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Topic Review
Landscape Changes in Protected Areas in Poland
Land-Use Cover Changes (LUCCs) are one of the main problems for the preservation of landscapes and natural biodiversity. Protected Areas (PAs) do not escape this threat. Poland is among the European leaders in terms of the variety of landscapes and the share of an area designated as a protected area. However, as many as 78% of the habitats have poor or bad conservation status based on EEA reports. The changes in PAs were usually smaller than in the surrounding buffer zones, which may indicate their effectiveness. The scale of land-cover flows (LCFs) changed within particular forms of protected areas, though afforestation and deforestation predominating in all area types. National reserves and parks were the most stable in terms of land cover structures. However, human settlements increased around the protected areas, potentially increasing threats to their ecological integrity.
  • 423
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Salt Stress in Plants
Salinization of soils and freshwater resources by natural processes and/or human activities has become an increasing issue that affects environmental services and socioeconomic relations. In addition, salinization jeopardizes agroecosystems, inducing salt stress in most cultivated plants (nutrient deficiency, pH and oxidative stress, biomass reduction), and directly affects the quality and quantity of food production. Depending on the type of salt/stress (alkaline or pH-neutral), specific approaches and solutions should be applied to ameliorate the situation on-site.
  • 928
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Circular Economy and Financial Aspects
The barriers faced by companies adopting the circular economy in relation to financial performance are defined by (i) the size of the business and the initial investment cost, (ii) difficulties for micro and small companies, (iii) to a more complex structuring of the business, and (iv) greater exposure to risk, as the circular economy is a new concept and is and not as representative as a linear standard system. Thus, there is a need for accounting control of process costs, since resources for different products can have different life cycles. Therefore, factors like financial incentives, subsidies for the projects, and the awareness of nations, companies and consumers are of great importance for the evolution of the circular economy.
  • 629
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Watershed Eco-Compensation Mechanism in China
The watershed’s ecological environment and water resources contribute significantly to agricultural production and the people’s well-being. However, excessive exploitation and utilization of watersheds harm the watershed ecosystem environment. The reduction in biodiversity, water quality degradation, and decline in ecosystem stability have become severe. Watershed eco-compensation (WEC) is considered a significant environmental policy instrument for watershed ecological protection and management.
  • 541
  • 22 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Valorisation of Animal By-Products
The treatment and reduction of animal by-products has registered an increase in the awareness that this type of materials is underutilised and can represent a valuable resource if treated correctly. Consequently, it is no longer practical to dispose of animal by-products, especially when a significant amount of potential raw materials is produced, which can have a high economic potential through the production of new products with significant added value. The reuse and valorisation of animal by-products (ABPs) generated in the food retail sector can involve sending these by-products to another company/organisation or industry, where they will be processed in order to obtain added-value products. This type of valorisation originates an industrial symbiosis.
  • 1.0K
  • 22 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Utilizing Mediterranean Plants to Remove Contaminants
The use of contaminated soils in food production imposes the need for the reduction in heavy metals concentrations, using various techniques, in order to eliminate the toxic effects of pollution and ensure safety in the consumption of agricultural products. Phytoremediation is a promising, effective, and publicly acceptable method to remove soils’ toxicity. The Mediterranean basin is a region of distinct climatic conditions with temporal variability and great floristic heterogeneity. Due to the high variability in landscapes paired with the warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters, the Mediterranean hosts significant plant diversity, including numerous endemic and rare plant species
  • 506
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Remote Sensing of Urban Vegetation
Green space is increasingly recognized as an important component of the urban environment yet inventorying urban vegetation is a costly and time-consuming process. Various types of remote sensing can be used in the automated mapping of urban vegetation. 
  • 774
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Role of ACE2 in Gut
A vital factor of viral pathogenesis involves the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) cellular receptor, which facilitates entry of the virus into susceptible cells. The receptor-binding domain of the spike protein binds to the ACE2 receptor activating membrane fusion of the virus to the host cell. Subsequently, viral RNA is released into the cytoplasm, and the infection is established. The gut microbiota is shaped by our diet; therefore, a healthy gut is important for optimal metabolism, immunology and protection of the host. 
  • 605
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Cultural Values in Water Management and Governance
Water is a fundamental resource for ecological and economic imperatives across the globe, contributing to the sustenance of livelihoods, food production and energy generation. Despite its importance, water resources are increasingly under threat due to overexploitation, pollution, scarcity, depletion and issues of accessibility/affordability. In addition to these threats, competitive water uses and strong interdependencies across different productive sectors. As such, “water crises” have been repeatedly identified among the top five global risks since 2012, with the international community acknowledging that water crises are regularly a crisis of management and/or governance. Cultural values associated with water management revolve around anthropocentrism, whereas values associated with water governance revolve around concepts of provenance/places. Implementation of ToC/cultural values is limited in practical applications, and an example is provided on how to improve on that. It's suggested that a succinct theory of culture such as Schwartz’s cultural values be considered to be an alternative to capture a greater heterogeneity across the breadth of water governance/management-related and basin-specific contexts. 
  • 1.5K
  • 18 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Leonardite Amendments on Vineyard Calcareous Soil
Vineyard calcareous soils are usually low in organic matter, which makes them prone to physical, chemical, and biological degradation. Besides, these soils are also usually poor in various nutrients in plant-available form, e.g., iron. To make up for this lack of soil fertility, on the one hand, manures, and on the other, iron chelates are usually used. However, the soil application of these materials is not free from problems, and other amendments based on leonardites could be advantageously used as an alternative.
  • 468
  • 18 Mar 2022
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