Forests under climate change and air pollution: gaps in understanding and future directions for research

Forests in Europe face significant changes in climate, which in interaction with air quality changes, may significantly affect forest productivity, stand composition and carbon sequestration in both vegetation and soils. Identified knowledge gaps and research needs include: (i) interaction between changes in air quality (trace gas concentrations), climate and other site factors on forest ecosystem response, (ii) significance of biotic processes in system response, (iii) tools for mechanistic and diagnostic understanding and upscaling, and (iv) the need for unifying modelling and empirical research for synthesis. This position paper highlights the above focuses, including the global dimension of air pollution as part of climate change and the need for knowledge transfer to enable reliable risk assessment. A new type of research site in forest ecosystems ("supersites") will be conducive to addressing these gaps by enabling integration of experimentation and modelling within the soil-plant-atmosphere interface, as well as further model development.     

Chelate assisted phytoextraction of heavy metals from soil. Effect, mechanism, toxicity, and fate of chelating agents

The low-cost, plant-based phytoextraction technique has often been described as a promising technique to remediate heavy metal contaminated agricultural land. The application of chelating agents has shown positive effects in increasing the solubility of heavy metals in soil and therefore in enhancing phytoextraction. This paper gives an overview of the chelating agents applied in recent studies. Various synthetic aminopolycarboxylic acids, such as ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, and natural ones such as, ethylene diamine disuccinate and nitrilotriacetic acid, are described. Additionally, results of the application of natural low molecular weight organic acids, such as citric and tartaric acid are given. The effectiveness of these different chelating agents varies according to the plant and the heavy metals used. Furthermore, a focus is laid on the chelating agents fate after application and on its toxicity to plants and soil microorganisms, as well as it degradation. The rate of degradation is of great importance for the future of chelate assisted phytoextraction as it has a direct impact on the leaching probability. An effective prevention of leaching will be crucial for the acceptance and the economic breakthrough of enhanced phytoextraction, but a satisfactory solution to this key issue has so far not been found. Possibly further experiments in the field of enhanced phytoextraction will be able to solve this major problem, but over decades various greenhouse experiments and recently field experiments have resulted in different observations. Therefore, it is questionable if further research in this direction will lead to a promising solution. Phytoextraction has possibly reached a turning point in which it should distance itself from chelate assisted phytoextraction and focus on alternative options.     

可持续的公用事业：放宽限制和私有化给可持续性带来新机会

公用事业已经对环境质量产生重要的影响,特别是在市区.初看起来,放宽限制或公用事业的私有化似乎提供不了任何环境效益.然而,如果在一个合适的管理法律体制内发生这样一个变化,结果实际上是提高了人们对可持续发展的注意.关于这一点,给出了一个关于改善公路运输的可持续发展性机会的实例研究.     

Toxicity evaluation of vinasse and biosolid samples in diplopod midgut: heat shock protein in situ localization

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Large amounts of residues generated by agricultural, urban and industrial activities are dumped daily on the soil. This practice deserves special...