Search results for "natural resource"

Current anthropogenic pressures on agro-ecological protected coastal wetlands

2015

Coastal wetlands are areas that suffer from great pressure. Much of it is due to the rapid development of the surrounding artificial landscapes, where socio-economic factors lead to alterations in the nearby environment, affecting the quality of natural and agricultural systems. This work analyses interconnections among landscapes under the hypothesis that urban-artificial impacts could be detected on soils and waters of an agro-ecological protected area, L'Albufera de Valencia Natural Park, located in the vicinity of the City of Valencia, Spain. The methodological framework developed addresses two types of anthropogenic pressure: (1) direct, due to artificialisation of soil covers that cau…

Influence of 150 Years of Land Use on Anthropogenic and Natural Carbon Stocks in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy)

2011

Changes in land use/cover that are commonly associated with urbanization can dramatically influence the amount, chemical form, and spatial distribution of carbon (C) stocks. Measured values and relative literature for composition of natural and anthropogenic materials have been compiled. These data are used in conjunction with land cover statistics and expert assessment of building design to calculate C stocks associated with 150 years of land use change and development for an area of the Po River Valley, Northern Italy. Using 4 time periods (1853, 1954, 1976, and 2003), we demonstrate that the C stocks within this densely populated area have undergone considerable modification. A 52% incre…

Towards Nursing leadership in environmental care

2016

Buffer strips can pre-empt extinction debt in boreal streamside habitats

2013

Background Conservation of biological diversity and economical utilization of natural resources form an almost inevitable confrontation between the two. In practice, however, a balance between the two ought to be found, and in managed boreal forests, preservation of woodland key habitats is increasingly used strategy to safeguard biological diversity. According to the Finnish Forests Act, certain Forest Act habitat (FAH) types must be safeguarded, provided they are clearly distinguishable from their surroundings. Furthermore, once the habitat has been identified as a FAH, its special characteristics must not be altered. Both of these aspects contain ambiguities that potentially undermine th…

Towards health-promoting and environmentally friendly regional diets - a Nordic example

2008

AbstractBackgroundBecause most of the top determinants of the worldwide burden of disease are diet-related, the promotion of healthful diets is important for population health across the world. Furthermore, changes in eating habits may contribute to preservation of the environment.ObjectiveIn the present paper it is argued that the translation of health-promoting dietary recommendations into practical recommendations for healthful eating should be more tailored to regional circumstances. This will promote population health as well as help preserve cultural diversity in eating habits and contribute to more environmentally friendly eating. A regional Nordic diet, mimicking the Mediterranean d…

Effects of temperature on post-methanation of digested dairy cow manure in a farm-scale biogas production system.

2003

A post-methanation process that could be adopted at farm-scale, operating at temperatures prevailing in farm manure digester post-storage tanks, was evaluated. Digested manure samples from a farm digester (35 degrees C) and post-storage tank (5-10 degrees C) were incubated in parallel batches at 5-20 degrees C and as reference at 35 and 55 degrees C. Specific methane yields (kg(-1) volatile solids (VS)(added waste)) were 0.20-0.26 m3 at 35-55 degrees C and 0.085-0.09 m3 at 10-20 degrees C for digester material (345 days of incubation) and 0.16-0.21 m3 at 35-55 degrees C, 0.053-0.087 kg(-1) VS(added waste) m3 at 15-20 degrees C and 0.026 m3 at 10 degrees C for post-storage tank material (250…

Growth and development of succulent mixtures for extensive green roofs in a Mediterranean climate.

2022

Green roof systems, aimed at reducing anthropic impact on the environment, are considered environmental mitigation technologies and adopted by many countries across the world to strengthen urban ecosystem services. This study evaluates two mixtures of succulent: one of Crassulaceae and the other of Aizoaceae, used in the creation of a continuous and homogenous plant groundcover in Mediterranean environments. To assess the species mixtures, the parameters plant height, growth index, cover percentage and flowering were observed. Hydrological observations were also carried out to evaluate the rainfall retained by the test system in any given month. All data were subjected to analysis of varian…

Small-scale fisheries catch more threatened elasmobranchs inside partially protected areas than in unprotected areas.

2022

Elasmobranchs are heavily impacted by fishing. Catch statistics are grossly underestimated due to missing data from various fishery sectors such as small-scale fisheries. Marine Protected Areas are proposed as a tool to protect elasmobranchs and counter their ongoing depletion. We assess elasmobranchs caught in 1,256 fishing operations with fixed nets carried out in partially protected areas within Marine Protected Areas and unprotected areas beyond Marine Protected Areas borders at 11 locations in 6 Mediterranean countries. Twenty-four elasmobranch species were recorded, more than one-third belonging to the IUCN threatened categories (Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered). Catc…

Stabilizing selection on Atlantic cod supergenes through a millennium of extensive exploitation

2022

Life on Earth has been characterized by recurring cycles of ecological stasis and disruption, relating biological eras to geological and climatic transitions through the history of our planet. Due to the increasing degree of ecological abruption caused by human influences many advocate that we now have entered the geological era of the Anthropocene, or “the age of man.” Considering the ongoing mass extinction and ecosystem reshuffling observed worldwide, a better understanding of the drivers of ecological stasis will be a requisite for identifying routes of intervention and mitigation. Ecosystem stability may rely on one or a few keystone species, and the loss of such species could potentia…

Soil remediation: humic acids as natural surfactants in the washings of highly contaminated soils

2005

The remediation of the highly contaminated site around the former chemical plant of ACNA (near Savona) in Northern Italy is a top priority in Italy. The aim of the present work was to contribute in finding innovative and environmental-friendly technology to remediate soils from the ACNA contaminated site. Two soils sampled from the ACNA site (A and B), differing in texture and amount and type of organic contaminants, were subjected to soil washings by comparing the removal efficiency of water, two synthetic surfactants, sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) and Triton X-100 (TX100), and a solution of a natural surfactant, a humic acid (HA) at its critical micelle concentration (CMC). The extraction …