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Dr. Vasileios Tzanakakis
Hellenic Mediterranean University

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0 Soil Fertility
0 Soil Management
0 Water Reuse
0 water management
0 circular economy

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Soil Fertility

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Journal article
Published: 13 April 2021 in Water
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The Romans were well aware of the strategic importance of Crete and tried, by any means possible, its final conquest. The island was under Roman rule over four centuries (ca 67 BC–330 AD). Under Roman rule, Crete witnessed a growth of its population and prosperity and an increase in its connectivity with other parts of the Empire. In addition, Gortys, Chersonisos, Elyros, Lyttos, Kissamos and other cities flourished under their rule. At that prosperous time, several luxurious infrastructures, such as hydraulic works, were developed. In this paper, we wish to examine the principles and the technical characteristics of major aqueducts built at that time. They constructed impressive hydro-works, such as aqueducts, by using the knowledge gained from earlier Greek civilizations in Minoan and Classical and Hellenistic times. However, they mainly increased the scale of applied technologies to support the increased population water demand. Water is a common need of humankind and several ancient civilizations developed simple but practical techniques, such as the aqueduct, especially during Roman times. We can gain from their experience and knowledge to develop a sustainable water supply, presently and in the future, both in developed and developing countries.

ACS Style

Andreas Angelakis; Yannis Christodoulakos; Vasileios Tzanakakis. Roman Aqueducts in Crete, Greece: Learning from the Past. Water 2021, 13, 1069 .

AMA Style

Andreas Angelakis, Yannis Christodoulakos, Vasileios Tzanakakis. Roman Aqueducts in Crete, Greece: Learning from the Past. Water. 2021; 13 (8):1069.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreas Angelakis; Yannis Christodoulakos; Vasileios Tzanakakis. 2021. "Roman Aqueducts in Crete, Greece: Learning from the Past." Water 13, no. 8: 1069.

Review
Published: 11 April 2021 in Sustainability
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Since prehistoric times, water conflicts have occurred as a result of a wide range of tensions and/or violence, which have rarely taken the form of traditional warfare waged over water resources alone. Instead, water has historically been a (re)source of tension and a factor in conflicts that start for other reasons. In some cases, water was used directly as a weapon through its ability to cause damage through deprivation or erosion or water resources of enemy populations and their armies. However, water conflicts, both past and present, arise for several reasons; including territorial disputes, fight for resources, and strategic advantage. The main reasons of water conflicts are usually delimitation of boundaries, waterlogging (e.g., dams and lakes), diversion of rivers flow, running water, food, and political distresses. In recent decades, the number of human casualties caused by water conflicts is more than that of natural disasters, indicating the importance of emerging trends on water wars in the world. This paper presents arguments, fights, discourses, and conflicts around water from ancient times to the present. This diachronic survey attempts to provide water governance alternatives for the current and future.

ACS Style

Andreas Angelakis; Mohammad Valipour; Abdelkader Ahmed; Vasileios Tzanakakis; Nikolaos Paranychianakis; Jens Krasilnikoff; Renato Drusiani; Larry Mays; Fatma El Gohary; Demetris Koutsoyiannis; Saifullah Khan; Luigi Giacco. Water Conflicts: From Ancient to Modern Times and in the Future. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4237 .

AMA Style

Andreas Angelakis, Mohammad Valipour, Abdelkader Ahmed, Vasileios Tzanakakis, Nikolaos Paranychianakis, Jens Krasilnikoff, Renato Drusiani, Larry Mays, Fatma El Gohary, Demetris Koutsoyiannis, Saifullah Khan, Luigi Giacco. Water Conflicts: From Ancient to Modern Times and in the Future. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (8):4237.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andreas Angelakis; Mohammad Valipour; Abdelkader Ahmed; Vasileios Tzanakakis; Nikolaos Paranychianakis; Jens Krasilnikoff; Renato Drusiani; Larry Mays; Fatma El Gohary; Demetris Koutsoyiannis; Saifullah Khan; Luigi Giacco. 2021. "Water Conflicts: From Ancient to Modern Times and in the Future." Sustainability 13, no. 8: 4237.

Review
Published: 23 November 2020 in Sustainability
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Egyptian and Greek ancient civilizations prevailed in eastern Mediterranean since prehistoric times. The Egyptian civilization is thought to have been begun in about 3150 BC until 31 BC. For the ancient Greek civilization, it started in the period of Minoan (ca. 3200 BC) up to the ending of the Hellenistic era. There are various parallels and dissimilarities between both civilizations. They co-existed during a certain timeframe (from ca. 2000 to ca. 146 BC); however, they were in two different geographic areas. Both civilizations were massive traders, subsequently, they deeply influenced the regional civilizations which have developed in that region. Various scientific and technological principles were established by both civilizations through their long histories. Water management was one of these major technologies. Accordingly, they have significantly influenced the ancient world’s hydro-technologies. In this review, a comparison of water culture issues and hydro-structures was adopted through the extended history of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. The specific objectives of the work are to study the parallel historical cultures and hydro-technologies, assessing similarities and differences, and to analyze their progress since primitive times. The tools adopted for the research include visits to historical aeras and museums, comments, consultations, correlation and exhibitions available in the cyberspace. Review results herein showed that dams and canals were constructed in ancient Egypt to manage the flood of the Nile river and develop irrigation systems from ca. 6000 BC. In the second millennium BC, Minoans managed the flow of the streams via two dams, to protect arable land from destruction after intense rainfall and to irrigate their farms. Additional results showed that ancient Egyptians and Greeks invented many devices for lifting water for plant irrigation such as the shadouf, sakia and tympanum and pumps, of which some were already in use in Mesopotamia for irrigating small plots. The ancient Egyptians were the first who discovered the principle and the basis of coagulation (after ca. 1500 BC). They used the alum for accelerating the settlement of the particles. Additionally, the ancient Greeks developed several advanced water treatment technologies since the prehistoric times. To sum up, the study captured many similarities between two civilizations in water technologies. In addition, it confirmed the sustainability and durability of several of those hydro-technologies since they are still in use up to now in many places.

ACS Style

Abdelkader Ahmed; Fatma El Gohary; Vasileios Tzanakakis; Andreas Angelakis. Egyptian and Greek Water Cultures and Hydro-Technologies in Ancient Times. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9760 .

AMA Style

Abdelkader Ahmed, Fatma El Gohary, Vasileios Tzanakakis, Andreas Angelakis. Egyptian and Greek Water Cultures and Hydro-Technologies in Ancient Times. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9760.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Abdelkader Ahmed; Fatma El Gohary; Vasileios Tzanakakis; Andreas Angelakis. 2020. "Egyptian and Greek Water Cultures and Hydro-Technologies in Ancient Times." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9760.

Journal article
Published: 30 October 2020 in Sustainability
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One of the most important issues for modern agriculture is how to decrease fertilization rates and enhance the sustainability of crops, without decreasing yields. Two inorganic (zeolite—zeo; vermiculite—ver) amendments and their mixtures with an organic soil amendment (goat manure) (i.e., zeo + ver, manure + ver, manure + zeo) were tested, and compared to the application of a controlled release fertilizer (CRF), in order to investigate if they were able to satisfy the nutritional needs of Solanum lycopersicon L. plants. For this purpose, a 112-day pot experiment was performed. After zeo and manure application, exchangeable K was increased from 16.5 times to 37.5 times. At the end of the experiment, total plant biomass was significantly higher in the CRF treatment, compared to the ver treatments (ver, ver + manure). Leaf K concentration was significantly higher in the zeo treatment (5.93% dw), compared to those determined in the CRF, ver, and ver + manure. In contrast, significantly higher foliar N was found in the CRF (4.83% dw) and zeo + ver (4.24% dw) treatments, compared to manure + ver. Finally, photosystem II (PSII) activity was significantly higher in ver, and this was ascribed to the optimum foliar Mn found in this treatment (138 mg kg−1 dw). It is expected that these data will provide a thorough insight towards decreasing chemical fertilization inputs and enhancing the sustainability of Solanum lycopersicon L. crop.

ACS Style

Theocharis Chatzistathis; Vasileios Tzanakakis; Anastasia Giannakoula; Polyxeni Psoma. Inorganic and Organic Amendments Affect Soil Fertility, Nutrition, Photosystem II Activity, and Fruit Weight and May Enhance the Sustainability of Solanum lycopersicon L. (cv. ‘Mountain Fresh’) Crop. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9028 .

AMA Style

Theocharis Chatzistathis, Vasileios Tzanakakis, Anastasia Giannakoula, Polyxeni Psoma. Inorganic and Organic Amendments Affect Soil Fertility, Nutrition, Photosystem II Activity, and Fruit Weight and May Enhance the Sustainability of Solanum lycopersicon L. (cv. ‘Mountain Fresh’) Crop. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (21):9028.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Theocharis Chatzistathis; Vasileios Tzanakakis; Anastasia Giannakoula; Polyxeni Psoma. 2020. "Inorganic and Organic Amendments Affect Soil Fertility, Nutrition, Photosystem II Activity, and Fruit Weight and May Enhance the Sustainability of Solanum lycopersicon L. (cv. ‘Mountain Fresh’) Crop." Sustainability 12, no. 21: 9028.

Editorial
Published: 21 August 2020 in Water
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This paper provides an overview of the Special Issue on water supply and water scarcity. The papers selected for publication include review papers on water history, on water management issues under water scarcity regimes, on rainwater harvesting, on water quality and degradation, and on climatic variability impacts on water resources. Overall, the issue underscores the need for a revised water management, especially in areas with demographic change and climate vulnerability towards sustainable and secure water supply. Moreover, general guidelines and possible solutions, such as the adoption of advanced technological solutions and practices that improve water use efficiency and the use of alternative (non-conventional) water resources are highlighted and discussed to address growing environmental and health issues and to reduce the emerging conflicts among water users.

ACS Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis; Andreas N. Angelakis. Water Supply and Water Scarcity. Water 2020, 12, 2347 .

AMA Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis, Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis, Andreas N. Angelakis. Water Supply and Water Scarcity. Water. 2020; 12 (9):2347.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis; Andreas N. Angelakis. 2020. "Water Supply and Water Scarcity." Water 12, no. 9: 2347.

Review
Published: 28 May 2020 in Water
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Crete, located in the South Mediterranean Sea, is characterized by long coastal areas, varied terrain relief and geology, and great spatial and inter-annual variations in precipitation. Under average meteorological conditions, the island is water-sufficient (969 mm precipitation; theoretical water potential 3284 hm3; and total water use 610 hm3). Agriculture is by far the greatest user of water (78% of total water use), followed by domestic use (21%). Despite the high average water availability, water scarcity events commonly occur, particularly in the eastern-south part of the island, driven by local climatic conditions and seasonal or geographical mismatches between water availability and demand. Other critical issues in water management include the over-exploitation of groundwater, accounting for 93% of the water used in agriculture; low water use efficiencies in the farms; limited use of non-conventional water sources (effluent reuse); lack of modern frameworks of control and monitoring; and inadequate cooperation among stakeholders. These deficiencies impact adversely water use efficiency, deteriorate quality of water resources, increase competition for water and water pricing, and impair agriculture and environment. Moreover, the water-limited areas may display low adaptation potential to climate variability and face increased risks for the human-managed and natural ecosystems. The development of appropriate water governance frameworks that promote the development of integrated water management plans and allow concurrently flexibility to account for local differentiations in social-economic favors is urgently needed to achieve efficient water management and to improve the adaptation to the changing climatic conditions. Specific corrective actions may include use of alternative water sources (e.g., treated effluent and brackish water), implementation of efficient water use practices, re-formation of pricing policy, efficient control and monitoring, and investment in research and innovation to support the above actions. It is necessary to strengthen the links across stakeholders (e.g., farmers, enterprises, corporations, institutes, universities, agencies, and public authorities), along with an effective and updated governance framework to address the critical issues in water management, facilitate knowledge transfer, and promote the efficient use of non-conventional water resources.

ACS Style

V. A. Tzanakakis; A. N. Angelakis; N. V. Paranychianakis; Y. G. Dialynas; G. Tchobanoglous. Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Island of Crete, Greece. Water 2020, 12, 1538 .

AMA Style

V. A. Tzanakakis, A. N. Angelakis, N. V. Paranychianakis, Y. G. Dialynas, G. Tchobanoglous. Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Island of Crete, Greece. Water. 2020; 12 (6):1538.

Chicago/Turabian Style

V. A. Tzanakakis; A. N. Angelakis; N. V. Paranychianakis; Y. G. Dialynas; G. Tchobanoglous. 2020. "Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Island of Crete, Greece." Water 12, no. 6: 1538.

Short communication
Published: 28 September 2019 in Soil Biology and Biochemistry
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Using oxic soil slurry incubations supplemented with either the selective AOB inhibitor 1-octyne or the non-specific nitrification inhibitor acetylene, we investigated the relative contributions of ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) to nitrification-dependent N2O production in six Oregon forest soils (pH 3.7–5.3), collected from three different sites (Cascade Head, H.J. Andrews, and McDonald Forest), each under two different tree species (Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii and red alder, Alnus rubra). We found that nitrification-dependent N2O production across a range of acid forest soils depends on the site-specific contribution of AOB and AOA to nitrification because of their inherently distinct N2O yields. The latter were determined to be ~0.15 ± 0.01% for AOB and 0.06 ± 0.01% for AOA. Soil pH regulated the nitrifier-specific N2O production by affecting the nitrifier activity. AOA-dependent N2O production dominated at low pH (<4.5), while AOB-dependent N2O production was favored in less acidic soils. Increase in relative contribution of the AOB nitrifying activity, favored by the increase in soil pH, was accompanied by higher total N2O yields.

ACS Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Anne E. Taylor; Lars R. Bakken; Peter J. Bottomley; David D. Myrold; Peter Dörsch. Relative activity of ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria determine nitrification-dependent N2O emissions in Oregon forest soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 2019, 139, 107612 .

AMA Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis, Anne E. Taylor, Lars R. Bakken, Peter J. Bottomley, David D. Myrold, Peter Dörsch. Relative activity of ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria determine nitrification-dependent N2O emissions in Oregon forest soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2019; 139 ():107612.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Anne E. Taylor; Lars R. Bakken; Peter J. Bottomley; David D. Myrold; Peter Dörsch. 2019. "Relative activity of ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria determine nitrification-dependent N2O emissions in Oregon forest soils." Soil Biology and Biochemistry 139, no. : 107612.

Short communication
Published: 01 September 2018 in Applied Soil Ecology
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Strains of ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) can utilize urea under limited conditions of ammonia in terrestrial environments. In this work, we investigate whether this mechanism operates more widely, including soils with non-limiting conditions of ammonia. To test this hypothesis, pots filled with a soil of basic pH (8.3) were supplied with two rates of N (25 and 50 μg N/g dry soil) in the form of urea and ammonium applied at seven consecutive doses every 2 days. The findings of the study revealed a strong increase in the abundance of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) at both application rates, independently of N source. By contrast, AOA did not respond to N additions. These findings indicate that urea availability does not offer an advantage on the growth and activity of AOA over the AOB under non-limiting conditions of N. However, a slight increase in AOA abundance following substrate utilization provided support for a link between AOA growth and mineralization of soil organic matter.

ACS Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Antonios Apostolakis; Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. Ammonia oxidizing archaea do not respond to ammonium or urea supply in an alkaline soil. Applied Soil Ecology 2018, 132, 194 -198.

AMA Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis, Antonios Apostolakis, Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis, Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. Ammonia oxidizing archaea do not respond to ammonium or urea supply in an alkaline soil. Applied Soil Ecology. 2018; 132 ():194-198.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Antonios Apostolakis; Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. 2018. "Ammonia oxidizing archaea do not respond to ammonium or urea supply in an alkaline soil." Applied Soil Ecology 132, no. : 194-198.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2017 in Applied Soil Ecology
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ACS Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. Divergent response of ammonia oxidizers to various amino acids. Applied Soil Ecology 2017, 114, 45 -51.

AMA Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis, Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. Divergent response of ammonia oxidizers to various amino acids. Applied Soil Ecology. 2017; 114 ():45-51.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. 2017. "Divergent response of ammonia oxidizers to various amino acids." Applied Soil Ecology 114, no. : 45-51.

Journal article
Published: 22 January 2015 in Water
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Land application of olive mill wastewater (OMW) is considered a promising low-cost practice for olive-oil producing countries. The objectives of this work were to investigate: (i) OMW treatment potential of a land treatment system (LTS), planted with a E. camaldulensis species, regarding N, P, C, and phenols; (ii) the effects of OMW on chemical properties of soil and soil solution characteristics; and (iii) the performance of E. camaldulensis in terms of biomass production and N and P recovery. E. camaldulensis received OMW for two growing seasons at rates based on maximum organic loading. These rates were almost equivalent to the reference evapotranspiration of the area. Soil solution and soil samples were collected from three different depths (15, 30 and 60 cm) at specified time intervals. -Also, samples of plant tissues were collected at the end of application periods. OMW land application resulted in significant reduction in inorganic and organic constituents of OMW. At 15 cm of soil profile, the average removal of COD, TKN, NH4+-N, TP, In-P, and total phenols approached 93%, 86%, 70%, 86%, 82%, and 85%, respectively, while an increase in soil depth (30 and 60 cm) did not improve significantly treatment efficiency. Furthermore, OMW increased soil organic matter (SOM), total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and available P, particularly in the upper soil layer. In contrast, low inorganic N content was observed in the soil throughout the study period caused probably by increased competition among soil microorganisms induced by the organic substrate supply and high C/N ratio. Also, electrical conductivity (EC) and SAR increased by OMW addition, but at levels that may do not pose severe risk for soil texture. Enhancement of soil fertility due to OMW application sustained eucalyptus trees and provided remarkable biomass yield. In conclusion, land application of OMW has a great potential for organic matter and phenol assimilation and can be effectively used for OMW detoxification.

ACS Style

Iosif Kapellakis; Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Andreas N. Angelakis. Land Application-Based Olive Mill Wastewater Μanagement. Water 2015, 7, 362 -376.

AMA Style

Iosif Kapellakis, Vasileios A. Tzanakakis, Andreas N. Angelakis. Land Application-Based Olive Mill Wastewater Μanagement. Water. 2015; 7 (12):362-376.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Iosif Kapellakis; Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Andreas N. Angelakis. 2015. "Land Application-Based Olive Mill Wastewater Μanagement." Water 7, no. 12: 362-376.

Journal article
Published: 13 January 2015 in Water
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This work investigates the effect of plant species (Eucalyptus camaldulensis vs. Arundo donax) on carbon (C) turnover during wastewater application to the land. The study was carried out in 40-liter pots under field conditions and plant species were treated either with pre-treated municipal wastewater or freshwater. Plant species had a strong effect on soil organic matter with pots planted with E. camaldulensis showing greater values than pots planted with A. donax. In accordance, greater respiration rates were measured in E. camaldulensis pots compared to those planted with A. donax. The respiration rate followed a decreasing trend with the progress of the season for both species. These findings suggest differences in soil microbial community composition and/or activity in the rhizosphere of plant species. Minor effects of plant species or effluent were observed in dissolved organic carbon, protein, and hexoses content. In conclusion, the results of the present study reveal an important role of plant species on C cycling in terrestrial environments with potential implications on the sequestration of C and release of nutrients and pollutants.

ACS Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Giannis Vagiakis; Myrto Tsiknia; Andreas N. Angelakis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. Carbon Turnover during Effluent Application to the Land: A Potential Role for Vegetation? Water 2015, 7, 288 -299.

AMA Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis, Giannis Vagiakis, Myrto Tsiknia, Andreas N. Angelakis, Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. Carbon Turnover during Effluent Application to the Land: A Potential Role for Vegetation? Water. 2015; 7 (12):288-299.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Giannis Vagiakis; Myrto Tsiknia; Andreas N. Angelakis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. 2015. "Carbon Turnover during Effluent Application to the Land: A Potential Role for Vegetation?" Water 7, no. 12: 288-299.

Journal article
Published: 23 December 2014 in Water
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Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) can integrate a great number of variables and overcome collinearity problems, a fact that makes it suitable for intensive agronomical practices such as land application. In the present study a PLSR model was developed to predict important management goals, including biomass production and nutrient recovery (i.e., nitrogen and phosphorus), associated with treatment potential, environmental impacts, and economic benefits. Effluent loading and a considerable number of soil parameters commonly monitored in effluent irrigated lands were considered as potential predictor variables during the model development. All data were derived from a three year field trial including plantations of four different plant species (Acacia cyanophylla, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Populus nigra, and Arundo donax), irrigated with pre-treated domestic effluent. PLSR method was very effective despite the small sample size and the wide nature of data set (with many highly correlated inputs and several highly correlated responses). Through PLSR method the number of initial predictor variables was reduced and only several variables were remained and included in the final PLSR model. The important input variables maintained were: Effluent loading, electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (Olsen-P), Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K2+, SAR, and NO3−-N. Among these variables, effluent loading, EC, and nitrates had the greater contribution to the final PLSR model. PLSR is highly compatible with intensive agronomical practices such as land application, in which a large number of highly collinear and noisy input variables is monitored to assess plant species performance and to detect impacts on the environment.

ACS Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Andy Mauromoustakos; Andreas N. Angelakis. Prediction of Biomass Production and Nutrient Uptake in Land Application Using Partial Least Squares Regression Analysis. Water 2014, 7, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis, Andy Mauromoustakos, Andreas N. Angelakis. Prediction of Biomass Production and Nutrient Uptake in Land Application Using Partial Least Squares Regression Analysis. Water. 2014; 7 (12):1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Andy Mauromoustakos; Andreas N. Angelakis. 2014. "Prediction of Biomass Production and Nutrient Uptake in Land Application Using Partial Least Squares Regression Analysis." Water 7, no. 12: 1-11.

Journal article
Published: 17 December 2012 in Applied Soil Ecology
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This work investigated the effect of plant species (Eucalyptus camaldulensis vs Arundo donax) on N-turnover during land application of pre-treated municipal wastewater. The study was carried out in 40-L pots under field conditions and revealed strong effects of plant species on N uptake, potential nitrification rate (PNR), and gaseous losses of N. E. camaldulensis accumulated 38% more N in its biomass than A. donax. With regard to the soil N, there was no effect of plant species on total Kjeldahl N content. The lower PNR measured in pots planted with A. donax could not be explained by differences in archaeal or bacterial amoA gene copies; suggesting that plant species affected the activity of nitrifiers.The loads of NH4+-N applied were not found to have delayed the oxidation of NH4+-N, despite the differences in PNR, as indicated by soil solution and soil NH4+-N concentrations in the rhizosphere of the two plant species throughout the period of the study. However, decreased concentrations of NO3−-N were measured in the pots planted with A. donax from the end of June onwards. This finding implies increased losses of N through denitrification and reveals a direct effect of plant species on the activity of denitrifiers since differences in copy numbers of denitrification genes (nirK, nirS, nosZ) were observed only early in the season. Our findings reveal a critical role of plant species on N cycling in terrestrial environments with important implications for the management/restoration of N-polluted areas, such as riparian zones, and for land treatment systems and constructed wetlands.

ACS Style

Myrto Tsiknia; Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. Insights on the role of vegetation on nitrogen cycling in effluent irrigated lands. Applied Soil Ecology 2012, 64, 104 -111.

AMA Style

Myrto Tsiknia, Vasileios A. Tzanakakis, Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. Insights on the role of vegetation on nitrogen cycling in effluent irrigated lands. Applied Soil Ecology. 2012; 64 ():104-111.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Myrto Tsiknia; Vasileios A. Tzanakakis; Nikolaos V. Paranychianakis. 2012. "Insights on the role of vegetation on nitrogen cycling in effluent irrigated lands." Applied Soil Ecology 64, no. : 104-111.