Orals: Mon, 28 Apr | Room -2.20
Degradation and desertification are becoming one of the major issues of large areas of land, affecting the capacity of the land to offer ecosystem services.
There is a need to know and act to reverse land degradation and desertification (LDD) and promote the expansion of innovative and tailored solutions. Exchange of knowledge and experiences and out-scaling of success stories is a way to foster the assessment and mitigation of LDD and innovations for sustainable land management and to promote a more effective integration of this issues in territorial agendas for improved land use, governance, and the creation of sustainable policy environments that address LDD. This includes sharing information relevant to policymakers, facilitating the exchange of local knowledge, and disseminating information among land users and their organizations.
The Monalisa project “Community of Knowledge” under construction, in synergy with the Community of Practice by sister project Terrasafe, is an opportunity to create a space for sharing and discussing on desertification in Europe and the Mediterranean, by involvement of relevant institutions and the main scientific stakeholders, to support the project results scaling out and exploitation, especially at the Mediterranean and European level.
How to cite: Assennato, F., Luise, A., De Vendictis, G., Delfini, C., and Seddaiu, G.: Why a Community of Knowledge on land degradation and desertification (LDD)?, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-21757, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-21757, 2025.
Soil degradation and desertification pose significant threats to Mediterranean ecosystems. The marginal maquis shrublands of Messara in Crete, Greece, exemplify poor land management under Mediterranean conditions, where overgrazing influences vegetation composition and density, leading to extensive soil erosion and desertification (Daliakopoulos et al., 2017). As ecosystem restoration becomes a global priority, the complete removal of livestock and revegetation efforts have become common throughout the Mediterranean. However, few of these restoration projects have been evaluated post-intervention (Nadal-Romero et al., 2016). Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) is a widely preferred method for assessing the impact of land use across various climates and ecosystems, including semi-arid rangelands (Maestre & Puche, 2009) and semi-arid woodlands (Eldridge & Delgado-Baquerizo, 2018). Biodiversity is one of the crucial indicators of the success of a restoration project (Ruiz‐Jaen & Mitchell Aide, 2005), as is carbon sequestration (Wimmler et al., 2021). In this study, we utilize LFA to evaluate the current condition of 8 sites within the Messara Valley, directly comparing these findings with data collected a decade ago from the same locations. These locations have been categorized based on the management practices implemented and their slope. Additionally, we utilize Shannon's Diversity Index to evaluate biodiversity and estimate biomass production through allometric equations. Preliminary results indicate that grassing and slope are the most significant factors influencing the condition of the fields. Fields with a high slope and light grassing perform comparably to those with a slight or no slope but high grassing. However, a holistic approach to cultivating and managing grassing consistently yields the highest scores.
Bibliography
Ruiz‐Jaen, M. C., & Mitchell Aide, T. (2005). Restoration Success: How Is It Being Measured? Restoration Ecology, 13(3), 569–577. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2005.00072.x
Wimmler, M.-C., Bathmann, J., Peters, R., Jiang, J., Walther, M., Lovelock, C. E., & Berger, U. (2021). Plant–soil feedbacks in mangrove ecosystems: establishing links between empirical and modelling studies. Trees, 35(5), 1423–1438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-021-02182-z
Daliakopoulos, I. N., Panagea, I. S., Tsanis, I. K., Grillakis, M. G., Koutroulis, A. G., Hessel, R., Mayor, A. G., & Ritsema, C. J. (2017). Yield Response of Mediterranean Rangelands under a Changing Climate. Land Degradation and Development, 28(7), 1962–1972. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2717
Eldridge, D. J., & Delgado-Baquerizo, M. (2018). Grazing reduces the capacity of Landscape Function Analysis to predict regional-scale nutrient availability or decomposition, but not total nutrient pools. Ecological Indicators, 90, 494–501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.03.034
Maestre, F. T., & Puche, M. D. (2009). Indices based on surface indicators predict soil functioning in Mediterranean semi-arid steppes. Applied Soil Ecology, 41(3), 342–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2008.12.007
Nadal-Romero, E., Cammeraat, E., Pérez-Cardiel, E., & Lasanta, T. (2016). Effects of secondary succession and afforestation practices on soil properties after cropland abandonment in humid Mediterranean mountain areas. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 228, 91–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.05.003
How to cite: Louloudakis, I., Daliakopoulos, I., Papadimitriou, D., Panagea, I., Kadlec, J., and Manios, T.: Restoration monitoring in Mediterranean rangelands: management practices influencing landscape functions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19920, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19920, 2025.
Land desertification driven by land abandonment and a changing climate raises new concerns for the sustainability of Mediterranean mountain environments. The use of heavy machinery for the establishment of mountain terraces is replacing traditional manual terracing methods, offering new opportunities and challenges in mountain farming. This study aims to demonstrates that the potential risks of terrace failures can be effectively identified by integrated approaches of aerial surveys and process-based models equipped with hydrological and slope stability parameters, contributing to design of sustainable and robust mountain terraces environment. The objectives of this research are: i) to apply aerial surveys and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry for monitoring slope failures in agricultural mountain terraces; and ii) to assess the stability of terraced slopes using a process-based modelling approach. Two terraced sites, located in Oikos and Agros communities in the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus, dedicated to grape cultivation for wine making, were selected for this study. Surveys with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) were conducted to generate digital surface models and terrain maps using the SfM technique. Field assessments and back analysis were performed to determine the range of hydrological, mechanical and geometrical parameters of the terraces and supporting dry-stone walls. These parameters were incorporated into a slope stability model to evaluate terrace deformations under different soil moisture conditions. Additional UAV-based surveys will be made following intense rainfall events that induce soil erosion and collapsing of dry-stone walls. A process-based hydrological model will be used to analyse soil moisture dynamics (infiltration and sub surface runoff) of damaging rainfall events at the study site. The obtained data will be used as input for improving the parametrization of the slope stability model simulations.
This research has received financial support from the REACT4MED Project (GA 2122), which is funded by PRIMA, the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, a Programme supported by Horizon 2020, the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
How to cite: Meena, A. K., Sofokleous, I., Christodoulou, N., Djuma, H., Zoumides, C., Lucini, F., Camera, C. A. S., and Bruggeman, A.: An integrated approach to combat desertification in Mediterranean mountain environments: UAV surveys and slope stability modelling in agricultural terrace systems, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13432, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13432, 2025.
How can we scale local knowledge and sustainable solutions to broader territories without losing their contextual relevance? Land degradation is a pressing issue in the Mediterranean, where diverse environmental and socio-economic conditions exacerbate its impacts. While bottom-up approaches excel in leveraging existing skills, contextual knowledge, and practical problem-solving, their results often remain tied to specific territorial contexts. The challenge lies in generalising and extending these insights to new regions, enabling effective and scalable land management and restoration strategies.
The REACT4MED project (https://react4med.eu/), funded by PRIMA (https://prima-med.org/), promotes the creation of Ecosystem Restoration Living Labs (ERLLs) in diverse Mediterranean contexts to harmonize the assessment of soil degradation and evaluate the impacts of the implemented restoration measures.
In the context of this project, we explore the potential up- and outscaling of the project’s restoration measures adopting a Machine-Learning-Based Procedure that integrates experts’ knowledge from living labs and a machine-learning tool sourced with global and regional datasets.
This procedure defines homogeneous areas based on different kinds of indicators (e.g. climatic trends, socio-economic circumstances, land degradation severity) through a clustering algorithm to support policymakers in analysing the feasibility of upscaling the implemented restoration measures.
We established a methodological approach that encompasses a workflow structured as follows:
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Computing a large number of candidate inputs (biophysical, climate, and socioeconomic indicators) for a reference period.
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Selecting inputs with a data-driven approach, using correlation analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
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Performing clustering analysis (k-means) to delineate areas with similar characteristics across the Mediterranean region.
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Using the clusters to inform expert-based analyses, incorporating high-resolution datasets and local expert input to identify suitable areas for restoration actions.
The Machine-learning tool can be sourced with both historical and future climate and socio-economic scenarios and thus facilitates data-driven decision-making for land restoration, providing valuable insights for policy and action.
Built on an open-source technology stack, the ML tool has been released as open-source software at https://gitlab.com/lands-r4m/ml_tool and tested on the pilot areas of REACT4MED. This tool is a key component of Land Degradation Decision-Support Toolbox (LanDS), which is freely available at http://lands.soft-water.it.
How to cite: Micotti, M., Sangiorgio, M., Matta, E., and Weber, E.: A Machine-Learning-Based Procedure to Assess Land Degradation and Restoration Potential in the Mediterranean, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12139, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12139, 2025.
Abstract
The temperature in arid region of China has been volatile risen over the past 60 years, with the warming range as high as 0.34℃/10a, nearly three times that of the global average. There were seasonal and spatial differences in the amplitude of temperature variation. The warming is the most obvious at 0.50℃/10a in winter and the smallest at 0.27℃/ 10a in spring. During the last 60 years, the annual precipitation has shown a weak upward trend, which the increase in summer was the largest at 2.50 mm/10a and in winter was the smallest at 1.20 mm/10a. Inland river flow is a barometer of climate change, which accounting for more than 85% of the total water resources in arid region of China. The changes of climate warming, glacier retreat and melting of ice and snow have an important impact on the spatial and temporal changes of river flow, brought about the mountainous runoff raised. Along with the better water supply conditions, the positive result is the expansion of artificial oasis (oasification) and the negative result is the aeolian desertification development.
Oasification is the transition process from desert to oasis in arid region resulted from human and natural factors. Aeolian desertification is land degradation through wind erosion mainly resulted from the human impacts in arid, semiarid and sub-humid regions of China. The expansion of aosification is always along with the menace of aeolian desertification. There are 65% of the aosification transformed from no-aosis area and 35% came from natural oasis by cultivation, which means that the aosification is the process of reclaim desert land and natural oasis changed to artificial oasis. The area of aeolian desertification mainly distribute over the periphery of oasis-desert and the middle and lower reaches of endorheic river. It can be said that the aosification is the development process from natural ecosystems to artificial ecosystems which extended the living space to human being. However, the low level or disorder aosification management can decrease the stability of the oasis and cause oasis degradation with the reduction or loss of land productivity, often can trigger a series of ecological problems such as river break, lakes shrinking, vegetation degradation, soil erosion and aeolian desertification. Oasification enlarged and intensively managed areas of farming land mostly, which needs more and more water resources, so that some areas of transitional zone of oasis-desert and of lower reaches of endorheic river evolved into aeolian desertification because of the water shortage.
Finally, we propose a suitable dimensions of oases with different water consumption characteristics based on the construction of multi-objective balance methods and mathematical models for healthy development of aosification and prevention of aeolian desertification in arid region of China.
Keywords: Water Manage, Oasification, Aeolian Desertification, Arid region of China
How to cite: Wang, T.: Climate Change and Water Manage to the Oasification and Aeolian Desertification in Arid Region of China , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-111, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-111, 2025.
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are two crucial limiting mineral elements for terrestrial plants. Although the leaf N:P ratio is extensively used to indicate plant nutrient limitations, the critical N:P ratios cannot be universally applied. Some investigations have suggested that leaf nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) can provide another proxy for nutrient limitations along with the N:P ratio, but the negative relationships between N:P and δ15N were mainly limited to fertilization experiments. It will obviously benefit the study of the nature of nutrient limitations if the relationship could be explained more generally. We analyzed leaf δ15N, N, and P contents across a northeast–southwest transect in China. Leaf δ15N was weakly negatively correlated with leaf N:P ratios for all plants, while there was no correlation between them for various plant groups, including different growth forms, genera, and species across the entire N:P range. This suggests that the use of leaf δ15N in indicating the shift of nutrient limitations across the whole N:P range still requires more validated field investigations. Notably, negative relationships between δ15Nand N:P hold for plants with N:P ratios between 10 and 20 but not for plants with N:P ratios lower than 10 or higher than 20. That is, changes in leaf δ15N along with the N:P ratio of plants that are co-limited by N and P can exhibit variations in plant nutrient limitations, whereas plants that are strictly limited by N and P cannot. Moreover, these relationships are not altered by vegetation type, soil type, MAP, or MAT, indicating that the use of leaf δ15N in reflecting shifts in nutrient limitations, depending on the plant nutrient limitation range, is general. We examined the relationships between leaf δ15N and the N:P ratio across an extensive transect, providing references for the widespread use of leaf δ15N in reflecting shifts in nutrient limitation.
How to cite: Li, J. and Chen, C.: Examination of the negative correlation between foliar nitrogen isotopes and N: P ratios across a northeast- southwest transect in China, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14866, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14866, 2025.
The application of organic substrates to agricultural soils is a key strategy in circular farm management, effectively improving soil quality by enhancing soil carbon and nitrogen stabilization, promoting soil microbiome diversity, and increasing resilience to environmental stressors. These amendments also exhibit strong metal-binding capacities through functional groups such as carboxylates, which is particularly advantageous for mitigating the mobility of harmful metals like cadmium (Cd)—a toxic element with no known metabolic role in plants or humans. Under future climate conditions, metals in soils are predicted to become increasingly mobile due to changes in soil biogeochemistry (Drabesch et al., 2024). This poses a significant risk to food safety, as demonstrated by elevated Cd concentrations in the edible tissues of spinach, a widely consumed leafy crop used as a model for metal uptake (Pienkowska et al., at EGU 2025). In this study, we evaluated whether amending soils with organic substrates could counteract the climate-driven increase in Cd mobility and accumulation during spinach cultivation. Six common organic amendments—farmyard manure, compost, humic substances, biochar, horn-bone-blood meal, and peat—were applied to an agricultural soil with a natural Cd concentration of 0.6 mg kg⁻¹. Spinach was grown under current and projected climate conditions for the year 2100 based on the IPCC SSP3-7 scenario. All amendments, except peat, significantly reduced Cd accumulation in spinach under future climate conditions, with manure and compost showing the greatest reduction potential. Mechanistic insights were gained through modeling Cd binding to fulvic acids (using WHAM VII) and assessing rhizobiome activity associated with metal mobilization and plant growth. These findings highlight the potential and elucidate the mechanisms by which organic substrates can enhance food safety under a changing climate by reducing the bioavailability of harmful metals.
References
Drabesch et al. (2024). Climate-induced microbiome alterations increase cadmium bioavailability in agricultural soils with pH below 7. Communications Earth & Environment.
Pienkowska et al., (2025). Climate change-induced cadmium accumulation in spinach. Abstract at EGU25-13116
IPCC (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report.
How to cite: Muehe, M., Prada Salcedo, L. D., Merbach, I., Herzberg, M., Tarkka, M., Bachelder, J., and Sánchez, N.: Organic amendments reduce climate-induced cadmium accumulation in Spinacia oleracea L. , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13648, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13648, 2025.
Climate change poses complex challenges for plant disease management, as rising temperatures and changing meteorological patterns influence both pathogen virulence and plant resistance mechanisms. This context underscores the need for improved and sustainable defence strategies to address future food production. The environmental impact of phytosanitary treatments is a key factor in considering their sustainability. The use of agrochemicals in crop management strategies, carries the potential to generate unfavourable outcomes on the surrounding cultivation ecosystem. Copper-based products exemplify this issue, as their extensive use has led to regulatory restrictions under EU legislation, primarily due to their inclination to persist and accumulate in the environment. LIFE Microfighter is a European project aimed at reducing copper usage in olive, grape and tomato orchards. Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi (Pss) is the causal agent of Olive Knot that damage normal growth, obstruct the translocation of nutrients and water, and diminish both yield and production quality. The experimentation focuses on evaluating the potential of a novel biopesticide involving Pseudomonas synxantha DLS65, combined with natural zeolites, offering a sustainable solution for disease control. The trial was conducted in Rimini province (Italy) with the following treatments: (A) Microfighter treatment with 6 kg/1000 L per hectare; (B) Copper treatment at 2.1 kg/ha and (C) the Negative Control. At the beginning of the experiment, the soil at the experimental site was analysed to determine its main physico-chemical properties and copper (Cu) content, including soil pH, organic matter, and both total and bioavailable Cu. This analysis aimed to evaluate the potential effects on crop performance and the accumulation of Cu in the soil over time under different management strategies. Field monitoring during the first year of experimentation on the average diameter of galls induced by Pss revealed that gall diameters were larger in the control thesis and in plants treated with conventional copper-based formulation, while smaller diameters were observed in plants treated with the new biopesticide. By categorizing the galls into three size classes (less than 0.3 cm, between 0.3 and 0.7 cm, and greater than 0.7 cm) and investigating the percentage distribution for each treatment, the highest proportion of smaller galls was associated with the Microfighter treatment. This suggests a potential efficacy of the biopesticide in Olive knot management, likely reflected in its ability to slow the growth of existing infections. In addition, no statistically significant differences were detected in the chemical or sensory attributes of olive oil among the treatments, which indicates that Microfighter application does not negatively influence the commercial quality characteristics of the final product.
Research funded under the LIFE-2021-SAP-ENV-ENVIRONMENT program (Life - Microfighter, no. 101074218)
How to cite: Cudazzo, E., Morrone, L., Faccini, B., Alberghini, M., and Rotondi, A.: Redefining Disease Management for Future Agriculture, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-10597, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-10597, 2025.
Efficient agricultural production requires favourable weather conditions, healthy soil and an adequate supply of soil nutrients. In farming, common alternatives to artificial fertilizers include manure and digestates. Another potential soil amendment method is the addition of dredged bottom sediments from different water bodies. The use of lake sediments for agricultural purposes is well-documented; however, the potential of sediments from surface-flow treatment wetlands (TWs) designed to mitigate agricultural diffuse pollution remains largely unexplored. However, these sediments are rich in organic matter, nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, and micro-nutrients like magnesium and calcium.
The primary objective of this study was to assess the impact of TW sediment on soil fertility and crop yield during a large-scale field experiment in Estonia across two vegetation periods. In 2023, the sediment effect was compared with a control (no amendment), digestate (a liquid by-product of biogas plant), and N:P:K mineral fertilizer. The longevity of the sediment effect was studied in 2024 using the same setup but with no additional amendments. Based on the initial soil composition and recommended fertilization rates, sediment, digestate, and mineral fertilizer were applied to three 48m2 plots at the start of the 2023 season, just before sowing spring wheat. The buckwheat growth and yield were evaluated in the second season (2024). The experimental area had an onsite weather station. Each plot had 6 sampling points to monitor soil composition, root development, crop growth, greenhouse gas emissions, and continuous soil moisture, temperature, and electrical conductivity measurements.
One of the key findings of this study was that during the extremely dry spring of 2023, the sediment amendment significantly increased soil moisture content (median 38 % compared to 14 % on other plots), leading to earlier sprouting and grain ripening. During spring 2024, the soil moisture content was much lower (median 15 % with sediment and 11 % with others). On average, soil fertility and composition were more favourable when adding sediment. After the sediment application, the soil had an average total carbon content of 5.2 %, compared to only 1.7 % in the other plots. The carbon content was generally much lower in May 2024 but still the highest on sediment plot (median 2.4 %). The sediment amendment also resulted in much higher average plant-available Ca and Mg levels during 2023 and higher content during 2024 than on the other plots. The sediment amendment produced 2023 a significantly higher yield, median of 8.5 t/ha, while the other plots had lower yields (mineral fertilizer 7.2 t/ha; control 6.3 t/ha; and only 3.3 t/ha with digestate). With buckwheat, during 2024, we did not see any more such a clear effect of amendments applied at the beginning of the previous season.
Applying TW sediment as an agricultural soil amendment showed promising results for increasing crop yield in the application year. Further research is needed to determine if similar results can be achieved with other crops and combinations of different soil amendment practices.
How to cite: Kõiv-Vainik, M., Lopp, L., Okiti, I., Pindus, M., and Kasak, K.: From wetlands to fields: a two-year study on the impact of the surface-flow treatment wetland sediment on soil fertility and crop yield, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8767, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8767, 2025.
Posters on site: Mon, 28 Apr, 16:15–18:00 | Hall X3
The availability of water resources is one of the main factors governing the development of arid regions. Rainwater agriculture can be implemented as a sustainable solution for the preventing desertification. Efficiency of rainwater harvesting depends on two main components: 1) water collecting; and, 2) water storing. The first aim of the study is increasing efficiency of scarce rainwater resources management and providing the secure tool for preventing land degradation by erosion by means of small rainwater harvesting systems – microcatchments. The second aim of the study is cost vs benefits analysis of the suggested management approach. The results show that increasing runoff coefficient beyond 12% may be achieved only by mulching the runoff generating area, at least at loessial soils. Deepening the pit depth has a significant effect on soil water losses through evaporation with almost linear efficiency increasing with pit’s depth increasing. The practice that gave the best results both water and cost wise was collecting rainwater into a shallow trench of 20 cm deep and 1m wide with sealed trench walls and additional crop planted at the trench bottom and an tree or shrub next to the trench. In order to increase the efficiency of water collection and conservation, we built an experimental system that included the following characterisitics: 1) the runoff generation area was mulched with polyethelene sheets and 2) the water collection area was built in two variants, 2.1) as a shallow trench of 20 cm deep and 1m wide with sealed trench walls and Narcissus flowers planted at the trench bottom and an olive tree next to the trench, and 2.2) a deep trench of 1m deep and 1m wide with olive trees planted inside. In both cases, we got at least a 10-fold runoff amount increase when even very low intensity rain created runoff over the polyethelene mulching. In the 2.1 case, water infiltrated only through the pit bottom to the deeper layer, and evaporation was better prevented. The main idea of planting flowers was to show the possibility of growing additional plants along with trees in microcatchments. Since flower roots take water from a very shallow depth and don't compete with the tree root , such an approach could be considered beneficial. Flowers naturally destroy the crust at the pit bottom during the flower bursting and enrich the soil with organic material after the flowers die. Monitoring five years after the system’s implementation showed the succes of the system, both in runoff accumulation and in plant growth. In the 2.2 case, water infiltrated through the bottom and the walls, but evaporation was minimal because of the system depth. The cost of microcathment building depends on the type has supplied enough runoff for excellent tree growth. The third part of the study was cost vs benefits analysis of the suggested optimization. The results show that the highest benefit may be achieved by mulching the runoff generation area with the locally available materials (gypsum, stones etc) and applying the variant 2.1 for water collection.
How to cite: Carmi, G.: Costs and benefits of optimizing small rainwater harvesting systems for preventing land degradation, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-131, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-131, 2025.
As a signatory to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Brazil has made significant progress in combating desertification through initiatives such as the National Policy to Combat Desertification and Mitigate the Effects of Drought (PNCD), implemented in 2015, and the New Brazilian Action Plan to Combat Desertification and Mitigate the Effects of Drought (PAB-Brasil 2024). Despite these advances, extensive areas throughout the country continue to face intensified degradation processes driven by inadequate land management and the increasing frequency of severe drought events. Our work introduces a novel approach to classify land degradation and conservation levels across Brazil, employing indicators such as land cover, soil organic carbon, and net primary productivity, as recommended by the UNCCD. Results indicate that 5.1% (422 thousand km²) of Brazil's territory is classified under critical or severe levels of degradation. The Caatinga and Pantanal biomes are the most affected, with 23.1% (197 thousand km²) and 15.2% (22 thousand km²) of their areas in critical or severe conditions, respectively. In contrast, 53.2% (4.4 millions km²) of the national territory is classified as having good to excellent conservation levels. The analysis highlights the disproportionate impacts of land degradation on vulnerable populations, including Indigenous Peoples, Quilombola communities, and smallholder farmers, who rely directly on natural resources for their livelihoods. These groups face challenges such as loss of productive land, water scarcity, and territorial expropriation. The findings support the urgent need for sustainable practices and inclusive public policies to mitigate degradation, protect ecosystems, and ensure the land rights of local communities.
How to cite: Cunha, J., Bezerra, U., Oliveira, S., Costa, L., Perez-Marin, A., Galvão, C., and Nóbrega, R.: Monitoring land degradation in Brazil: Impacts on vulnerable populations and their livelihoods, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14172, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14172, 2025.
Desertification, driven by climatic and anthropogenic factors, is one of the most pressing global environmental challenges, causing significant economic, ecological, and social consequences. A bibliometric analysis was performed to identify research trends and gaps in the desertification risk topic. Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny software were employed to analyze patterns in research publications. The analysis findings of the 864 research papers published between 1978 and 2024, sourced from the Scopus database, reveal: (1) Over the last four decades, desertification research has grown significantly, with distinct phases of development, including an initial exploratory stage, a steady growth phase, and a recent surge in publication volume since 2018. (2) Research contributions are geographically diverse, with key outputs from China, Italy, Spain, and the United States, while international collaboration remains limited. (3) “desertification,” “land degradation,” “climate change,” “risk assessment,” and “remote sensing” are high-frequency keywords that dominate the field of desertification risk, which reflect its interdisciplinary nature. (4) Thematic evolution is categorized into three phases: an early phase (1978–2001) focusing on foundational themes like GIS, remote sensing, and risk assessment, an expansion phase (2002–2020) underlining climate change as an emerging theme, and a recent phase (2021–2024) marked by data-intensive approaches, including numerical and climate modelling. The study identifies three major research streams: (1) climatic drivers and land degradation, examining droughts, shifting precipitation patterns, and temperature variability, (2) technological advancements in monitoring and assessment, where remote sensing and GIS enable precise, large-scale analysis of soil degradation and vegetation cover, and (3) socio-economic and policy dimensions, taking into account human-induced land degradation, governance challenges, and sustainable land management practices.
The analysis of desertification risk research reveals critical gaps that shed light on future research directions. These include the limited integration of socio-economic data with climate models, and the underutilization of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) for real-time monitoring. To address these gaps, future research should focus on integrating climate change models with socio-economic data to enhance desertification risk assessments and management strategies that address both environmental and human dimensions. Leveraging big data and AI for real-time monitoring, expanding research to underrepresented regions, and scaling community-based solutions are identified as critical priorities. Strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and local communities will further enable the development of adaptive, sustainable frameworks to combat desertification and foster resilience in vulnerable regions. This bibliometric analysis provides a foundation for advancing desertification research and promoting global resilience by identifying trends, gaps, and future directions.
How to cite: Imam, F. E., Assennato, F., Pulina, A., Seddaiu, G., and Smiraglia, D.: Desertification risk: Bibliometric analysis and future research directions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17624, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17624, 2025.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) defines land degradation neutrality (LDN) as “a state whereby the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security remain stable or increase within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems.” The LDN indicators are net primary productivity, soil organic carbon and land cover change. The UNCCD’s conceptual framework aims to ensure that the area of negative changes is counterbalanced by the area of significant positive changes, in the same land type. It sets 2015 as the baseline year and 2030 as the target year, and recommends averaging indicators over a 10-15 year period. In contrast, the UN SDG 15.3.1 Land Degradation Neutrality indicator uses the same sub-indicators assesses the total area of degraded land over the total land area of a country. It recommends 2000-2015 as a baseline period. The World Atlas of Desertification takes a longer term view and assesses land productivity dynamics for the 1982-2010 period. A number of scientists have questioned the objectivity of the land degradation neutrality baseline, over different countries, regions and methods. This contribution aims to review the controversies and highlight recent advances. To further land degradation assessment research, we also aim to bring researchers together in an international Community of Practice.
This research is financially supported by the TERRASAFE project, which is co-funded by the European Union (GA 10115737) and by UK Research and Innovation.
How to cite: Bruggeman, A., Makri, C., Meena, A. K., Savvides, A., and Keizer, J. J.: Land degradation neutrality, combatting desertification from the baseline, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20157, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20157, 2025.
Massive amounts of waste and byproducts are produced annually by the food and agricultural industries and are disposed of in adjacent open fields, endangering the environment. The circular economy suggests using food leftovers for beneficial uses such as animal feed. Using less common animal feeds derived from leftovers could provide farmers with a variety of environmentally friendly feeding options. Ruminants feeding with by-products would increase the milk output and, at the same time reduce the need for green plants (straw) in the ensiling procedure and the feeding cost. A form of animal feed known as silage is created from green foliage crops that have been preserved by fermenting them to produce acids. It is usually made from grass crops like maize, sorghum, or other cereals. Olive mills are a promising by-product that can be added instead of other materials and produce a high-quality animal feed. Olive pomace was provided by a two-phase olive oil mill and was separated from olive stones. In this study, the silage production at a pilot scale was examined. Approximately 1.2 tons of olive pomace, 0.2 tons of straw, 10 kg molasses, and 2.4 kg urea were used. The material was packed in 20 kg bags and sealed airtight. The pH values were between 4.5 to 5 for the whole year and nitrogen content was about 0.85 g TKN/ kg silage dry matter. The fiber content of silage increased during the ensiling period by about 7 and 17% for NDF and ADF, respectively. In the ensiling process, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) play a critical role in the preservation and stability of the silage. The content of lactic acid increased to 1.6 g/L suggesting that the ensiling process with olive pomace is a promising sustainable option.
keywords: silage; food waste; olive oil pomace; molasses; urea.
Funding: «This presentation is implemented in the framework of "Olive pomace’s conversion to animal food additive - Μ16ΣΥΝ2-00255" project, and was funded by the Sub-Measure 16.1 – 16.2 – Establishment and operation of Operational Groups (O.G.) of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) for agricultural productivity and sustainability/ Action 2 – Implementation of the Operational Plan (project) of the EIP Operational Groups for the productivity and sustainability of agriculture»
How to cite: Biliani, S., Vakros, J., Athanassopoulos, N., and Manariotis, I.: Pilot scale silage production from olive pomace , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5962, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5962, 2025.
Agricultural sustainability and food security are paramount concerns in the face of evolving global challenges, including climate change, population growth, and resource constraints. Building a comprehensive crop model that combines multiple elements such as climate change effects on yields, water requirements, fertilizer use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and socio-economic aspects is essential for making well informed decisions in agriculture. The proposed research expands on existing crop models, recognizing the complex aspects that affect crop growth and yield. The existing crop model including DSSAT (Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer), APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator), and CERES (Crop Estimation through Resource and Environment Synthesis) are focused on crop growth, yield and environmental effects. Although these models have made significant contributions, there are still gaps in their capacity to comprehensively tackle the complex relationship between climate change, socio-economic issues, and sustainable practices. Current crop models tend to emphasize specific elements of agriculture, like impacts of climate or utilization of water, without considering the holistic picture. So, the objective of designed model is to understand the relationship among different parameters. There is a need for a comprehensive crop model that combines climate change, water management, fertilizer optimization, GHG emissions, and socio-economic aspects. This research is designed to fill this gap by building a python-based crop model (on global scale with some regional experiments) that integrates different modules i.e., climate change, water requirement modules to optimize irrigation practices and fertilizer uses efficiency models to optimize nutrient applications for assessing their impact on improved yield and reduced environmental impact. The developed model will support sustainable agricultural practices and assist policymakers in making well-informed decisions.
How to cite: Anam, M., Valentini, R., and Chiriacò, M. V.: Building a Crop Model for Integrated Yield Prediction and Sustainable Agriculture Planning, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13181, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13181, 2025.
Currently, copper-based products are extensively used in integrated pest management systems and, most notably, in organic farming, where synthetic chemical inputs are prohibited. However, their use has been increasingly restricted due to concerns about their environmental persistence and potential adverse effects on ecosystems and public welfare. Ongoing research is focused on the development and evaluation of alternative solutions to mitigate reliance on copper-based products in agriculture. LIFE Microfighter is a European project aimed at investigating the effectiveness of an innovative bio-pesticide composed of Pseudomonas synxantha DLS65 in combination with natural zeolites. Its goal is to mitigate the impact of Peacock Spot and other diseases, reducing the use of copper while preserving both yield and oil quality. The field study was carried out in cooperative Las Virtudes (Valencia) with the following treatments: (i) Microfighter treatment with 6kg/1000L per hectare; (ii) Copper treatment at 2.5 kg/ha and (iii) the Negative Control. The soil of the experimental site was characterized for its main physico-chemical properties and Cu content at the beginning of the experimentation (e.g. soil pH, organic matter, total and bioavailable Cu) to evaluate possible effects on crops and Cu accumulation in soil over time between the various strategies. Due to the non-systemic nature of this new product, uniform canopy dispersion is critical to ensure its biocidal effects. Consequently, its distribution on the leaves of the olive cv. Rojal was assessed during the first year of experimentation using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Images obtained post-treatment with Microfighter revealed a uniform residue pattern of zeolite particles on the adaxial leaf surface of treated leaves, in contrast to the untreated controls. Chemical analyses (free acidity, peroxide value, spectrophotometric constants) and sensory evaluations of attributes such as olive fruitiness, bitterness, green notes, pungency, and other pleasant characteristics revealed no significant differences among the treatments studied. Furthermore, no adverse effects on the chemical or sensory properties of the olive oil were observed.
Research funded under the LIFE-2021-SAP-ENV-ENVIRONMENT program (Life - Microfighter, no. 101074218)
How to cite: Morrone, L., Cudazzo, E., Ferretti, G., Alberghini, M., Cervera, L., Torró, J., Garcia, O., Castro, J., and Rotondi, A.: Investigating Effectiveness of a new Biopesticide for replacing Copper in Organic Farming Practices, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13375, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13375, 2025.
Evaluating the impact of agricultural practices on ecosystem services (ES) is essential for guiding sustainable land management decisions and supporting climate resilience. However, methodological challenges persist in standardizing assessments across diverse systems and geographic contexts. This study presents an integrated methodological framework that combines Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and a systematically developed dataset derived from a comprehensive literature review to assess the effects of conventional and agroecological practices on key ecosystem services. The focus includes critical ES such as soil carbon storage, water regulation, biodiversity conservation, and crop productivity.
The dataset, developed through a systematic literature review, compiles quantitative metrics from multiple studies, offering a robust foundation for comparative analysis of agricultural land management strategies. GIS analysis was employed to spatially map ecosystem service provision and land management patterns, enabling the identification of geographic variations in service delivery under different practices.
Furthermore, the inclusion of experimental data enhances the methodological rigor by directly linking field observations with larger-scale assessments. The approach also enables the evaluation of multiple ecosystem services simultaneously, making it well-suited for identifying synergies and trade-offs between productivity, soil health, and biodiversity across agricultural systems.
The significance of this methodological framework lies in its capacity to generate standardized, reproducible, and policy-relevant insights into the effects of agricultural practices on ecosystem services. By providing both quantitative metrics and spatially explicit assessments, it can support evidence-based policy development aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture. This is particularly relevant in the context of the European Green Deal and Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), where data-driven strategies are essential for advancing climate-neutral agriculture and biodiversity conservation objectives.
Keywords: agroecology, ecosystem services, GIS analysis, systematic literature review, sustainable agriculture, land management, carbon storage, biodiversity.
How to cite: Cecchinato, N., Chiriacò, M. V., and Valentini, R.: Quantifying the impact of agricultural practices on ecosystem services: a methodological framework integrating GIS and systematic literature review data, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19253, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19253, 2025.
Posters virtual: Tue, 29 Apr, 14:00–15:45 | vPoster spot 3
TERRASAFE is a recent initiative that is being co-funded by the European Union and the UK Research and Innovation agency, under the Mission Soil and, more specifically, the call topic “Innovations to prevent and combat desertification” (HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04; grant reference 101157373), having started on 1 June 2024 with a duration of 5 years. TERRASAFE envisages to empower local communities in southern Europe and northern Africa to successfully face the escalating challenges of desertification through the adoption of nature-based, social and technological innovations. TERRASAFE’s vision will be operationalized in 5 pilot areas in Cyprus, Italy, Romania, Spain and Tunisia that strongly contrast in socio–cultural-ecological circumstances. These 5 areas were specifically selected for sharing a high vulnerability to desertification, on the one hand, and, on the other, for representing the 4 main types of desertification, i.e., depopulation, soil degradation (through organic matter loss as well as through salinization), vegetation decline and water scarcity. TERRASAFE’s vision is supported by a transdisciplinary consortium, ranging from universities to SMEs commercially exploiting innovations. TERRASAFE’s vision is implemented through a multi-actor approach that covers all WPs, in particular by setting up 5 partnerships in the 5 pilot areas. In a co-creation process, these partnerships will then: (i) define their visions on building desertification resilience and plan their ensuing TERRASAFE work; (iia) map and analyze past and ongoing desertification, identifying in each pilot area the land-cover type that is the desertification hotspot; (iib) in the case of the Italian pilot area, carry out a narrative analysis of depopulation and the role therein of social innovation, in two contrasting sub-areas; (iii) evaluate and demonstrate innovations for the above-mentioned desertification hotspots, comparing them with current and, in principle, also traditional/organic practices; (iv) elaborate policy recommendation for the wider uptake of the "TERRASAFE-certified" innovations, both within and beyond the pilot areas, taking into account lessons learnt from past and ongoing policies against desertification; (v) share their TERRASAFE’s experience with the partnerships of the other 4 pilot areas as well as other desertification-prone communities and the general public. The consortium will support the 5 partnerships not only by providing harmonized frameworks for each activity but also by providing advice on adapting these frameworks to the partnerships’ specific needs. Finally, the 5 SME partners of TERRASAFE will provide a wide offer of innovative solutions that they will tailor towards the respective desertification hotspots, in close collaboration with the partnerships. Beyond the project itself, TERRASAFE envisages to impact the combat of desertification, both within Europe and across the globe, by promoting the adoption of (part of) its approach by other desertification-prone communities as well as by fostering the widespread implementation of innovations that are both environmentally effective and economically feasible, including through business plans for the SMEs.
How to cite: Keizer, J. J., Asencio, V., Bruggeman, A., Chivers, C., Corticeiro, S., Crisan, V., Fleskens, L., Karbout, N., Loizides, M., Machado, A., Martinez, M., Mills, J., Muro, M., Nyanhongo, G. S., Pedrero Salcedo, F., Petsa, D., Quaranta, G., Salvia, R., Stolte, J., and Stringer, L.: Terrasafe, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13943, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13943, 2025.
EGU25-15840 | Posters virtual | VPS14
Hydromulches in nursery crops: an alternative tool to herbicides for weed controlTue, 29 Apr, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP3.9
Common practices such as the use of herbicides, petrochemical plastics and excessive tillage are widely used for weed control in both horticultural and fruit crops. The use of these unfriendly environmentally techniques has led researchers around the world to focus their searches on more sustainable alternatives based on a circular economy model. These eco-friendly practices could also be extended to other systems and crops, which would be the case of seedbeds or nursery plants. In this framework, biopolymers and papers can have a proper behavior, although their use fits better to annual herbaceous crops as result of their shorter useful live. For this reason, based on preliminary laboratory tests, we implemented a field trial consisting of the application of hydromulches of different composition and characteristics on a forest tree nursery with newly transplanted seedlings in the open field in Central Spain.
The hydromulches tested were composed of by-products from agriculture and the agri-food industry (wheat straw [S]); camelina pellet [C]; pruning wood from almond [A], elm + walnut [EW], elm + walnut + camelina, [EWC]), mixed with a binder and recycled paper paste, and were applied liquidly on the ground with subsequent solidification. Additionally, two unmulched treatments were considered as control (manual weeding and a no-weeding treatments), in a randomized complete block experiment with three replications.
Periodical measurements relative to weed control (weed number, biomass, soil cover, predominant species) and the degradation of the materials (thickness, puncture resistance, soil cover, etc.) were taken. As preliminary results, and after more than 12 months after their application, all the hydromulches behaved properly, highlighting C as the treatment that best controlled weeds and which suffered a less degradation throughout the period considered, showing it as a good alternative, mainly in organic and sustainable agricultures.
Keywords: hydromulch, weeds, sustainable agriculture, circular economy.
Acknowledgements: PID2020-113865RR-C43 (HMulchCircle)/AEI/10.13039 / 501100011033 (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation).
How to cite: Moreno, M. M., Villena, J., López-Corral, T., Atance, C., Peco, J. D., Fernández, M. D. L. S., López-Perales, J. A., Morales-Rodríguez, P. A., and Moreno, C.: Hydromulches in nursery crops: an alternative tool to herbicides for weed control, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15840, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15840, 2025.
