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Systems and Monitoring to Prevent Degradation of Land and Natural Resources

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Systems and Global Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 May 2023) | Viewed by 33795

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jaime Martínez-Valderrama

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Guest Editor

Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef”, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
Interests: drylands; desertification; global change; groundwater-dependent agriculture; rangelands; system dynamics; hyper-arid lands; land-use change dynamics
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Dr. Elsa Varela

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Guest Editor

Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), Ctra de St. Llorenç de Morunys, km. 2, 25280 Solsona, Lleida, Spain
Interests: forest management; silviculture; natural resource management; biodiversity & conservation

Dr. Francisco Javier Alcalá

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Guest Editor

Experimental Station of Arid Zones, Spanish National Research Council (EEZA-CSIC), 04120 Almería, Spain
Interests: water resource management; techniques and computational applications for modelling of groundwater dynamics at different spatiotemporal scales and climate conditions; applied geophysics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Renewable natural resources are limited, and sustainable exploitation is peremptory to curb land degradation. Prevention tools via environmental policies help one to understand how a set of renewable resources may decline, showing those rupture thresholds that mark land degradation regarding the initial state or the new state of equilibrium determined by the new rate of exploitation. However, in many cases, renewable natural resources are so damaged that their recovery is not assured, even if the pressure on them disappears. In the best cases, recovery may take years, whereas in others, several centuries may be not enough to restore the ecosystem health. Therefore, one of the best strategies for dealing with the impact of human activity on nature is to anticipate degradation. To this end, the development of early warning systems, simulation models and land monitoring and surveillance are tools that help to detect signs of degradation or dynamics that threaten the sustainability of a territory, prior to its definitive collapse.

This Special Issue aims to compile experiences that present this type of tools and proposals, including theoretical approaches and conceptualizations, numerical modelling tools and codes, and applications to case studies. The multidisciplinary and integrative character will be one of the most appreciated hallmarks of this proposal, given that many of the preventive solutions involve deactivating or reorienting the socio-economic drivers that lead to the use of an ecosystem beyond its possibilities. Accordingly, socioeconomic and behavioral dimensions (either at individual or societal levels) will also be considered.

Regarding renewable natural resources’ overdevelopment, inducing land degradation, all of them are included, with a special focus on soil, vegetation and water (surface and groundwater). Studies and applications describing, analyzing or modelling the impact of renewable natural resources degradation on all socio-ecological dependent systems are especially welcome. Furthermore, contributions encompassing socio-economic and behavioral dimensions and drivers, as well as policy actions related to land degradation and measures to correct it, will also be acknowledged.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jaime Martínez-Valderrama
Dr. Elsa Varela
Dr. Francisco Javier Alcalá
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

prevention
early warning system
monitoring
sustainability
climate change
land-use dynamics
socio-ecological systems
socio-economic drivers
mindsets

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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21 pages, 78958 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Flow and Land Use on the Hydraulic Structure of Southeast Mexico City: Implications on Flood and Runoff

by Rosanna Bonasia, Lorenzo Borselli and Paolo Madonia

Land 2023, 12(6), 1120; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061120 - 24 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2720

Abstract

The southeast of Mexico City is one of the last areas of environmental importance for the region. However, rapid urban expansion has led to a runoff increase in the presence of intense rainfall. This situation is common to many peri-urban centers close to large cities, where the urbanization of previously green areas has had a direct negative influence on the hydraulic structure. This work proposes a study that combines hydrological analysis for the definition of precipitation scenarios with hydrodynamic simulations based on the current land use. Reconstructed flood scenarios show that the runoffs descending from mountainous areas flow into cemented channels with hydraulic sections and characteristics not adequate to drain specific discharges that can reach 0.90 m

^{2}

/s and water depths of the order of 2 m, caused by extreme weather phenomena, determining flooding in nearby areas. Runoffs are also intensified by the presence of non-urbanized open spaces in a state of abandonment, whose soil does not favor infiltration and promotes the flooding of residential centers with water levels higher than 1 m. The results indicate an urgent need to adopt actions to reduce flooding and favor infiltration in an area of the city that is also important for aquifer recharge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Monitoring to Prevent Degradation of Land and Natural Resources)

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21 pages, 2239 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deployment of Solar Energy at the Expense of Conservation Sensitive Areas Precludes Its Classification as an Environmentally Sustainable Activity

by Francisco Valera, Luis Bolonio, Abel La Calle and Eulalia Moreno

Land 2022, 11(12), 2330; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122330 - 19 Dec 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4557

Abstract

Solar energy (SE) is essential for the decarbonization of our economy and for energetic transition. Solar energy can be a sustainable economic activity, as long as a balance is struck between the benefits it brings to climate change mitigation and the damage it can cause to biodiversity and ecosystems. Here, we study this balance in an area with high biodiversity under pressure for installation of numerous photovoltaic plants (PPs). Our results show that developers give priority to the cheapest land close to connection points, while other values (e.g., environmental, landscape) are secondary. The regulatory process carried out by the Administration does not ensure the preservation of natural values, as several PPs with a high impact on important conservation areas have been approved. Experts’ allegations provide quality information to the Administration to evaluate and demand changes to the projects presented. Such demands show that companies are willing to relocate plants to land occupied by olive groves. In this way, greater efficiency is achieved in land occupation, as well as shorter evacuation lines, water savings and a smaller environmental impact. Prior strategic territorial planning could have avoided the impact of PPs already built, made the deployment of new PPs compatible with biodiversity conservation, and contributed to improving the management of key resources, such as subway aquifers. The proposed regulatory changes to the environmental assessment procedure (exclusion of renewables and public participation from the procedure) are detrimental, as they will make SE unable to meet the requirements of the Taxonomy Regulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Monitoring to Prevent Degradation of Land and Natural Resources)

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17 pages, 3137 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wastewater Reuse for Irrigation Agriculture in Morocco: Influence of Regulation on Feasible Implementation

by Jose Luis Ortega-Pozo, Francisco Javier Alcalá, José Manuel Poyatos and Jaime Martín-Pascual

Land 2022, 11(12), 2312; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122312 - 16 Dec 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3982

Abstract

Morocco is a water-scarce developing country with a growing marketable agro-food industry, where untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater represents less than 1% of the irrigation water and treated wastewater reuse is virtually nil. The Government of Morocco is planning to increase the volume of treated wastewater reuse for irrigation agriculture under the current permissive regulation to alleviate the pressure on conventional water sources. However, the reuse of insufficiently treated wastewater implies environmental and human health risks besides the degradation of land and renewable natural resources. This paper shows the feasibility of increasing wastewater reuse for irrigation agriculture in Morocco and how the existing permissive regulation must be improved to force more efficient technologies aimed at ensuring the export of agricultural goods to the most restrictive international markets. The results show how the quality standards of Moroccan regulation are below that of their equivalents in developed countries, as well as in most of the consulted developing countries. After verifying that tertiary treatment is financially feasible, the updated regulation must also consider climatic water scarcity and the locally low cultural perception of environmental and human health risks in order to design optimal solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Monitoring to Prevent Degradation of Land and Natural Resources)

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16 pages, 2336 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

An Overview of the Environmental Impact Assessment of Mining Projects in Chile

by Dante Rodríguez-Luna, Francisco Encina-Montoya, Francisco Javier Alcalá and Nuria Vela

Land 2022, 11(12), 2278; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122278 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6637

Abstract

In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the main management tool used to identify and prevent the impact of productive activities on the environment and human health and promote compensation measures. Metallic mining is the main productive sector in Chile. In 2021, Chile was the highest global producer of copper, the second-highest producer of molybdenum, and the third-highest producer of silver. Other types of non-metallic mining, such as siliceous aggregates, iodine, and hydrocarbons, are also notable. Mining activity requires robust and flexible environmental legislation. This paper analyzes the performance of the Chilean EIA system regarding mining projects entered into the system as Environmental Impact Declarations (EIDs) for low-incident projects and Environmental Impact Studies (EISs) for high-incident projects. The 2867 mining projects submitted to the Chilean EIA system as EIDs (91.8%) and EISs (8.2%) between 1994 and 2019 were compiled. For a proper performance evaluation, a representative sample of 68 projects (61 EID and 7 EIS) was studied through a principal coordinate analysis using eleven indicators widely used in the EIA scientific literature. The results do not show significant differences between the EID and EIS projects or remarkable differences regarding the increasing restrictions introduced by the successive regulatory periods SD30, SD95, and SD40. Based on the observed weaknesses, four opportunities for improvement are proposed focused on creating a simplified sanctioning procedure, upgrading the form of delivery of the project monitoring information, early citizen participation, and incorporating the climate change variable into the projects. This paper extends the methodology introduced in previous papers to evaluate the performance of the Chilean EIA system in mining projects, seeking also to offer a feasible methodology to other countries with a similar socio-economic context or other productive sectors potentially impacted by the degradation of land and renewable natural resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Monitoring to Prevent Degradation of Land and Natural Resources)

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18 pages, 2281 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Importance of Prevention in Tackling Desertification: An Approach to Anticipate Risks of Degradation in Coastal Aquifers

by Javier Ibáñez, Rolando Gartzia, Francisco Javier Alcalá and Jaime Martínez-Valderrama

Land 2022, 11(10), 1626; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101626 - 22 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3072

Abstract

Groundwater degradation is a major issue on an increasingly hot and thirsty planet. The problem is critical in drylands, where recharge rates are low and groundwater is the only reliable resource in a context of water scarcity and stress. Aquifer depletion and contamination is a process of desertification. Land Degradation Neutrality is regarded as the main initiative to tackle land degradation and desertification. It is embedded in target 15.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals and focused on preventing these dynamics. Within this framework, we present an approach to assess risks of degradation and desertification in coastal basins with aquifers threatened by seawater intrusion. The approach utilizes an integrated system dynamics model representing the main relationships between the aquifer and an intensively irrigated area (greenhouses) driven by short- and medium-term profitability. The study area is located in a semi-arid region in Southern Spain, the Gualchos stream basin, which contains the Castell de Ferro aquifer. We found that the risk of salinization of the aquifer is 73%, while there is a 70% risk that the system would increases its demand for surface water in the future, and the chance of doubling the current demand is almost 50%. If the current system of reservoirs in the area were not able to satisfy such an increase in demand because of climate change, the basin would be at a serious risk of desertification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Monitoring to Prevent Degradation of Land and Natural Resources)

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13 pages, 3416 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Desertification in Spain: A Sound Diagnosis without Solutions and New Scenarios

by Jaime Martínez-Valderrama, Gabriel del Barrio, María E. Sanjuán, Emilio Guirado and Fernando T. Maestre

Land 2022, 11(2), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020272 - 10 Feb 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 8259

Abstract

The latest world atlas of desertification represents a turning point in the diagnosis of desertification. While it forgoes desertification mapping due to the intrinsic complexity of the phenomenon and the impossibility of measuring it using a single indicator, it introduces the convergence of evidence paradigm, which identifies socioeconomic and biophysical variables whose behaviour allows pointing out those areas prone to desertification. The Spanish National Action Program Against Desertification (PAND), back in 2008, already implemented a similar approach to identify five “desertification landscapes” within Spain using both socio-economic and climatic information. The PAND was not only pioneering but also, unfortunately, accurate. Desertification in Spain has continued to worsen and the first two decades of the 21st century have consolidated an agri-food model whose dynamics have exacerbated the desertification processes identified in the PAND. Despite its scientific value, the PAND lacked a proper action plan and was completely detached from the diagnosis. As a result, the diagnosis it provided was not followed by effective actions to halt desertification in Spain. The Spanish government’s recent declaration of climate and environmental emergency requires a new strategy to combat desertification. This commitment is an excellent opportunity to update the diagnosis of the situation and, more crucially, to unify the different desertification sectoral policies and actions under a single front. We provide here elements (e.g., analysis of agri-food trends and integration of plans and policies at different geographical and sectoral levels) for a roadmap to be designed around the pressures, impacts, and drivers that define today’s Spanish desertification landscapes to effectively manage and avoid their further degradation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Monitoring to Prevent Degradation of Land and Natural Resources)

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18 pages, 2378 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Ecophysiological Effects of Groundwater Drawdown on Phreatophytes: Research Trends during the Last Three Decades

by Jonathan O. Hernandez

Land 2022, 11(11), 2061; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112061 - 17 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2664

Abstract

A systematic synthesis of phreatophytes’ responses to groundwater drawdown would provide a more complete picture of groundwater-related research aimed at the sustainable management of groundwater-dependent ecosystems amid climate change. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, the ecophysiological effects of groundwater drawdown on phreatophytes and methodological approaches were synthesized from peer-reviewed articles published from 1988 to 2022. The highest relative count of studies was found in arid and semi-arid high-income countries, such as Australia and North America (18–24%), while the lowest relative count to no data was found in hyper-arid countries, such as north African countries (0–3.65%). The groundwater depth effects on phreatophyte ecophysiology had the highest relative count (53.65%), followed by large-scale tree plantation effects on the groundwater characteristics (44.37%) and groundwater depth and biological invasion relationship (1.99%). The results revealed that as the groundwater depth increased, the phreatophytic vegetation growth, productivity, and community structure decreased across the ecosystem types. A groundwater withdrawal also had a significant impact on the physiology of the phreatophytes, specifically on the transpiration rate, xylem water potential, hydraulic conductance, and photosynthetic rate. Many of the reviewed studies concluded that large-scale tree plantations can deplete groundwater resources due to an increased evapotranspiration rate. Further, species’ diversity, evenness, dominance, composition, and distribution, as well as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), are commonly measured parameters in the reviewed studies through vegetation and groundwater monitoring. Amid applied and contemporary problems, this synthesis may provide researchers with cues to conduct studies relevant to the integrated and sustainable conservation and management of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, particularly in data-poor, hyper-arid countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Monitoring to Prevent Degradation of Land and Natural Resources)

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