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- Simulating water application efficiency in pressurized irrigation systems: a computational approachPublication . Carriço, Nelson; Felícissimo, Diogo; Antunes, André; Brito da Luz, PauloThe agricultural sector faces growing environmental and societal pressures to balance natural resource use with food security, particularly within the Water-EnergyFood-Ecosystems Nexus (WEFE). Increasing water demand, competition, and challenges like droughts and desertification are driving the need for innovative irrigation practices. Pressurized irrigation systems, such as sprinkler and micro-irrigation, are gaining prominence due to their automation, labor savings, and increased water application efficiency. To support farmers in designing and managing these systems, the R&D project AGIR developed a computational tool that simulates water application efficiency under site-specific conditions. The tool integrates key parameters, including system design, scheduling, soil properties, topography, meteorological data, and vegetation cover, providing a robust methodological framework with classification criteria for evaluating irrigation options. Validated using data from six case studies, the tool achieved simulated irrigation efficiencies of 73% to 90%, which are consistent with field observations. By simplifying complex irrigation requirement calculations, the model offers a user-friendly alternative while maintaining accuracy at the farm level. This innovative tool enables stakeholders to optimize irrigation systems, reduce water losses, and establish standardized recommendations for design, management, performance, and socio-economic considerations. It represents a significant step forward in supporting sustainable water management and advancing the goals of Agriculture 4.0.
- Determination of baseline groundwater levels for tree conservation in urban historical botanical gardens using Applied GeophysicsPublication . Paz, Maria Catarina; Falcão, Ana Paula; Garcia, César Augusto; Esteves, Miguel; Afonso, Nuno; Mendes, Maria PaulaHistorical botanical gardens hold a significant place in cultural heritage. They serve as interpretive repositories of past botanical knowledge and practices, showcase plant collections cultivated over centuries, provide space for the emergence of new ecologies, offer numerous human well-being benefits, and supply vital regulating ecosystem services, which are especially important in urban areas. Nowadays, however, plants within urban historical botanical gardens can be at risk due to urban development. Therefore, it is crucial to achieve a comprehensive understanding of these spaces to help implement protective measures and support proper urban planning of the surrounding areas. This study investigates the subsurface of the Botanical Garden of Lisbon (JBL), which is subject to nearby construction works that may alter groundwater flow and depth. We employed a methodology designed for minimal on-site disturbance and high adaptability to the spatial constraints typical of these spaces. Two non-invasive applied geophysical techniques were used: electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR). Our main objectives were: (1) to assess groundwater levels in the construction area and establish the piezometric surface, and (2) to determine if tree roots reach the saturated zone, establish a groundwater baseline, and suggest protective measures. The establishment of the piezometric surface and the delimitation of the root zone, extending up to 3.0 m in depth, revealed that tree roots can access groundwater levels. This finding underscores the critical need for vigilant monitoring and management of groundwater levels during excavation activities, as decreased lateral groundwater contributions from the excavation area can adversely affect groundwater levels of trees in the plant beds. These findings and methodology can be applied to urban botanical gardens worldwide, as many of these gardens face similar challenges due to urbanization and environmental changes.
- Eco-insights on hydrocarbon bioremediationPublication . Serralha, F. N.; Coelho, Ana CláudiaMicroorganisms are ubiquitous in the biosphere, influenced by both their surrounding environment and the biotic and abiotic factors of ecosystems. Contaminated areas often harbor species adept at utilizing pollutants as nutrients, thus enhancing their resilience to environmental pressures. Identifying and characterizing these species can significantly benefit bioremediation processes. To contribute to this understanding, bioremediation experiments were conducted in Barreiro, a pivotal industrial hub in Portugal during the 20th century. Soil samples from two distinct locations were analyzed: one near Barreiro city, impacted by various anthropogenic activities leading to increased fuel pollutants and the other in a protected wooded area designated for recreational and educational purposes. All identified hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms belonged to the Pseudomonas genus. Bioremediation assays isolated bacteria from pure colonies, compared with mixtures of all bacterial morphotypes capable of growth in the pollutant’s presence. Consistently higher bioremediation rates for gasoline and toluene were observed using mixed cultures. Effective degradation-capable bacterial strains were identified in both locations, demonstrating bioremediation potential. Mixed bacterial cultures exhibited superior degradation rates, underscoring the importance of microbial diversity for bioremediation effectiveness. Also, the composition and bioremediate activity of microbial communities change in response to hydrocarbon concentration were analyzed, providing insights into the resilience of microbial communities to environmental stressors and their capacity to adapt to contaminated conditions. These findings emphasize the importance of in-depth, on-site investigations to elucidate the interplay between native microbial communities and pollutant degradation potential in soil.
- Comparison of electromagnetic induction and electrical resistivity tomography in assessing soil salinity: Insights from four plots with distinct soil salinity levelsPublication . Paz, Maria Catarina; Castanheira, Nádia Luísa; Paz, Ana Marta; Gonçalves, Maria Conceição; Santos, Fernando Monteiro; Farzamian, MohammadElectromagnetic induction (EMI) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) are geophysical techniques measuring soil electrical conductivity and providing insights into properties correlated with it to depths of several meters. EMI measures the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa, dS m−1) without physical contact, while ERT acquires apparent electrical resistivity (ERa, ohm m) using electrodes. Both involve mathematical inversion to obtain models of spatial distribution for soil electrical conductivity (σ, mS m−1) and electrical resistivity (ρ, ohm m), respectively, where ρ is the reciprocal of σ. Soil salinity can be assessed from σ over large areas using a calibration process consisting of a regression between σ and the electrical conductivity of the saturated soil paste extract (ECe, dS m−1), used as a proxy for soil salinity. This research aims to compare the prediction abilities of the faster EMI to the more reliable ERT for estimating σ and predicting soil salinity. The study conducted surveys and sampling at four locations with distinct salinity levels in Portugal, analysing the agreement between the techniques, and obtained 2D vertical soil salinity maps. In our case study, the agreement between EMI and ERT models was fairly good in three locations, with σ varying between 50 and 500 mS m−1. However, this was not the case at location 4, where σ exceeded 1000 mS m−1 and EMI significantly underestimated σ when compared to ERT. As for soil salinity prediction, both techniques generally provided satisfactory and comparable regional-level predictions of ECe, and the observed underestimation in EMI models did not significantly affect the overall estimation of soil salinity. Consequently, EMI demonstrated an acceptable level of accuracy in comparison to ERT in our case studies, supporting confidence in utilizing this faster and more practical technique for measuring soil salinity over large areas
- Da herança industrial à educação ambiental: O património da cidade do Barreiro como recurso educativo no estudo da biorremediaçãoPublication . Sousa, A.C.C.; Serralha, F. N.
- How does climate change affect soil salinity? the case study of a Mediterranean pasture with saline groundwaterPublication . Paz, A.; Castanheira, N.; Soares, P. Matos; Farzamian, M.; Paz, Maria Catarina; Gonçalves, M. C.The case study is located in an agricultural area of alluvial origin, approximately 10 km northeast of Lisbon (Portugal). The area is a peninsula surrounded by River Tejo, its estuary, and by River Sorraia. The peninsula lies 1 to 2 m above sea level, with saline groundwater arising from the estuarine tides. The soil is typically clayey and homogeneous. The future climate projections for the Mediterranean region show a decrease in precipitation, increase in mean temperature, and increase in sea water level. These conditions aggravate the processes leading to salt-affected soils (increased evapotranspiration, decrease in salt leaching during the rainy season, and increase of the groundwater salinity). This work evaluates the influence of climate change on soil salinity and water content in a rainfed spontaneous pasture, using Hydrus-1D. Three climate scenarios, comprising series of 30 years obtained with a regional climate model, were used: reference scenario (referent to 1971-2000), RCP4.5, and RCP 8.5 (both for 2011-2040). The results show an increase in the soil salinity in the RCP scenarios compared to the reference and a decrease in the mean yearly water content of the topsoil. Both effects limit the productivity of the pasture and even compromise the plants’ growth.
- Processamento de dados de temperatura do solo para simulações computacionais de um agro-ecossistemaPublication . Paz, Maria Catarina; Santos, Sónia A.P.; Barreira, RaquelOs serviços de ecossistema, como a limitação natural de pragas, incluem-se nas estratégias de gestão de agro-ecossistemas e o seu uso pode ser otimizado com base no conhecimento provindo da modelação computacional das pragas, dos seus predadores, e da paisagem. Neste artigo focamo-nos no processamento de dados de temperatura do solo, necessários para o funcionamento dos modelos de praga-predador Bactrocera oleae (mosca da azeitona) e Haplodrassus rufipes (aranha do solo) no olival. A metodologia de processamento permitiu-nos (1) completar as lacunas existentes na série de dados de temperatura do solo, recolhidos com periodicidade horária, (2) convertê-la numa série com periodicidade diária, e ainda (3) criar uma variável adicional, a temperatura média diária do solo durante o crepúsculo vespertino. Este último passo possibilita que não haja uma perda de informação no que diz respeito àquele período específico do dia, reduzindo-se o erro associado à desaquação da resolução temporal da variável climática média diária para exprimir um fenómeno que ocorre apenas durante um determinado número de horas do dia.
- Integrated Geophysical Methods for Shallow Aquifers Characterization and ModellingPublication . Alcalá, Francisco Javier; Paz, Maria Catarina; Martínez-Pagán, Pedro; Santos, Fernando Monteiro
- Developing an Agent-Based Model for Haplodrassus rufipes (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), a Generalist Predator Species of Olive Tree Pests: Conceptual Model OutlinePublication . Barreira, Raquel; Paz, Maria Catarina; Amaro, Luís; Sousa, José Paulo; Benhadi-Marín, Jacinto; Rasko, Mykola; Silva, António Alves da; Alves, Joana; Chuhutin, Andrey; Topping, Christopher John; Santos, Sónia A.P.Olive growing has been facing major sustainability challenges due to intensification, resulting in an increased use of pesticides and fertilizers and, consequently, in the depletion of natural resources and loss of biodiversity and landscape values. This has created an urgent need to develop models for managing complex agroecosystems that integrate factors affecting food quality, sustainability and biodiversity, providing a supporting technique to understand the consequences of agricultural management for ecosystem services. We are developing an advanced agent-based simulation (ABS) applied to olive groves to model the effects of farming practices on the abundance of olive pest predators. ABS is a modeling technique where agents represent animals (predator arthropods, in our case) acting in their environment. Our model is based on an ABS system developed by Aarhus University, the ALMaSS, which comprises highly detailed farm management and spatial structures to construct dynamic landscapes where agents operate. In this work, we present the conceptual model for one of the selected species, Haplodrassus rufipes (Araneae: Gnaphosidae.
- Processing of high-resolution temporal climate data for daily simulations of a complex agro-ecosystemPublication . Paz, Maria Catarina; Santos, Sónia A.P.; Barreira, RaquelEcosystem services, such as natural pest control, are essential tools to be incorpora ted in future agricultural methodologies. In this paper we focus on the processing of climate data series that feed to a system of computer models simulating daily inte ractions of a pest and its predator, in a dynamic landscape, the olive grove. We filled hourly climate data series and converted them to daily climate series using R langua ge. The methodology used produces acceptable climate data series for the system to run and allows to segregate specific periods of the day while maintaining daily tem poral resolution. We expect this paper can be helpful when dealing with similar data and purpose.