scholarly journals Iberian Halophytes as Agroecological Solutions for Degraded Lands and Biosaline Agriculture

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 1005
Author(s):  
Bernardo Duarte ◽  
Isabel Caçador

Research on biosaline agriculture has been increasing worldwide in recent years. In this respect, the Iberian halophyte diversity present a high-value ecological solution to be implemented for biosaline-based agroecosystems. The research on these halophytic species has been increasing worldwide and, in the recent years, especially in terms saline agriculture adaptation, osmophysiology and nutraceutical potential, highlighting the importance and potential of these species in terms of agrosolutions. The Mediterranean area has high biodiversity in terms of endemic halophytic vegetation (ca. 62 species), providing an alternative pool of potential new agricultural products to be cultivated in adverse conditions. Besides being highly diverse, most of these species are endemic and present a perennial life cycle with several applications in terms of food, forage, nutraceutical, feedstock and remediation. More specifically, the Iberian halophytic flora shows potential as resources of essential fatty acids, minerals and antioxidants—all very important for human and animal nutrition. Alongside the establishment of halophyte agroecological solutions is the provision of key ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and soil rehabilitation. Moreover, halophyte-based ecosystems provide additional recognized ecosystem services, beyond the final product production, by improving soil health, ecosystem biodiversity and storing large amounts of carbon, thereby increasing the ecosystem resilience to climate change and offering a green solution against climate change.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pianpian Wu ◽  
Martin J. Kainz ◽  
Fernando Valdés ◽  
Siwen Zheng ◽  
Katharina Winter ◽  
...  

AbstractClimate change scenarios predict increases in temperature and organic matter supply from land to water, which affect trophic transfer of nutrients and contaminants in aquatic food webs. How essential nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and potentially toxic contaminants, such as methylmercury (MeHg), at the base of aquatic food webs will be affected under climate change scenarios, remains unclear. The objective of this outdoor mesocosm study was to examine how increased water temperature and terrestrially-derived dissolved organic matter supply (tDOM; i.e., lake browning), and the interaction of both, will influence MeHg and PUFA in organisms at the base of food webs (i.e. seston; the most edible plankton size for zooplankton) in subalpine lake ecosystems. The interaction of higher temperature and tDOM increased the burden of MeHg in seston (< 40 μm) and larger sized plankton (microplankton; 40–200 μm), while the MeHg content per unit biomass remained stable. However, PUFA decreased in seston, but increased in microplankton, consisting mainly of filamentous algae, which are less readily bioavailable to zooplankton. We revealed elevated dietary exposure to MeHg, yet decreased supply of dietary PUFA to aquatic consumers with increasing temperature and tDOM supply. This experimental study provides evidence that the overall food quality at the base of aquatic food webs deteriorates during ongoing climate change scenarios by increasing the supply of toxic MeHg and lowering the dietary access to essential nutrients of consumers at higher trophic levels.


2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelbasset Benzertiha ◽  
Bartosz Kierończyk ◽  
Mateusz Rawski ◽  
Zuzanna Mikołajczak ◽  
Arkadiusz Urbański ◽  
...  

AbstractThe aim of this review is to discuss the usage of insect fats as an energy source in animal nutrition. Insects are a rich carrier of proteins, fat, and minerals. They are successfully introduced in animal diets (poultry, swine, rabbits, fish, and pets) as a source of many nutrients, including energy and essential fatty acids (FAs). The insects’ fat content and quality are highly affected by the type of substrate provided to the insects during the rearing period. The majority of the studies have shown that insect fats may be used as promising substitutes for conventional energy resources in animal nutrition without adverse effects on growth performance and feed utilization. They can positively affect meat quality by increasing the level of long-chain polyunsaturated FAs but may also positively influence animals by regulating the gut microbiota and stimulating the immune system. In conclusion, insect fat supplementation showed promising results in terms of their application in animal nutrition. However, compared to insect protein application, very few studies have been performed on insect fats. Therefore, because of the fat quality and content of insects, there is a need to extend experimentation regarding their implementation in animals’ diets as a replacement for conventional dietary energy resources.


2021 ◽  
pp. 243-262
Author(s):  
Raquel Rey Mellado ◽  
María Teresa Franchini Alonso ◽  
Cristina del Pozo Sánchez

Cities will suffer the impacts of climate change in the next decades. These impacts will be different according to their geographical features, the distribution and number of green spaces, the characteristics of the exterior surfaces of their floors and the density of population, among other aspects. Given this situation, many cities have begun to adopt adaptation strategies to reduce their vulnerability to the adverse effects of the climate; among which Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) stand out, which respond to ecosystem services and climate challenges, and are classified from the main ecosystems in which they affect: water, vegetation and soil. Within this context, the interest of the SBN in the international field is analyzed and the adaptation measures included in urban strategies developed to respond to this task are reviewed. The review of interventions in cities of the Mediterranean area makes it possible to value the usefulness of the NBS for urban planning and design.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Libor Závorka ◽  
Amelie Crespel ◽  
Neal J. Dawson ◽  
Magdalene Papatheodoulou ◽  
Shaun S. Killen ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
pp. 75-89
Author(s):  
Zoltán Berzsényi

Never has the need been greater for an ecosystem approach to agriculture. As our global population exceeds 9 billion in the next 30 years, with a concomitant demand for agricultural products, ever more pressure will be placed on our agricultural systems. Meanwhile, climate change is altering the ecological settings in which agriculture is practiced, demanding adaptation. Knowledge generated by long-term research will help to address one of the grand challenges of our time: how to meet sustainably the growing world demand for agricultural products – in a way that minimizes environmental harm and enhances the delivery of a diverse array of ecosystem services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 638 ◽  
pp. 107-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
BS Rangel ◽  
NE Hussey ◽  
Y Niella ◽  
LA Martinelli ◽  
AD Gomes ◽  
...  

Throughout evolutionary history, elasmobranchs have developed diverse reproductive strategies. Little focused work, however, has addressed how neonatal nutritional state is affected by differing degrees of maternal investment associated with these markedly different reproductive strategies. To investigate the effect of maternal investment on the nutritional quality of pups during the early life history of an extremely viviparous elasmobranch, quantitative biomarker analysis including lipids, fatty acids and stable isotopes was conducted. Using the cownose ray Rhinoptera bonasus (histotrophic viviparous) as a model, we found that pups were initially born in a positive nutritional state, enriched in physiologically important essential fatty acids and nitrogen and carbon stable isotope values (δ15N and δ13C), a result of maternal intrauterine transfer. A systematic decrease in some fatty acids and δ15N values, as well as a decrease in cholesterol with growth, confirmed that these substrates were derived from maternal resources and used in initial metabolic processes following birth. An observed increase in condition factor, plasma essential fatty acids and triglyceride:cholesterol ratio with increasing body size identified a progression towards successful independent foraging with pups not displaying marked nutritional deficiency or fasting phases. Our multi-tracer approach allowed the identification of 2 size classes of young rays (<50 and <70 cm disc width) that displayed distinct physiological states. Since prenatal maternal investment is critical for offspring condition and to promote successful foraging post birth, understanding the trophic ecology and physiological state of pups during their first year is critical to guide management and conservation within nursery grounds.


2012 ◽  
Vol 163 (12) ◽  
pp. 481-492
Author(s):  
Andreas Rigling ◽  
Ché Elkin ◽  
Matthias Dobbertin ◽  
Britta Eilmann ◽  
Arnaud Giuggiola ◽  
...  

Forest and climate change in the inner-Alpine dry region of Visp Over the past decades, observed increases in temperature have been particularly pronounced in mountain regions. If this trend should continue in the 21st Century, frequency and intensity of droughts will increase, and will pose major challenges for forest management. Under current conditions drought-related tree mortality is already an important factor of forest ecosystems in dry inner-Alpine valleys. Here we assess the sensitivity of forest ecosystems to climate change and evaluate alternative forest management strategies in the Visp region. We integrate data from forest monitoring plots, field experiments and dynamic forests models to evaluate how the forest ecosystem services timber production, protection against natural hazards, carbon storage and biodiver-sity will be impacted. Our results suggest that at dry low elevation sites the drought tolerance of native tree species will be exceeded so that in the longer term a transition to more drought-adapted species should be considered. At medium elevations, drought and insect disturbances as by bark beetles are projected to be important for forest development, while at high elevations forests are projected to expand and grow better. All of the ecosystem services that we considered are projected to be impacted by changing forest conditions, with the specific impacts often being elevation-dependent. In the medium term, forest management that aims to increase the resilience of forests to drought can help maintain forest ecosystem services temporarily. However, our results suggest that relatively rigid management interventions are required to achieve significant effects. By using a combination of environmental monitoring, field experiments and modeling, we are able to gain insight into how forest ecosystem, and the services they provide, will respond to future changes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1219-1225
Author(s):  
Filip Jovanovski ◽  
Toni Mitrovski ◽  
Viktorija Bezhovska

Food is not just a pleasure in life, it is also an important factor for our health. Human nutrition is a mixture of nutrients, which are the only source of energy needed for survival. Energy-poor diet endangers many life functions, and above all the working ability. In the world, the meaning of the diet is very serious, and hence the demands for a –rational, healthy and safe diet are growing. Human nutrition contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) must be ingested in everyday diet because the body does not produce it. They are very important for human health. They are present in each cell of the human body and are an important factor for the normal growth, development and functioning of cells, muscles, nerves and organs. They are also used in the production of certain hormones - such as prostaglandins, which are crucial for the performance of certain important processes. The deficit from EFAs is due to a number of health problems, including more serious diseases.


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