This study investigated the phytotoxicity of agro-industrial wastes (almond, walnut, pistachio and peanut shells, asparagus spears, and brewer’s spent grain) and their biochar through germination bioassays in several horticultural species: green pea, lettuce, radish, and arugula. Biowaste was pyrolyzed under controlled conditions to produce biochar, and both biowaste and biochar were characterized. Germination bioassay was conducted using seeds exposed to different dilutions of aqueous extract of biowaste and their biochar (0, 50, and 100%). Germination percentage, seed vigor, germination index, and root and aerial lengths were evaluated. The results showed that the phytotoxicity of the biowaste was significantly different to that of its biochar. The biochar obtained demonstrated changing effects on germination and seedling growth. In particular, biochar extracts from spent brewers grains, walnut shells, and pistachio shells showed 5–14% increases in seed vigor and root and aerial length. Furthermore, the response of different species to both agro-industrial waste and biochar revealed species-specific sensitivity. Seeds of lettuce and arugula species were more sensitive to aqueous extracts than radish and green peas. This knowledge not only elucidates the behavior of agro-industrial waste-based biochar in the early stage of plant development but also provides valuable insights regarding phytotoxicity, seed sensitivity, and the variables involved in germination.

This study presents an analysis of NO₂ and CO emissions in Argentina, utilizing remote sensing data. This research aims to determine the spatiotemporal distribution of NO₂ and CO emissions from 2019 to 2021. It examines the influence of land use and cover on NO₂ and CO emissions using various climatic, anthropic, and natural indicators. The year with the highest CO and NO₂ concentration was 2020. NO₂ exhibited the highest concentrations in built-up urban areas and croplands, notably impacting the capital city and the northern region of Buenos Aires province. Also, CO concentration was influenced by anthropic variable distances to national route, mining extraction, power plants, airports, and urban index (UI). They were also influenced by climatic and natural variables (Palmer drought index, vapor pressure, maximum environment temperature, wind speed, DEM, humidity, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) for the different uses and land covers. NO₂ concentrations were influenced by anthropic (distance to airports, service stations, open dumpsites, power plants, and factories), climatic, and natural variables (Palmer drought index, vapor pressure, wind speed, and DEM) for the different uses and land cover. This research supports sustainable environmental management by guiding the development of effective emission mitigation strategies for improved community health and well-being.

Urban centers are dominated by species adapted to human presence. The intensityof human activity has a strong influence on habitat selection by animal populations across land-scapes. The objectives of this study were to assess the abundance and the spatial distribution ofthe nests of two species of pigeons (Columba livia and Patagioenas maculosa), and evaluate theeffects of human factors on the probability of nesting-site selection in different urban zones withina desert city. Nest abundance increased for Columba livia in city centers and for Patagioenas maculosa in zones away from them, in green areas. The most important variables influencing the probabilityof nesting-site selection by Columba livia were distance to the main square, distance to food sourcesand the interaction between distance to food sources and distance to water, along with type andheight of buildings. For Patagioenas maculosa, the variables influencing the probability of nesting-site selection were distance to water, human population density, distance to food sources and theinteraction between human population density and distance to food sources, along with treeheight and diameter of tree canopy. This species selected Platanus×hispanica and Morus spp. as nesting sites. Nesting sites could be a limiting factor for these species, and our results haveimportant implications for choosing appropriate control strategies for the management of urban pigeons in desert environments.

Urban parks and cemeteries constitute hot spots of bird diversity in urban areas. However, the seasonal dynamics of their bird communities have been scarcely explored at large scales. This study aims to analyze the drivers of urban bird assemblage seasonality in urban parks and cemeteries comparing assemblages during breeding and non-breeding seasons in the Neotropical Region. Since cemeteries have less human disturbance than urban parks, we expected differences in bird community seasonality between habitats. The seasonal change of species composition was partitioned into species turnover and nestedness. At large scales, the seasonal change of species composition was positively related to temperature seasonality and was higher in the Northern Hemisphere. At the landscape scale, the seasonal change of composition decreased in sites located in the most urbanized areas. At the local scale, sites with the highest habitat diversity and pedestrian traffic had the lowest seasonal change of composition. The species turnover was higher in the Northern Hemisphere, augmented with increasing annual temperature range, and decreased in urban parks. The species nestedness was positively related to habitat diversity. Our results showed that a multi-scale framework is essential to understand the seasonal changes of bird communities. Moreover, the two components of seasonal composition dissimilarity showed contrasting responses to environmental variables. Although the surrounding urbanization lowered the seasonal dynamics of urban green areas, cemeteries seem to conserve more seasonal changes than urban parks. Thus, urban cemeteries help to conserve the temporal dynamics of bird communities in cities.