Soil hydraulic conductivity was found to vary during the year and also spatially (i.e., ro…
The role of soils in regulation and provision of blue and green water
2021
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims for clean water and sanitation for all by 2030, through eight subgoals dealing with four themes: (i) water quantity and availability, (ii) water quality, (iii) finding sustainable solutions and (iv) policy and governance. In this opinion paper, we assess how soils and associated land and water management can help achieve this goal, considering soils at two scales: local soil health and healthy landscapes. The merging of these two viewpoints shows the interlinked importance of the two scales. Soil health reflects the capacity of a soil to provide ecosystem services at a specific location, taking into account local climate and soil condit…
Connectivity in hydrology and sediment dynamics
2020
Connectivity has emerged as a significant conceptual framework for understanding the transfer of surface water and sediment through landscapes. The concept has been widely adopted in the field of catchment hydrology but has also been valuable to investigate rates of soil erosion by water and sediment export across landscapes. To study connectivity, we gathered a group of scientists that worked on synthesizing and consolidating all theories and aspects of connectivity research. Within the EU-funded ESSEM COST Action CONNECTEUR (ES1306), five working groups were established: (a) theory, (b) measuring, (c) modelling, (d) indices, and (e) society. One of the outputs of this COST Action is this …
Runoff Generation in Badlands
2019
Capítulo 5.