This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Prof. Dr. António Dinis Ferreira
CERNAS (Research Center on Natural Resources, Environment and Society, Coimbra Agriculture Polytechnic School, Coimbra Polytechnic Institute, Coimbra, Portugal

Basic Info


Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Environmental Services
0 Global Change
0 Urban Agriculture
0 circular economy
0 forest fires

Fingerprints

forest fires
Desertification
Environmental Services
Environmental Management
Global Change
Urban Agriculture
circular economy

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Journal article
Published: 19 May 2021 in Water
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Mediterranean headwater catchments have experienced major land-use changes in recent centuries, namely characterized by afforestation with fast-growing tree species (e.g., pine and eucalyptus). This paper investigates differences in the hydrological response of two forested catchments with distinct Pinus pinaster Aiton (PIN) and Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (EUC) covers over 6 hydrological years, from 2010 to 2016. The study was developed in paired catchments located in North–Central Portugal, under wet Mediterranean climate and schist bedrock. Based on rainfall and streamflow measurements, the hydrological responses were analyzed through the water-balance calculations, rainfall-runoff event analyses, and correlations between rainfall characteristics, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, overland flow, and land-cover parameters. The study period recorded a wide range of annual rainfall, between 984 and 2127 mm per years. The annual streamflow displayed greater inter-annual variation, from 208 to 1430 mm for PIN and from 217 to 1291 mm for EUC. The runoff coefficient was higher in the wettest years, with a maximum of 58% for PIN and 61% for EUC, and decreased substantially in the driest year, representing only 17% of the rainfall in PIN and 22% in EUC. Rainfall was predominant during the winter season (41%), followed by autumn (30%) and spring (24%). The streamflow displayed a seasonal behavior in both catchments, with higher runoff coefficient for EUC that for PIN. Half of the annual streamflow occurs during the winter, with the highest average runoff coefficient attained for EUC and PIN respectively being 68% and 64% of the rainfall amount. Annual evapotranspiration was relatively constant through the six years of study and showed higher average values in PIN (907 mm) than EUC (739 mm), highlighting the importance of forest type and showing that mature pine plantations lead to higher water consumption than eucalypt stands. Annual rainfall amount affects evapotranspiration rate (%), the percentage of ET increasing from 37% to 78% for PIN and from 34% to 73% for EUC between the wettest and the driest years, which raises concerns regarding the impact of climate changes on water availability in the mountain areas of the Mediterranean region.

ACS Style

Anne-Karine Boulet; Mitas Rial-Rivas; Carla Ferreira; Celeste Coelho; Zahra Kalantari; Jan Keizer; António Ferreira. Hydrological Processes in Eucalypt and Pine Forested Headwater Catchments within Mediterranean Region. Water 2021, 13, 1418 .

AMA Style

Anne-Karine Boulet, Mitas Rial-Rivas, Carla Ferreira, Celeste Coelho, Zahra Kalantari, Jan Keizer, António Ferreira. Hydrological Processes in Eucalypt and Pine Forested Headwater Catchments within Mediterranean Region. Water. 2021; 13 (10):1418.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anne-Karine Boulet; Mitas Rial-Rivas; Carla Ferreira; Celeste Coelho; Zahra Kalantari; Jan Keizer; António Ferreira. 2021. "Hydrological Processes in Eucalypt and Pine Forested Headwater Catchments within Mediterranean Region." Water 13, no. 10: 1418.

Conference paper
Published: 09 May 2021 in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Water Energy Food and Sustainability (ICoWEFS 2021)
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This paper aims to analyse the rice production system in the lower Mondego Valley, in Portugal, in order to understand the main concerns of farmers and risk perception. A field survey was conducted and rice production systems as well as marketing systems were analysed. A study on the worries was also made and a correlational attempt was done, considering different types of risk. The results show a production system strongly oriented by agricultural policies and agri-environmental measures. The perceived risks mainly arise from rice production costs, prices and their relative instability which results from the uncertainty about the evolution of worldwide demand and production, and from the effects of global changes. However, the choices made by farmers, who possess sound knowledge of agricultural policies and marketing systems, are not completely correlated with their risk perceptions.

ACS Style

Maria De Fátima Oliveira; Sérgio Oliveira; António Russo; Kiril Bahcevandziev; Ana Bela Lopes; José M. Gonçalves; António Dinis Ferreira; Pedro Arnaldo Reis. Risks Perceptions on Rice Production: Baixo Mondego, Portugal. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Water Energy Food and Sustainability (ICoWEFS 2021) 2021, 110 -119.

AMA Style

Maria De Fátima Oliveira, Sérgio Oliveira, António Russo, Kiril Bahcevandziev, Ana Bela Lopes, José M. Gonçalves, António Dinis Ferreira, Pedro Arnaldo Reis. Risks Perceptions on Rice Production: Baixo Mondego, Portugal. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Water Energy Food and Sustainability (ICoWEFS 2021). 2021; ():110-119.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria De Fátima Oliveira; Sérgio Oliveira; António Russo; Kiril Bahcevandziev; Ana Bela Lopes; José M. Gonçalves; António Dinis Ferreira; Pedro Arnaldo Reis. 2021. "Risks Perceptions on Rice Production: Baixo Mondego, Portugal." Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Water Energy Food and Sustainability (ICoWEFS 2021) , no. : 110-119.

Journal article
Published: 23 December 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Forest land provides several environmental services and goods with significant implications for different socioeconomic and environmental dimensions. Forestry and its management are determinant activities for sustainable development, specifically in the current context of urgent mitigation of climate change. In this perspective, one objective of this research was to survey the main insights from the literature about the forest and management dimensions put together, highlighting the contributions of these activities to mitigate climate change. Another objective was to explore indicators related to forest management (land, employment, output, and net emissions) in order to obtain a forest sustainability index through factor analysis. As main insights from this study, we can quote that the literature survey pinpoints the most relevant factors framing forest management: soil characteristics, ecology, ecosystems, biodiversity, deforestation, climate change, socioeconomic frameworks, local knowledge, public policies, institutional context, and new technologies. Forest indicators reveal a strong relationship between forest land, employment and output, and a weaker relation with net emissions. We concluded that there is a need for stakeholders to explore and improve the interlinkage with climate change impact, specifically with regard to improving the relationships of forestry greenhouse gas emissions impacts with forest size and output.

ACS Style

Vítor Martinho; António Ferreira. Forest Resources Management and Sustainability: The Specific Case of European Union Countries. Sustainability 2020, 13, 58 .

AMA Style

Vítor Martinho, António Ferreira. Forest Resources Management and Sustainability: The Specific Case of European Union Countries. Sustainability. 2020; 13 (1):58.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vítor Martinho; António Ferreira. 2020. "Forest Resources Management and Sustainability: The Specific Case of European Union Countries." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 58.

Journal article
Published: 16 October 2020 in Water
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Urbanization alters natural hydrological processes and enhances runoff, which affects flood hazard. Interest in nature-based solutions (NBS) for sustainable mitigation and adaptation to urban floods is growing, but the magnitudes of NBS effects are still poorly investigated. This study explores the potential of NBS for flood hazard mitigation in a small peri-urban catchment in central Portugal, prone to flash floods driven by urbanization and short but intense rainfall events typical of the Mediterranean region. Flood extent and flood depth are assessed by manually coupling the hydrologic HEC-HMS and hydraulic HEC-RAS models. The coupled model was run for single rainfall events with recurrence periods of 10−, 20−, 50−, and 100−years, considering four simulation scenarios: current conditions (without NBS), and with an upslope NBS, a downslope NBS, and a combination of both. The model-simulation approach provides good estimates of flood magnitude (NSE = 0.91, RMSE = 0.08, MAE = 0.07, R2 = 0.93), and shows that diverting streamflow into abandoned fields has positive impacts in mitigating downslope flood hazard. The implementation of an upslope NBS can decrease the water depth at the catchment outlet by 0.02 m, whereas a downslope NBS can reduce it from 0.10 m to 0.23 m for increasing return periods. Combined upslope and downslope NBS have a marginal additional impact in reducing water depth, ranging from 0.11 m to 0.24 m for 10− and 100−year floods. Decreases in water depth provided by NBS are useful in flood mitigation and adaptation within the peri-urban catchment. A network of NBS, rather than small isolated strategies, needs to be created for efficient flood-risk management at a larger scale.

ACS Style

Carla S. S. Ferreira; Sandra Mourato; Milica Kasanin-Grubin; António J. D. Ferreira; Georgia Destouni; Zahra Kalantari. Effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions in Mitigating Flood Hazard in a Mediterranean Peri-Urban Catchment. Water 2020, 12, 2893 .

AMA Style

Carla S. S. Ferreira, Sandra Mourato, Milica Kasanin-Grubin, António J. D. Ferreira, Georgia Destouni, Zahra Kalantari. Effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions in Mitigating Flood Hazard in a Mediterranean Peri-Urban Catchment. Water. 2020; 12 (10):2893.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carla S. S. Ferreira; Sandra Mourato; Milica Kasanin-Grubin; António J. D. Ferreira; Georgia Destouni; Zahra Kalantari. 2020. "Effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions in Mitigating Flood Hazard in a Mediterranean Peri-Urban Catchment." Water 12, no. 10: 2893.

Accepted manuscript
Published: 19 May 2020 in Environmental Research Letters
Reads 0
Downloads 0

With increasing urbanisation, urban green spaces are expected to be crucial for urban resilience and sustainability, through the delivery of ecological, economic and social benefits. In practice, however, planning, management and evaluation of urban green spaces are rarely structured and evidence-based. This represents a missed opportunity to account for, track and foster the multiple benefits that green spaces are expected to deliver. To gain insight into this gap, this study assesses the availability and uptake of relevant evidence by city governments. Interviews, focus groups and quantitative surveys were applied in four medium-sized European cities: Coimbra (Portugal), Genk (Belgium), Leipzig (Germany), and Vilnius (Lithuania), covering the main governance and climatic gradients in Europe. Using straightforward data exploration and regression, we analyse which ecological, economic and social indicators are typically chosen by cities and why. Together with the city stakeholders, we derived a common set of benefit categories and key performance indicators which can be adapted to diverse local contexts. We conclude that cities tend to make pragmatic decisions when composing their indicator sets, but nevertheless cover multiple urban green space dimensions. Finally, we explore how indicator choice could be optimised towards a complementary and credible indicator set, taking into account a realistically feasible monitoring effort undertaken by the cities.

ACS Style

Raïsa Carmen; Sander Jacobs; Michael Leone; Julia Palliwoda; Luís Valença Pinto; Ieva Misiune; Joerg Priess; Paulo Alexandre Da Silva Pereira; Saskia Wanner; Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira; António Dinis Ferreira. Keep it real: selecting realistic sets of urban green space indicators. Environmental Research Letters 2020, 15, 095001 .

AMA Style

Raïsa Carmen, Sander Jacobs, Michael Leone, Julia Palliwoda, Luís Valença Pinto, Ieva Misiune, Joerg Priess, Paulo Alexandre Da Silva Pereira, Saskia Wanner, Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira, António Dinis Ferreira. Keep it real: selecting realistic sets of urban green space indicators. Environmental Research Letters. 2020; 15 (9):095001.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Raïsa Carmen; Sander Jacobs; Michael Leone; Julia Palliwoda; Luís Valença Pinto; Ieva Misiune; Joerg Priess; Paulo Alexandre Da Silva Pereira; Saskia Wanner; Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira; António Dinis Ferreira. 2020. "Keep it real: selecting realistic sets of urban green space indicators." Environmental Research Letters 15, no. 9: 095001.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2020 in Water
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Understanding sediment dynamics in peri-urban catchments constitutes a research challenge because of the spatiotemporal complexity and variability of land-uses involved. This study investigates differences in the concentration of total sediments (TSC) and suspended sediments (SSC) in the small peri-urban Mediterranean Ribeira dos Covões catchment (40% urban area) in central Portugal. Suspended sediment responses at the catchment outlet (E) and in three upstream sub-catchments, during periods of urbanization (2011–2013) and stabilizing land-use (2017–2018) are compared for storm-event datasets encompassing similar ranges of rainstorm sizes and antecedent rainfall condition. The Quinta sub-catchment, with the lowest urban area (22%) but subject to major construction activities affecting 17% of its area, led to highest TSC and SSC during urbanization (attaining 4320 mg/L and 4184 mg/L, respectively), and a median reduction of 38% and 69%, respectively, during stabilization. Espírito Santo sub-catchment, with highest urban area (49%) and minor construction activities, displayed similar median TSC in both periods (258–240 mg/L) but highest SSC reduction (76%), highlighting the impact of the anthropogenic disturbance mainly on fine-particle sediments and a good connectivity with the stream. Porto Bordalo sub-catchment, with 39% urban area and subject to the construction of a four-line road covering 1.5% of its area, showed the lowest TSC and SSC concentrations and the lowest median reductions in both periods (31% and 64%, correspondingly), mainly because of the impact of an unplanned retention basin established with soil from the construction site. Overall, median TSC and SSC reduced 14% and 59% at E, from urbanization to stabilization. Information about sediment dynamics should guide stakeholders in establishing strategies to reduce sediment loads and mitigate the impacts on urban aquatic ecosystems.

ACS Style

C.S.S. Ferreira; R.P.D. Walsh; Z. Kalantari; A.J.D. Ferreira. Impact of Land-Use Changes on Spatiotemporal Suspended Sediment Dynamics within a Peri-Urban Catchment. Water 2020, 12, 665 .

AMA Style

C.S.S. Ferreira, R.P.D. Walsh, Z. Kalantari, A.J.D. Ferreira. Impact of Land-Use Changes on Spatiotemporal Suspended Sediment Dynamics within a Peri-Urban Catchment. Water. 2020; 12 (3):665.

Chicago/Turabian Style

C.S.S. Ferreira; R.P.D. Walsh; Z. Kalantari; A.J.D. Ferreira. 2020. "Impact of Land-Use Changes on Spatiotemporal Suspended Sediment Dynamics within a Peri-Urban Catchment." Water 12, no. 3: 665.

Journal article
Published: 09 October 2019 in Anthropocene
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Urbanization affects runoff processes and sediment transport, but the magnitude of the impacts remains poorly understood. Different spatial patterns of pervious and impervious surfaces influence flow and sediment connectivity between hillslopes and stream networks. Following years of research on the peri-urbanizing Ribeira dos Covões catchment in Portugal, this study uses laboratory rainfall simulation experiments to better assess the impact of soil and pavement patterns on runoff (amount, runoff start and stop times) and sediment transport. Based on urban cores observed in the study catchment, the investigation focused on seven spatial patterns: bare soil (S), 100% pavement (P), and 60% pavement under continuous - C - surface placed upslope (CU) and downslope (CD), and dispersed - D - over the surface with regular (DR), irregular (DI) and linear (DL) distribution. A 1.00 m × 1.00 m flume, 0.05 m deep with a 9° slope, facilitated the experiments. The study used sandy-loam soil (1500 kg m−3) with concrete slabs representing pavement. Each experiment comprised a series of four rainfall simulations, each lasting 20 min (50 mm h−1), separated by 30-min intervals, to assess the impact of different initial soil moisture conditions. Results indicate that both spatial pattern and soil moisture drive runoff. Under dry conditions, CD provides runoff that is 7 times faster and about 4% higher than that for CU. Already wet conditions, however, produced 12% more runoff on CU than on CD. The greater runoff arose from faster soil saturation, driven by soil moisture increasing more quickly during the rainfall, as well as upstream runoff from paved surfaces, though runoff took longer to reach the outlet. The dispersed pavement pattern only affected runoff amount, with DL producing the highest coefficients (40–71%) and DI the lowest (25–55%), since longer flow paths increase the opportunities for water infiltration. Additionally, CU yielded 40% more sediment transport than CD, but the three dispersed patterns did not show a significant impact (p > 0.05). The results suggest that appropriate planning can reduce flood hazard and land degradation in urban areas, in particular by using dispersed patterns of sealed surfaces to enhance water infiltration and retention.

ACS Style

C.S.S. Ferreira; R. Moruzzi; Jorge Isidoro; M. Tudor; M. Vargas; Antonio Ferreira; J.L.M.P. de Lima. Impacts of distinct spatial arrangements of impervious surfaces on runoff and sediment fluxes from laboratory experiments. Anthropocene 2019, 28, 100219 .

AMA Style

C.S.S. Ferreira, R. Moruzzi, Jorge Isidoro, M. Tudor, M. Vargas, Antonio Ferreira, J.L.M.P. de Lima. Impacts of distinct spatial arrangements of impervious surfaces on runoff and sediment fluxes from laboratory experiments. Anthropocene. 2019; 28 ():100219.

Chicago/Turabian Style

C.S.S. Ferreira; R. Moruzzi; Jorge Isidoro; M. Tudor; M. Vargas; Antonio Ferreira; J.L.M.P. de Lima. 2019. "Impacts of distinct spatial arrangements of impervious surfaces on runoff and sediment fluxes from laboratory experiments." Anthropocene 28, no. : 100219.

Journal article
Published: 10 January 2019 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The innovation of agricultural systems management is a determinant factor that guarantees adaptation to a new paradigm of global economy, environmental protection, and social requirements. The conventional concepts of innovation, applicable to new products and processes, do not consider many characteristics of the agricultural sector, such as social innovation and innovation resulting from new or renewed processes. Nevertheless, the overall impact of innovation on yields, competitiveness, and value can be hampered by the limited understanding or misinterpretation of Agriculture Innovation paradigms. For instance, the Rural Development Program (RDP) applies a restrict concept of innovation, being unable to embrace the full range of activities intended to implement new practices within the framework of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). Stimulating innovation in agriculture demands a change in policy innovation of RDP in order to preserve natural resources and combine agricultural priorities and the rural environment with the concepts of innovation. This paper focuses on the different views of the concept of innovation within the Program of Operational Groups (OGs) of the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI), analyzing the Portuguese case study of the Lis Valley Irrigation District whose main innovation objective was to achieve and implement new processes of water management aiming at the conservation of natural resources as well as sustainable social and economic agricultural development. The Portuguese experience highlights why the application of innovation in agriculture may not reach the desirable outcomes.

ACS Style

Maria De Fátima Oliveira; Francisco Gomes Da Silva; Susana Ferreira; Margarida Teixeira; Henrique Damásio; António Dinis Ferreira; José Manuel Gonçalves. Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture: Case Study of Lis Valley Irrigation District, Portugal. Sustainability 2019, 11, 331 .

AMA Style

Maria De Fátima Oliveira, Francisco Gomes Da Silva, Susana Ferreira, Margarida Teixeira, Henrique Damásio, António Dinis Ferreira, José Manuel Gonçalves. Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture: Case Study of Lis Valley Irrigation District, Portugal. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (2):331.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria De Fátima Oliveira; Francisco Gomes Da Silva; Susana Ferreira; Margarida Teixeira; Henrique Damásio; António Dinis Ferreira; José Manuel Gonçalves. 2019. "Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture: Case Study of Lis Valley Irrigation District, Portugal." Sustainability 11, no. 2: 331.

Journal article
Published: 09 January 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Society depends on goods and services provided by ecosystems, not only for survival but also for general wellbeing. Over the last decades, peri-urban areas have been subject to the pressure of urbanization and, thus, land-use changes. These changes modify the natural ecosystems and their ability to support human security and safety, but the extent of these impacts is not well-known. This study investigates the impact of five decades of land-use changes in potential ecosystem services (ESs) supply, in the peri-urban Ribeira dos Covões catchment, located in the periphery of Coimbra one of the largest cities in central Portugal. Based on 8 land-use maps from 1958 to 2012, the ESs were estimated through a quantification matrix developed by local stakeholders. The expansion of urban and forest areas from 7% to 40% and from 43% to 55%, respectively, mostly through the occupation of agriculture fields (reduced from 48% to 4%), together with changes in the type of forest area (from mixed to commercial broad-leaved), led to a 73% reduction in the ESs potential supply. This reduction was driven by major losses in regulation but also provisioning services. Catchment management and urban planning should be supported by ESs assessment in order to mitigate the negative impacts on regulation, provisioning and cultural services provided by the ecosystems, and thus maximize the benefits for society.

ACS Style

I.A. Leitão; C.S.S. Ferreira; A.J.D. Ferreira. Assessing long-term changes in potential ecosystem services of a peri-urbanizing Mediterranean catchment. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 660, 993 -1003.

AMA Style

I.A. Leitão, C.S.S. Ferreira, A.J.D. Ferreira. Assessing long-term changes in potential ecosystem services of a peri-urbanizing Mediterranean catchment. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 660 ():993-1003.

Chicago/Turabian Style

I.A. Leitão; C.S.S. Ferreira; A.J.D. Ferreira. 2019. "Assessing long-term changes in potential ecosystem services of a peri-urbanizing Mediterranean catchment." Science of The Total Environment 660, no. : 993-1003.

Abstract
Published: 01 January 2019 in Proceedings
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Intensification of agriculture worldwide has led to a growing awareness on their environmental impacts, namely on soil quality and long term impact on crop productivity. As a consequence, there is an increasing concern regarding best agricultural management practices and their impact on physical, chemical and biological soil properties. In the Centre region of Portugal, maize is one of the most important arable crops and represents more than 32% of the cultivated area. Maize fields have been intensively managed under conventional practices, but increasing land degradation is leading farmers to adopt improved management practices, such as the application of composted sludge from urban wastewater treatment plants. This study aims to assess the long term impact of composted sludge application as soil amendment in maize cropping fields. The study was performed in Baixo Mondego, in central region of Portugal, largely devoted to agriculture and where maize is one of the most relevant crops. The study was performed in two study sites with similar soil and weather characteristics - one managed under conventional practices, with intensive application of fertilizers, and another field where a significant part of mineral fertilizers is replaced by composted sludge. Both sites use these agricultural management practices for more than 5 years. In 2018, two soil sampling campaigns were performed to assess the physical (texture and bulk density) and chemical soil properties (organic matter content, total nitrogen, total and extractable phosphorus, exchangeable cation (K+, Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+) and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn and Ni)). Results show that composted sludge improves soil organic matter content (1.2% vs. 2.2%), total (2747 mg kg-1 vs. 1134 mg kg-1) and available phosphorous (821.85 mg kg-1 vs. 98.44 mg kg-1) comparing with conventional management practices. Higher contents of heavy metals, specifically Cu, Zn, Cd and Cr, were found in the field with sludge application than in the conventional one, which may represent a long term risk for soil contamination. Information regarding the long term impacts of best management practices on soil quality is relevant and should guide farmers and policy makers to attain agricultural sustainability.

ACS Style

Adelcia Veiga; Carla Ferreira; Luís Pinto; Anne-Karine Boulet; Eunice Louro; Rosinda L. Pato; António Ferreira. Long Term Impact of Sludge Application in Maize Farm. Proceedings 2019, 30, 74 .

AMA Style

Adelcia Veiga, Carla Ferreira, Luís Pinto, Anne-Karine Boulet, Eunice Louro, Rosinda L. Pato, António Ferreira. Long Term Impact of Sludge Application in Maize Farm. Proceedings. 2019; 30 (1):74.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adelcia Veiga; Carla Ferreira; Luís Pinto; Anne-Karine Boulet; Eunice Louro; Rosinda L. Pato; António Ferreira. 2019. "Long Term Impact of Sludge Application in Maize Farm." Proceedings 30, no. 1: 74.

Abstract
Published: 01 January 2019 in Proceedings
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Land-use changes driven by human activities affect natural systems. Urbanization, forest monoculture and intensive agriculture are changing the functioning of many biotic and abiotic processes. This tends to decrease the ability of ecosystems to provide services, which leads to several problems particularly in cities. This study investigates the ability of urban areas with great population and environmental pressures, to supply ecosystem services. The study was carried out in Coimbra municipality, through the assessment of regulation, provisioning and cultural services. The quantification of ecosystem services was based on the evaluation performed by experts familiar with the study area, through questionnaires. A total of 31 questionnaires were completed. The experts ranked the potential supply of 30 ecosystem services for the 33 existent land-uses. based on a qualitative evaluation: “strong adverse potential”, “weak adverse potential”, “not relevant”, “low positive potential” and “strong positive potential”. The qualitative evaluation was converted into a quantitative classification (−2, −1, 0, 1, 2). The values were used to develop an ecosystem services quantification matrix and to map the information in the study area, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Despite the limited ecosystem services provided by urban areas, agricultural fields and especially green spaces are relevant for the provision of resources essential for human survival and well-being. The methodology used in this work is still useful for the quantification of ecosystem services in cities with characteristics associated with the Mediterranean climate. This type of studies are important to (i) anticipate problems originated from the loss of ecosystem services, (ii) identify good and bad practices of land use changes, (iii) the role of connectivity in maintaining biotic and abiotic processes, and (iv) develop practices that promote the sustainable development of societies.

ACS Style

Inês Amorim Leitão; Ferreira; Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira; António José Dinis Ferreira. Assessment of Potential Supply of Ecosystem Services in Coimbra Municipality. Proceedings 2019, 30, 25 .

AMA Style

Inês Amorim Leitão, Ferreira, Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira, António José Dinis Ferreira. Assessment of Potential Supply of Ecosystem Services in Coimbra Municipality. Proceedings. 2019; 30 (1):25.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Inês Amorim Leitão; Ferreira; Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira; António José Dinis Ferreira. 2019. "Assessment of Potential Supply of Ecosystem Services in Coimbra Municipality." Proceedings 30, no. 1: 25.

Abstract
Published: 01 January 2019 in Proceedings
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Currently the productivity of some European cropping systems is maintained artificially by increasing production factors like mineral fertilizers or pesticides in order to mask the loss of productivity resulting from soil quality degradation. Green manures are known as a good alternative to the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides. They are an important source of nitrogen and reduce significantly weed invasion. Nevertheless, the literature providing a precise quantification of total nutrients available for plants after incorporation of leguminous species cultivated in Portugal is scarce. This lake of knowledge’s makes farmers worried about hypothetic productivity loss, making them to use excessive complementary amounts of mineral fertilizer. Providing farmers with tools to calculated accurately the reduction of mineral fertilizer will increase their gain and avoid environmental pollution by nutrients lixiviation. Under the scope the international H2020 SoilCare project, a study was conducted during the winter and spring of 2018–2019 at Baixo Mondego valley in Central Portugal, where the main land use is the monoculture of irrigated corn. The nutrient uptake was determined for 5 species of legumes: pre-inoculated Pea (Pisum sativum L.); Yellow Lupin (Lupinus luteus), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense); Balansa Clover (Trifolium michelianum); Arrowleaf Clover (Trifolium vesiculosum) and a control (natural vegetation). For each treatment, we determined total dry matter yield for leguminous and weeds, macronutrients uptake (N and P Total, K, Na, Ca, Mg, S) and micronutrients uptake (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn). Combining soil analyses, theoretical main crop needs in nutrients (short cycle grain maize) and mineralization rates, we calculated the precise amendment needed to obtain the expected yield of maize in what concerns the macronutrient. The production of total dry matter (leguminous and weeds) was very similar for the 5 treatments e.g., about 7 ton/ha. Nevertheless, considering leguminous production, the higher dry matter yields was obtain for the Arrowleaf Clover and the lower for the Red Clover respectively 5.5 and 3.5 ton/ha. The Macronutrient content (N,P,K) of the leguminous ranged between 22.9 and 28.0 g/kg for N, 2.4 and 3.1 g/kg for P and 12.1 and 31.5 g/kg for K. The Yellow Lupin presented the higher values of N, the clovers the higher values of P and K. The total quantity of macronutrients incorporated in the soil was in average 152 kg/ha for N, 20 kg/ha for P and 170 kg/ha for K with the higher quantities for Arrowleaf Clover. We considered a mineralization coefficient of 0.5 for N and 0.6 for P during the first year and a nutrient extraction of 280 kg/ha of N, 50 kg/ha of P and 245 kg/ha of K, for a production yield of 12 t/ha of corn grain. After correction of plant needs following the soil analyses results, we determinate an optimized fertilization rate of 180-40-0, were the green manure supplies about 35%, 25% and 100% of the NPK extraction of the grain maize.

ACS Style

Anne-Karine Boulet; Carlos Alarcão; António Ferreira; Rudi Hessel. Conciliating Traditional Green Manure Technique and Modern Precision Agriculture. Proceedings 2019, 30, 70 .

AMA Style

Anne-Karine Boulet, Carlos Alarcão, António Ferreira, Rudi Hessel. Conciliating Traditional Green Manure Technique and Modern Precision Agriculture. Proceedings. 2019; 30 (1):70.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anne-Karine Boulet; Carlos Alarcão; António Ferreira; Rudi Hessel. 2019. "Conciliating Traditional Green Manure Technique and Modern Precision Agriculture." Proceedings 30, no. 1: 70.

Abstract
Published: 01 January 2019 in Proceedings
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Increasing population and expansion of urban areas are often associated with degradation of aquatic ecosystems. Although water quality is a major concern for worldwide authorities, several emerging contaminants can threaten long term status of aquatic ecosystems and human health. UV filters are widely used in industrial products such as plastics, paints and coatings, to enhance their photo protective properties. Personal care products, such as shampoos, body creams, make-up and sunscreens, used in humans’ daily routine, also comprise a wide variety of chemicals, such as organic UV filters and parabens. Some UV filters are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Parabens prevent bacterial growth and extend products shelf-lives, but they can have endocrine disruption properties. Wastewater is a potential vehicle of UV filters and parabens to the aquatic ecosystems, where they tend to accumulate in suspended sediments. This study investigates the presence of organic UV filters and parabens in Ribeira dos Covões peri-urban catchment, in central mainland Portugal. The catchment has been deeply urbanized over the last decades, due to its proximity to Coimbra city center. Urban areas cover 40% of the catchment land-use and include several health services, such as a hospital, and a relatively large pharmaceutical company. Wastewater is piped and transported into a treatment plant (WWTP) located outside the catchment. The sewer system, however, is sometimes subject to failure, leading to leakages which affect local streams. In September 2018, fluvial sediment samples (0-3 cm depth) were collected in 10 sites across Ribeira dos Covões stream network. The freeze-dried sediment samples were extracted using an accelerated solvent extractor (ASE-350, DIONEX, Germany) method, and analysed for 17 UV filters, 5 parabens and 2 synthetic musks, using an Agilent UHPLC-MS/MS system operating with dopant-assisted atmospheric pressure photoionization (DA-APPI). The results show the presence of methylparaben (10.3 ng/g dw) at the catchment outlet. UV filters were found in sediments from several sites in Ribeira dos Covões. Compounds revealing highest concentrations were octocrylene, quantified in 8 of the 10 sampling sites and reaching 286.3 ng/g dw, and ethylhexyltriazone, quantified in half of the monitored sites in concentrations up to 67.7 ng/g dw. The largest number of compounds and with highest concentrations, were recorded in two stream sections that received wastewater, based on reports from local citizens about sewer pipe leakages. Wastewater contamination can represent a major problem for the good status of aquatic ecosystems in urban environments.

ACS Style

Ferreira; Christina Apel; Célia Bento; Danijela Koetke; Ralf Ebinghaus; Carla S. S. Ferreira; António Ferreira. Assessment of UV Filters and Parabens in a Small Portuguese Peri-Urban Catchment. Proceedings 2019, 30, 30 .

AMA Style

Ferreira, Christina Apel, Célia Bento, Danijela Koetke, Ralf Ebinghaus, Carla S. S. Ferreira, António Ferreira. Assessment of UV Filters and Parabens in a Small Portuguese Peri-Urban Catchment. Proceedings. 2019; 30 (1):30.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ferreira; Christina Apel; Célia Bento; Danijela Koetke; Ralf Ebinghaus; Carla S. S. Ferreira; António Ferreira. 2019. "Assessment of UV Filters and Parabens in a Small Portuguese Peri-Urban Catchment." Proceedings 30, no. 1: 30.

Abstract
Published: 01 January 2019 in Proceedings
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) initiated in 2001 aims to assess the impacts of human pressure on ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being. Since then, the ES have been a worldwide concern, namely regarding to biodiversity loss and land use management (MA, 2005). The EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline Report stated that 65% of habitats of EU importance were in an unfavorable conservation status, mainly due to anthropic activities over time (EEA, 2010). As a consequence, in 2011, the EU adopted the Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, requiring all Member States to actively work towards stopping the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2020, and to restore ecosystems. ES are particularly relevant in urban areas, where most population is concentrated and expected to reach almost 70% of the total population by 2050 (UN-DESA, 2018). Strategically planned urban Green and Blue Infrastructures (GBI) can be designed and implemented in cities to effectively provide a wide range of ES, relevant to address urban sustainability and resilience to climate change, and thus effectively contribute to stop and revert ES deterioration and loss. However, the integration of ES and GBI concepts into national, regional and local policies and plans, and their effectiveness to implement the EU Biodiversity Strategy, is still a major challenge. This paper aims to analyze the horizontal and vertical integration of the ES and GBI concepts in the Portuguese policies and land use planning, at national, regional and local levels, focusing on the municipality of Coimbra. Among the 19 documents analyzed, most of them are defined at national level (12) and 6 of them are defined at local level. At the regional level, only one single plan is available, although it is still not officially approved and published, despite started being prepared in 1991. This regional situation mirrors the current status of the Portuguese administrative levels, which was triggered by the negative result of the 1998 referendum on the regionalization process. This referendum prevented necessary changes in the administrative divisions, so that current regional divisions do not reflect the economic, demographic and cultural realities of the country, having been emptied of administrative powers. The analysis shows a strong integration of the ES and GBI concepts at the national level, but the vertical coordination shows that plenty of work needs to be done to fully embrace the ES and GBI concepts. This research was performed in the UrbanGaia project, funded through the ERA-net BiodivERsA 3 2015 call under grants BRAIN-be BR/175/A1/URBANGAIA-BE (Belgium); 01LC1616A (Germany); S-BIODIVERSA-17-17-1 (Lithuania), and BIODIVERSA/0008/2015 (Portugal).

ACS Style

Luís Valença Pinto; Carla Ferreira; Paulo Pereira; Sander Jacobs; Ieva Misiune; Michael Leone; Julia Palliwoda; Joerg Priess; António Dinis Ferreira. Integration of Ecosystem Services and Green and Blue Infrastructures Concepts in the Land Use Planning Process: The Coimbra Case Study. Proceedings 2019, 30, 90 .

AMA Style

Luís Valença Pinto, Carla Ferreira, Paulo Pereira, Sander Jacobs, Ieva Misiune, Michael Leone, Julia Palliwoda, Joerg Priess, António Dinis Ferreira. Integration of Ecosystem Services and Green and Blue Infrastructures Concepts in the Land Use Planning Process: The Coimbra Case Study. Proceedings. 2019; 30 (1):90.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luís Valença Pinto; Carla Ferreira; Paulo Pereira; Sander Jacobs; Ieva Misiune; Michael Leone; Julia Palliwoda; Joerg Priess; António Dinis Ferreira. 2019. "Integration of Ecosystem Services and Green and Blue Infrastructures Concepts in the Land Use Planning Process: The Coimbra Case Study." Proceedings 30, no. 1: 90.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2018 in Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Over the few last decades, increasing population and expansion of urban areas has triggered faster land degradation. This manuscript reviews the most significant soil and water degradation processes in urban areas and their environmental impacts. Urban soils are partially sealed and subject to severe compaction, erosion and contamination from several sources (e.g. vehicular traffic and inappropriate waste disposal), which restrict their ability to provide ecosystem services. Water resources are also under great urban pressure, due to changes in flow processes, namely increasing runoff and flashiness linked to enhanced flood hazard, and decreasing water quality and degradation of aquatic ecosystems. Persistent pollutants such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been found in urban environments. Long-term monitoring programs to quantify better the magnitude of degradation processes and their environmental impacts are still required. Runoff, erosion and pollutant sources as well as their transport within the landscape are highly variable, and the impact of distinct urban patterns on water, sediment and pollutant connectivity between the sources and water bodies remains a research challenge. Information regarding land degradation processes and their spatio-temporal dynamics within urban catchments will help to guide decision-makers and policy actors towards sustainable solutions to achieve urban sustainability and the good ecological status of aquatic ecosystems.

ACS Style

Carla S.S. Ferreira; Rory P.D. Walsh; António J.D. Ferreira. Degradation in urban areas. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 2018, 5, 19 -25.

AMA Style

Carla S.S. Ferreira, Rory P.D. Walsh, António J.D. Ferreira. Degradation in urban areas. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 2018; 5 ():19-25.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carla S.S. Ferreira; Rory P.D. Walsh; António J.D. Ferreira. 2018. "Degradation in urban areas." Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 5, no. : 19-25.

Review article
Published: 10 July 2018 in Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Urban agriculture is seen as having the potential to contribute to more sustainable and resilient urban communities, for its pivotal role in the implementation of circular economy strategies at the city level, closing energy and mass loops, while contributing to restore natural cycles and ecosystems’ environmental services. In addition, Urban agriculture can contribute to higher food sovereignty levels, and can be used as leitmotif to implement new education, participatory and citizenship strategies. There are nevertheless some problems in deploying urban agriculture, that has to do with the high level of pollutants in urban areas that may cause health problems if the pollutants enter the food chain. This paper discusses the risks and addresses the potential of urban agriculture for more sustainable and resilient cities.

ACS Style

António José Dinis Ferreira; Rosa Isabel Marques Mendes Guilherme; Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira; Maria De Fátima Martins Lorena De Oliveira. Urban agriculture, a tool towards more resilient urban communities? Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 2018, 5, 93 -97.

AMA Style

António José Dinis Ferreira, Rosa Isabel Marques Mendes Guilherme, Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira, Maria De Fátima Martins Lorena De Oliveira. Urban agriculture, a tool towards more resilient urban communities? Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 2018; 5 ():93-97.

Chicago/Turabian Style

António José Dinis Ferreira; Rosa Isabel Marques Mendes Guilherme; Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira; Maria De Fátima Martins Lorena De Oliveira. 2018. "Urban agriculture, a tool towards more resilient urban communities?" Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 5, no. : 93-97.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2018 in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Carla Ferreira; Jan Jacob Keizer; L.M.B. Santos; Dalila Serpa; V. Silva; Mário Cerqueira; A.J.D. Ferreira; Nelson Abrantes. Runoff, sediment and nutrient exports from a Mediterranean vineyard under integrated production: An experiment at plot scale. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 2018, 256, 184 -193.

AMA Style

Carla Ferreira, Jan Jacob Keizer, L.M.B. Santos, Dalila Serpa, V. Silva, Mário Cerqueira, A.J.D. Ferreira, Nelson Abrantes. Runoff, sediment and nutrient exports from a Mediterranean vineyard under integrated production: An experiment at plot scale. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 2018; 256 ():184-193.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carla Ferreira; Jan Jacob Keizer; L.M.B. Santos; Dalila Serpa; V. Silva; Mário Cerqueira; A.J.D. Ferreira; Nelson Abrantes. 2018. "Runoff, sediment and nutrient exports from a Mediterranean vineyard under integrated production: An experiment at plot scale." Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 256, no. : 184-193.

Journal article
Published: 06 October 2017 in Land Degradation & Development
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Carla S.S. Ferreira; Rory P.D. Walsh; Tammo S. Steenhuis; Antonio Ferreira. Effect of Peri-urban Development and Lithology on Streamflow in a Mediterranean Catchment. Land Degradation & Development 2017, 29, 1141 -1153.

AMA Style

Carla S.S. Ferreira, Rory P.D. Walsh, Tammo S. Steenhuis, Antonio Ferreira. Effect of Peri-urban Development and Lithology on Streamflow in a Mediterranean Catchment. Land Degradation & Development. 2017; 29 (4):1141-1153.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carla S.S. Ferreira; Rory P.D. Walsh; Tammo S. Steenhuis; Antonio Ferreira. 2017. "Effect of Peri-urban Development and Lithology on Streamflow in a Mediterranean Catchment." Land Degradation & Development 29, no. 4: 1141-1153.

Article
Published: 19 August 2017 in Land Degradation & Development
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The identification of sediment sources is important for catchment management, but few studies have been performed in Mediterranean areas. This study uses a multiproxy sediment fingerprinting approach to explore sources and dynamics of fluvial sediments in a rapidly urbanizing Portuguese peri-urban catchment. X-ray fluorescence was used to characterize the elemental geochemistry of sediments collected within the stream network after three storm events in 2012 and 2015. A range of statistical techniques, including hierarchical cluster analysis, was used to identify discriminant sediment properties and similarities between fine bed sediment samples of tributaries and downstream sites. Quantification of sediment supply from upstream sub-catchments was undertaken using established sediment fingerprinting approaches. The geochemistry of the sediments was found to be influenced by both lithology and land-use changes. In 2012, the sandstone sub-catchment provided 75% of the <63 μm and 94% of the 63–125 and 125–2000 μm sediment, mostly from an Enterprise Park site undergoing deforestation and construction (covering 5% of the catchment area), with most of the remaining sediment deriving from the construction of a major road (1% of the catchment) in the limestone sub-catchment. In 2015, planned and accidental retention basins below the Enterprise Park and major road sites, respectively, prevented some sediment from reaching the stream network, thereby reducing their importance as sediment sources. Sediment mobilization in urban areas with paved roads was small in comparison, but characterized by high heavy metal concentrations. The sediment fingerprinting approach adopted shows promise in identification of the main sources of sediments, necessary to underpin improved peri-urban management strategies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

ACS Style

Carla Ferreira; Rory P.D. Walsh; William Blake; Ryunosuke Kikuchi; Antonio Ferreira. Temporal Dynamics of Sediment Sources in an Urbanizing Mediterranean Catchment. Land Degradation & Development 2017, 28, 2354 -2369.

AMA Style

Carla Ferreira, Rory P.D. Walsh, William Blake, Ryunosuke Kikuchi, Antonio Ferreira. Temporal Dynamics of Sediment Sources in an Urbanizing Mediterranean Catchment. Land Degradation & Development. 2017; 28 (8):2354-2369.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carla Ferreira; Rory P.D. Walsh; William Blake; Ryunosuke Kikuchi; Antonio Ferreira. 2017. "Temporal Dynamics of Sediment Sources in an Urbanizing Mediterranean Catchment." Land Degradation & Development 28, no. 8: 2354-2369.

Journal article
Published: 20 June 2017 in Land Degradation & Development
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Zahra Kalantari; Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira; Rory Peter Dominic Walsh; Antonio Ferreira; Georgia Destouni. Urbanization Development under Climate Change: Hydrological Responses in a Peri‐Urban Mediterranean Catchment. Land Degradation & Development 2017, 28, 2207 -2221.

AMA Style

Zahra Kalantari, Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira, Rory Peter Dominic Walsh, Antonio Ferreira, Georgia Destouni. Urbanization Development under Climate Change: Hydrological Responses in a Peri‐Urban Mediterranean Catchment. Land Degradation & Development. 2017; 28 (7):2207-2221.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zahra Kalantari; Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira; Rory Peter Dominic Walsh; Antonio Ferreira; Georgia Destouni. 2017. "Urbanization Development under Climate Change: Hydrological Responses in a Peri‐Urban Mediterranean Catchment." Land Degradation & Development 28, no. 7: 2207-2221.