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Soil organic carbon is important for soil quality and climate regulation. The evolution of the organic carbon stock of a soil depends on the balance between carbon inputs, mainly in the form of plant litter, and soil carbon outputs, mainly via the heterotrophic respiration of soil micro-organisms. This article discusses past and future changes in soil organic carbon stocks and organic carbon storage potential in soils.
The multiplicity of (peri)urban agriculture (UA) projects at the global level illustrates its key role in social, environmental and economic dynamics. These projects respond to the challenges of sustainable cities and are part of the collective and inter/transdisciplinary dynamics of Territorial Food Plans, or the Zero Net Artificialization law. However, conflicts of use for spaces and pollution are frequently observed and force actors to negotiate around issues related to land. This article deals with the dynamics driven by UAs on a global scale and in France to promote sectoral and multi-actor ecological transitions on the themes of sustainable food, environmental health and inclusive education.
Biodiverse walls are new vertical greening systems designed to support biodiversity in dense and mineral urban environments, where access to natural soil is limited. With a strong objective of autonomy and minimal maintenance, these walls incorporate a continuous and organic substrate layer within a structural wall made of building materials. The article describes various design parameters, including construction systems, materials, species selection, and substrate types, as well as maintenance practices, methods for ecological monitoring of the masonry prototypes, and their ongoing development. Results indicate that these structures support diverse species, with habitat suitability varying according to wall type and orientation.
The brown infrastructure remains little-known as an ecological framework for soil biodiversity, even though it could be an effective lever in the coherent operational application of public policies converging towards "No Net Land-take". The Tram'BioSol project, winner of PUCA's BAUM call for projects, studied the integration of the brown infrastructure and earthworm biodiversity into urban development programs. This integration is only possible, however, if we share a common vision of this still emerging concept, as well as field diagnostic methods. This article discusses a conceptual framework for brown infrastructure, as well as a methodological approach for locating and characterizing it on a neighborhood scale.
The renaturation of urban environments represents a major challenge, whether it is to implement a strategy of zero net artificialisation on one's territory or to make our cities more permeable to life, more vegetated and more pleasant to live in. Based on the understanding of living organisms and their complex mechanisms, renaturation invites approaches and practices that are different from the traditional greening and landscaping that have long been the norm in cities. It is part of a return to the open ground and living soil and is thought of on several scales, from the project to the territory.
With the explosion in the urban population, nature in the city has become both a public health and an ecological issue. After presenting the components of individual and collective health, it is possible to propose new concepts for nature in the city. They should enable the design of a healthy urban environment and contribute to the ecological enrichment of the urban ecosystem. The known health benefits of nature experiences will promote a reconnection with nature and an improvement in the physical, mental and social health of city dwellers.
Soils are a non-renewable, limited and fragile resource with a multitude of ecological and environmental functions that must be managed sustainably. Faced with numerous pressures and the difficulty of reconciling socio-economic issues and the preservation of the quality of forest soils, these soils undergo significant degradation affecting the functions and services they provide. This article deals with the specificities of forest soils, the services they provide, the threats they pose and presents operational diagnostic tools aimed at preserving the functioning of soils and forests. Indeed, most degradation could be avoided through the implementation of practices adapted to the characteristics of the soil.
Long regarded as 'weeds' harmful to wine production, the spontaneous flora of vines is now better understood and appreciated for its ecological benefits. The various vegetation management practices - chemical weeding, tillage or mowing - result in plant communities that vary in terms of abundance, diversity and functional traits. The functional characteristics of grass cover managed by mowing offer many advantages, but can also intensify competition with the vines, a dynamic that is tolerated depending on production objectives. An alternative is multi-species cover crops, planned and managed appropriately, which can optimize ecological services while minimizing negative impacts.
In recent years, more and more space has been given to plants in towns and cities, particularly to trees. This dynamic is positive however it raises new issues, such as public lighting which increases the risk of trees being exposed to artificial light at night. Plants are sensitive to light, and for millions of years they have synchronised their biological rhythms according to a day/night cycle. This article addresses the following question: how to design and implement a lighting strategy at night without harming trees? After a brief review of the regulations, it reviews the current state of scientific knowledge and then presents possible technical solutions, based on a number of examples.
Lakes are very diverse ecosystems due to their location on Earth, their size, and their functioning. However, they have in common a whole set of ecological processes which give them a certain homogeneity of processes, evolution but also uses. The essential environmental services they provide us are now seriously threatened by human societies. After an overview of lake’s main characteristics, this article addresses the existing methods and approaches to restore degraded lakes, in particular through an emblematic example, that of Lake Bourget.
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