Summary

Environmental science emerged from the fields of natural history and medicine during the Enlightenment. Today, it provides an integrated, quantitative, and interdisciplinary approach to the study of environmental systems. Environmental studies are incorporating more of the social sciences in order to understand human relationships, perceptions and policies towards the environment. This entry collection features information about design and technology for improving environmental quality in every aspect.

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Topic Review
Permafrost Landscape in the Northeast of Eurasia
The theoretical basis of permafrost landscape studies originated in the developments of Soviet physical geographers and landscape scientists. Traditional classifications, mapping techniques, and applied interpretations in landscape studies have not previously used permafrost criteria. Therefore, researchers of permafrost landscapes have used them, eventually adapting them to the conditions of permafrost based on the goals and objectives of the research.
  • 622
  • 02 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Agri-Environmental Indicators and Stakeholders’ Assessment of Their Quality
The degree to which economic goals have been prioritized over environmental and social objectives has caused dissatisfaction with conventional agricultural practices and stimulated the adoption of sustainable farming methods. One way to consider the multidimensionality of sustainable agriculture is to refer to indicators, more precisely, to agri-environmental indicators (AEIs). 
  • 411
  • 01 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Citizen Participation and Climate Change
Citizen-led mitigation and adaptation are key to climate policy advancement and acceleration, particularly within an urban development context. The top-down approach requires the development of clear action plans for the involvement and engagement of citizens to accelerate bottom-up climate mitigation and adaptation efforts within the urban context.
  • 575
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Intense Pasture Management in Brazil by DayCent Model
Process-based models (PBM) are important tools for understanding the benefits of Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems (ICLS), such as increasing land productivity and improving environmental conditions. PBM can provide insights into the contribution of agricultural production to climate change and help identify potential greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and carbon sequestration options. Rehabilitation of degraded lands is a key strategy for achieving food security goals and can reduce the need for new agricultural land.
  • 466
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Ecological Infrastructures May Enhance Lepidopterans Predation
Ecological infrastructures (EIs) are considered relevant components in agricultural landscapes to support biodiversity and ecosystem services. The EI typologies influenced differently the predator groups and the overall predation rate. Major differences were observed for bird predation, being higher in woody EIs. A positive correlation between predation rate and EIs area of the surrounding landscape, as well as a negative correlation with the distance to the nearest riparian and woody EIs, was observed for birds. The observed dissimilarities in the predators’ response may be related to habitat differences and its functional connectivity. The overall monthly low predation rates are possibly related to the intensive agricultural system and the small area occupied by EIs.
  • 375
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Bauxite Residue as Eco-Friendly Cementitious Materials
Bauxite residue (red mud) is a solid waste resulting from the aluminum production industry. Disposal or landfill of the red mud (RM) poses irreversible environmental problems; therefore, it is compelling to find practical solutions that can mitigate the negative environmental problems of RM stacking storage. In the past decades, although the recycling of RM has achieved significant progress, challenges remain from both academic and practical perspectives. Previous studies have demonstrated that all the aluminosilicate-based solid wastes have pozzolanic activity, and thus can be considered as resources to manufacture eco-friendly cementitious materials to relieve the carbon emission burden. Therefore, combining RM and other solid wastes to manufacture green cementitious materials has become a promising route to alleviate the burden of environmental pollution. However, challenges from the fluctuation of the chemical compositions, inert activity, heavy metals stabilization, efflorescence, the side effects of the second pollutions from solid wastes, the hydration process, and mutual interaction mechanisms between the various types of solid wastes are still unclear, especially for multi-components RM-based cementitious materials.
  • 625
  • 06 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Entomophagy
Entomophagy, the practice of eating insects as food, has recently been receiving more widespread recognition along with growing public interest in adopting more sustainable diets. Compared with meats, edible insects taste just as good, are equally or even more nutritious, and have a significantly smaller environmental footprint. However, the adoption of entomophagy is still limited, particularly in Western countries. Considering the environmental benefits of entomophagy and its potential contribution to food security, it is important to understand factors that can influence the willingness to try edible insects as meat substitutes, and policy tools that can encourage the adoption of entomophagy. 
  • 623
  • 02 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Prospects of Using Hydrogen–Methane Blends
The use of methane–hydrogen mixtures in internal combustion engines improves their performance and emission characteristics. The most important aspect is the concentration of hydrogen in the fuel mixture, which affects the combustion process of the fuel and determines the optimal operating conditions of the engine. When using methane–hydrogen mixtures with low hydrogen content, the safety measures and risks are similar to those that exist when working with natural gas. Serious logistical problems are associated with the difficulties of using the existing gas distribution infrastructure for transporting methane–hydrogen mixtures. 
  • 1.1K
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Characterization of Festuca indigesta subsp. indigesta (Poaceae)
Festuca indigesta Boiss. is a polyploid Iberian−Maghreb species, which, in the Iberian Peninsula, is represented by the subsp. indigesta. This taxon has great ecological importance and dominates many plant communities that characterize the high mountains of southeastern Spain, where it is endemic. 
  • 507
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Green Biotechnology of Oyster Mushroom
The field of biotechnology presents us with a great chance to use many organisms, such as mushrooms, to find suitable solutions for issues that include the accumulation of agro-wastes in the environment. The green biotechnology of mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus L.) includes the myco-remediation of polluted soil and water as well as bio-fermentation. The circular economy approach could be effectively achieved by using oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus L.), of which the substrate of their cultivation is considered as a vital source for producing biofertilizers, animal feeds, bioenergy, and bio-remediators. Spent mushroom substrate is also considered a crucial source for many applications, including the production of enzymes (e.g., manganese peroxidase, laccase, and lignin peroxidase) and bioethanol. The sustainable management of agro-industrial wastes (e.g., plant-based foods, animal-based foods, and non-food industries) could reduce, reuse and recycle using oyster mushrooms. 
  • 596
  • 02 Apr 2022
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