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Topic Review
Economics in Marine Spatial Planning
There has been a rapid increase in the use of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) worldwide, partly due to the continued loss of marine biodiversity and habitat. The sustainability of marine resources is threatened in all regions of the world by major events such as climate change, marine pollution, and overfishing, as well as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing both on the high seas and in country waters.
  • 589
  • 20 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Environmental Applications of TiO2-Based Photocatalytic Nanostructures
Contemporary technological and industrial advancements have led to increased reliance on chemicals for product innovation, leading to heightened contamination of water sources by traditional pollutants (organic dyes, heavy metals) and disease-causing microorganisms. Wastewater treatment processes now reveal “emerging pollutants”, including pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and agricultural chemicals. While some are benign, certain emerging pollutants can harm diverse organisms. Researchers seek cost-effective water purification methods that completely degrade pollutants without generating harmful by-products. Semiconductor-based photocatalytic degradation, particularly using titanium dioxide (TiO2), is popular for addressing water pollution.
  • 392
  • 20 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Environmental Impact of Electricity Generation Technologies
The transformation of the energy sector, based on the development of low-carbon technologies, is essential to achieve climate neutrality. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a powerful methodology for assessing the environmental impact of energy technologies, which proves to be a useful tool for policy makers. 
  • 112
  • 20 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Soil Microbes in Chernobyl and Fukushima
Compositional changes in soil microbes associated with decreases in abundance and species diversity were reported, especially in heavily contaminated areas of both Chernobyl and Fukushima, which may accompany explosions of radioresistant species. In Chernobyl, the population size of soil microbes remained low for at least 20 years after the accident, and the abundance of plant-associated microbes, which are related to the growth and defense systems of plants, possibly decreased. These reported changes in microbes likely affect soil conditions and alter plant physiology. These microbe-mediated effects may then indirectly affect insect herbivores through food-mass-mediated, pollen-mediated, and metabolite-mediated interactions. Metabolite-mediated interactions may be a major pathway for ecological impacts at low pollution levels and could explain the decreases in insect herbivores in Fukushima.
  • 173
  • 20 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Fungi Remediate Soils Contaminated by War-like Activities
Fungi comprise the largest kingdom of higher organisms on the planet: eukaryotes with complex cell structures and abilities to make tissues and organs. Hyphae filaments have a rigid, complex cell wall and moving protoplasm (cytosol) divided into compartments by cross walls termed septa, allowing cellular components to move through these. The plasma membrane comprises a phospholipid bilayer associated with transmembrane proteins and ergosterol and some enzymes such as integral membrane proteins chitin synthase and glucan synthase. The release of enzymes into the extracellular environment, which many fungal species carry out, and the high contact area between filamentous fungi and the soil make these organisms promising for the degradation or immobilization of pollutants (explosives, metals, metalloids, radionuclides, and herbicides) in soil impacted by War-like activities.
  • 119
  • 17 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Driving the Ecological Transition of Agriculture
Human population growth has resulted in increased food consumption, followed by agrifood production intensification. Human activities have a significant impact on the environment, causing, among other things, air and water pollution and biodiversity degradation. In an international context where there is strong concern about environmental issues, it is also necessary to direct food production towards more sustainable models. 
  • 163
  • 14 Feb 2024
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Optimization Examples for Water Allocation, Energy, Carbon Emissions, and Costs
The field of Water Resources Management (WRM) is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, realizing its direct connections with energy, food, and social and economic sciences, among others. Computationally, this leads to more complex models, wherein the achievement of multiple goals is sought. Optimization processes have found various applications in such complex WRM problems. This entry considers the main factors involved in modern WRM, and puts them in a single optimization problem, including water allocation from different sources to different uses and non-renewable and renewable energy supplies, with their associated carbon emissions and costs. The entry explores the problem mathematically by presenting different optimization approaches, such as linear, fuzzy, dynamic, goal, and non-linear programming models. Furthermore, codes for each model are provided in Python, an open-source language. This entry has an educational character, and the examples presented are easily reproducible, so this is expected to be a useful resource for students, modelers, researchers, and water managers.
  • 87
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
The Development of Biogas Plants
Agricultural biogas plants have a long history, beginning with early advancements in biogas technology and its application in agricultural contexts. Throughout history, several societies have used organic waste to make biogas, a renewable energy source. However, modern agricultural biogas plants as we know them today have changed greatly as a result of scientific and technological advances.
  • 247
  • 07 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Catch and Cover Crop Biomass Bioconversion into Energy
Catch and cover crops are defined as crops sown in pure or mixed sowings between two main crops. A short vegetation period is a key feature of these plants.
  • 152
  • 07 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Green Materials in Sustainable Urban Planning
Urban green planning is crucial in promoting sustainable urban ecosystems through the mindful use of vegetation, but few approaches are currently able to account for the ecosystem services provided by urban green planning in ex ante planning applications. Indeed, by estimating the functions exerted by different vegetation elements in urban ecosystems through a purposely developed set of equations, the procedure allows for the optimization of the development of urban plans by maximizing the contribution of vegetation to ecosystem dynamics. Specifically, the proposed methodology is articulated in two phases, i.e., the functional role of vegetation is firstly modeled through simple geometric features and specific ecological traits accounting for plant interactions with the environment, and then the selected vegetation traits are used in guiding the choice of the species. The approach has been exemplified through case studies, thereby highlighting its ability to guide planning decisions based on the type, abundance, and spatial organization of vegetation to promote the sustainability of urban development.
  • 103
  • 06 Feb 2024
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