EQA-Artigoshttp://hdl.handle.net/10347/117062024-03-29T06:44:58Z2024-03-29T06:44:58ZBetter, not more, lighting: Policies in urban areas towards environmentally-sound illumination of historical stone buildings that also halts biological colonizationMéndez, AnxoPrieto Lamas, Beatriz LoretoAguirre i Font, Josep M.Sanmartín Sánchez, Patriciahttp://hdl.handle.net/10347/331912024-03-21T09:21:43Z2024-01-01T00:00:00ZBetter, not more, lighting: Policies in urban areas towards environmentally-sound illumination of historical stone buildings that also halts biological colonization
Méndez, Anxo; Prieto Lamas, Beatriz Loreto; Aguirre i Font, Josep M.; Sanmartín Sánchez, Patricia
Anthropogenic or Artificial light at night (ALAN) pollution, or more simply light pollution, is an issue of increasing concern to the general public, as well as to scientists and politicians. However, although advances have been made in terms of scientific knowledge, these advances have not been fully transferred to or considered by politicians. In addition, illumination of stone monuments in urban areas is an emerging contribution to ALAN pollution that has scarcely been considered to date. This paper presents a literature review of the topic of light pollution and related policies, including a bibliometric analysis of studies published between 2020 and 2022. The prevailing legislation in Europe regarding the regulation of outdoor lighting, which emphasises the complexity of controlling light pollution, is summarised and the regulation of monumental lighting in Spain is discussed. Findings concerning the impact of ALAN on biodiversity in urban areas, and the promising biostatic effect of ornamental lighting (halting biological colonization on stone monuments, mainly caused by algae and cyanobacteria) are described. Finally, trends in monument illumination and policymaking towards environmentally sustainable management are considered.
2024-01-01T00:00:00ZContrasting immediate impact of prescribed fires and experimental summer fires on soil organic matter quality and microbial properties in the forest floor and mineral soil in Mediterranean black pine forestFontúrbel, María TeresaJiménez, EnriqueMerino García, AgustínVega, José Antoniohttp://hdl.handle.net/10347/331702024-03-21T09:21:44Z2024-01-01T00:00:00ZContrasting immediate impact of prescribed fires and experimental summer fires on soil organic matter quality and microbial properties in the forest floor and mineral soil in Mediterranean black pine forest
Fontúrbel, María Teresa; Jiménez, Enrique; Merino García, Agustín; Vega, José Antonio
Prescribed fire (PB) is used to achieve ecological objectives and to reduce fuel hazard thus limiting detrimental impacts of wildfire and appropriate selection of prescription window is critical for these goals. Operational use of PB in the Mediterranean forest is scarce and information about its effects on soil remains incomplete. This study for the first time i) compared the immediate impact of spring and autumn PB and experimental summer fire on key properties of forest floor and mineral topsoil in Mediterranean black pine forest, and ii) assessed the capacity of PB to reduce fuel, with limited immediate impacts on soil. PB significantly reduced the 32.5 % of pre-fire forest floor depth, while summer fire consumed 88.5 % and exposed about 30 % of the mineral soil surface. Mean maximum temperature during fire at the mineral soil surface was 23 °C in PB, in contrast to 128 °C in summer fire, while soil heating at 2 cm depth was negligible in both cases. PB did not cause immediate changes in OM quality parameters, and chemical (C and N concentrations, C/N and pH) and microbiological properties (Cmic, Cmic/C, and β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities) in forest floor or mineral topsoil (0–2 cm). By contrast, summer fire greatly increased OM recalcitrance and reduced Cmic, Cmic/C and enzyme activities in forest floor immediately after fire. In the mineral topsoil, only microbial properties were significantly reduced. The maximum temperature reached during fire in forest floor and topsoil was associated with most of the overall changes in properties in both layers. The findings suggest that prescribed fire can significantly reduce fuel with limited initial impacts on soil. Although these findings are encouraging for operational use of prescribed burning in the ecosystem under study, long-term monitoring of repeated application of the technique on soil properties and other ecosystem components is necessary
2024-01-01T00:00:00ZProcess modeling, environmental and economic sustainability of the valorization of whey and eucalyptus residues for resveratrol biosynthesisArias Calvo, AnaCosta, Carlos E.Feijoo Costa, GumersindoMoreira Vilar, María TeresaDomingues, Lucíliahttp://hdl.handle.net/10347/331002024-03-21T09:21:45Z2023-01-01T00:00:00ZProcess modeling, environmental and economic sustainability of the valorization of whey and eucalyptus residues for resveratrol biosynthesis
Arias Calvo, Ana; Costa, Carlos E.; Feijoo Costa, Gumersindo; Moreira Vilar, María Teresa; Domingues, Lucília
Biomass is one of the renewable resources with the greatest potential, not only because of the possibility of energy recovery but also because of its content in components of interest. In this context, the regions of Galicia and Portugal have large areas of land dedicated to forestry, agriculture and livestock, and the large amount of waste generated represents a cost for the producer. The importance of these facts has aroused great interest in society to focus its interest on improving the current situation while seeking a benefit, both environmental and economic, from existing resources. That is why the integration of biotechnological processes and biorefinery for their valorization are considered key aspects in the way of producing bioproducts and bioenergy. This research article proposes a process for producing resveratrol from whey from the dairy industry and eucalyptus residues from forestry exploitation. In order to evaluate its suitability, a techno-economic analysis and an environmental assessment have been carried out using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The results obtained show the potential of these scenarios both from the economic point of view, by obtaining a minimum sale price of resveratrol to ensure the viability of the process below the market average, and from the environmental point of view, being eucalyptus residues those that result in a lower contribution to the environment per unit of resveratrol produced. Future research should focus on increasing the throughput of the production process to increase its profitability and on reducing energy requirements throughout the process, as these have been the main critical points identified. In addition, following the sensitivity assessment, it has been concluded that opting for renewable energy is the most sustainable option.
2023-01-01T00:00:00ZA review of wildfires effects across the Gran Chaco regionVidal Riveros, CristinaSouza Alonso, PabloBravo, SandraLaino, RafaelaNgo Bieng, Marie Angehttp://hdl.handle.net/10347/330512024-03-21T09:21:42Z2023-01-01T00:00:00ZA review of wildfires effects across the Gran Chaco region
Vidal Riveros, Cristina; Souza Alonso, Pablo; Bravo, Sandra; Laino, Rafaela; Ngo Bieng, Marie Ange
Fire is a natural element of some tropical dry ecosystems. However, during the last decades, fire occurrence has become more frequent and intense due, in part, to climate change and land use transformation. This is the case in the Gran Chaco Americano, one of the largest dry forests all over the world that extends across Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil. Fire has shaped the Gran Chaco landscape since ancient times, but today, as in many other regions, the pattern, frequency, severity and intensity are being dramatically altered. Based on information collected mainly over the last two decades, this paper presents a detailed review of the available literature on the fire regime across the Gran Chaco region. Here, we present a multi- disciplinary understanding considering fire behavior and dynamics in the study ecosystem within a very specific ecological, administrative and historical framework. A noteworthy aspect of this review indicates the clear imbalance between regions in terms of available literature; while information about the Argentine Chaco is abundant, the literature for the Paraguayan or Bolivian Chaco is practically non-existent. The rainfall gradient and drought periods are key climatic drivers of fire ignitions while cattle ranching is the main socioeconomic activity of this region and key precursor of forest fires. In general, a substantial part of the available information focused on ecological aspects of the fire regime as the effect of fires on plant functional traits such as bark thickness, resprouting ability and flammability patterns. Other post fire effects on soil, invasive species, herbivory and soil seed banks have been also explored in detail to understand ecosystem recovery and research needs. We finally highlight current necessities and future prospects, mainly related to soil burn severity (SBS), invasive species and wildlife impact. Although our study specifically focused on changes in the fire regime of the Gran Chaco, some generalities were further discussed about fire regimes that could be relevant for diverse fire-sensitive ecosystems in the tropics
2023-01-01T00:00:00Z