Percorrer por autor "Calheiros, Cristina"
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- Application of floating wetland islands for water and habitat promotion in two contexts: urban river and small fish farmPublication . Geraldes, Ana Maria; Calheiros-Nogueira, Bruno; Teixeira, Amílcar; Calheiros, CristinaDespite the proven vital importance of freshwater ecosystems for humanity, those continue to be subjected of accelerated ecological degradation. Floating wetland islands (FWI) - one of bioengineering technologies classified as nature-based solutions – have shown ability to assist the reduction of nutrient concentrations, improving water and habitat quality for wildlife. Therefore, if properly used, FWI can be important tools for assisting the sustainable management and the rehabilitation of these ecosystems. Herein, are presented two proposals for FWI installation: one concerning the water and habitat quality improvement of an urban river section (Case 1); the other aiming the reduction of the small fish farm outflow impact on downstream water quality and the improvement of reared fish welfare (Case 2).
- Assessment of Agri-Solar Roof Systems: Exploring Multifunctional ApplicationsPublication . Costa, Isabella; Geraldes, Ana Maria; Calheiros, CristinaIn the current context, issues related to urban well-being and the sustainability of cities can be addressed through rooftop gardening [1] [2]. This concept reflects the growing need for sustainable urban solutions, which has driven the transformation of underutilized spaces, such as urban rooftops, into productive areas. However, challenges such as lack of technical knowledge, insufficient government support, and lack of leisure time hinder adoption [3]. The combination of agriculture and photovoltaic panels (Agri-Solar Roof Systems) emerges as an innovative strategy to optimize these spaces, allowing for simultaneous food and clean energy production. This approach promotes carbon neutrality, food security, energy efficiency, and climate resilience. However, effective implementation requires evaluating economic and socio-environmental impacts. This study aims to fill this gap by evaluating Agri-Solar Roof Systems in Portugal, focusing on exploring their multifunctional applications and benefits. Methods: The study adopts a systematic literature review to consolidate existing knowledge on Agri-Solar Roof Systems. A detailed analysis will identify technical, socio-environmental, and economic challenges and opportunities associated with these systems. In addition, surveys will be conducted with stakeholders to understand the acceptability and key factors influencing adoption in Portugal. Results: The results are expected to include technical guidelines for implementing Agri-Solar Roof Systems in Portugal and a case study demonstrating practical applicability and potential impacts. Conclusions: The integration of Agri-Solar systems represents a promising solution for urban sustainability, maximizing productivity in underutilized urban spaces through the synergy between agriculture and renewable energy. The results of this study will provide insights for policymakers, businesses, and other stakeholders, contributing to the advancement of public policies and innovative practices for more resilient and sustainable cities.
- Avaliação de sistemas de cobertura agrivoltaica: Explorando aplicações multifuncionaisPublication . Costa, Isabella; Geraldes, Ana Maria; Calheiros, CristinaAs soluções baseadas na natureza (SBN) desempenham um papel importante na resiliência das cidades, proporcionando simultaneamente benefícios ambientais, sociais e económicos. As coberturas verdes são um exemplo de SBN, que contribuem para a resiliência urbana, providenciando vários serviços ecossistémicos como gestão de águas, biodiversidade, eficiência energética, regulação da temperatura, redução do ruído e integração estética e recreativa. Além desses benefícios, o seu uso pode ser otimizado para atender a outras necessidades.Os Sistemas de Cobertura Agrivoltaica surgem como uma alternativa que integra a produção agrícola e a geração de energia solar fotovoltaica, permitindo a produção simultânea de alimentos e energia limpa, enquanto mantém os múltiplos serviços ecossistémicos proporcionados pelas coberturas verdes. Essa solução impulsiona a neutralidade carbónica, fortalece a segurança alimentar e aumenta a adaptação climática perante eventos extremos.Este estudo pretende avaliar os Sistemas de Cobertura Agrivoltaica em Portugal e explorar as suas aplicações e benefícios multifuncionais.
- Becoming acquainted with green roofs contribution towards circular and resilient citiesPublication . Geraldes, Ana Maria; Calheiros, Cristina; Silva, FloraCities, due to their high population density, are characterized by a high built-up area, extensive soil sealing, and low vegetation cover. In urban areas water is generally exploited in a linear process: "extract from adjacent freshwater ecosystems - use - dispose". Stormwater management aims to discharge rainwater quickly to avoid flooding. However, when rainfall exceeds the capacity of drainage systems, widespread flooding eventually occurs in urban spaces. On the other hand, when dry weather persists, there is a need to watering green spaces in order to maintain them. In this case, water is again used in a linear fashion: drinking water is often used since there are no other water sources that can be considered (1). The impossibility of circular water management in urban areas makes these spaces particularly vulnerable to extreme droughts and floods, which in a climate change scenario are increasingly frequent. It is therefore urgent to increase the resilience of cities by promoting measures to make cities "Water Wise Cities" (2). The implementation of green infrastructures as a complement to grey infrastructures is crucial to achieve this goal. These green infrastructures include Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) that provide various environmental services (e.g. water, soil, and biodiversity conservation, making cities more resilient to climate change) and socio-economic services (e.g. creating places to live, jobs, property valuation). Green roofs are an example of NBS that can be used in conjunction with other tools aimed at promoting the circular economy of water in urban spaces. These structures are built based on technical and scientific guidelines and result from planting vegetation on a substrate followed by several layers of other materials that sit on a built structure (3). Green roofs can be constructed at ground level or on top of buildings and are efficient solutions to mitigate flooding as they delay the peak flow of stormwater, releasing the water gradually (sponge effect) and avoiding overloading the stormwater drainage system. Part of this water infiltrates and is retained in the substrates, being released during dry periods by evapotranspiration (4). In addition to being important tools for circular urban water management, these structures also offer potential benefits in terms of aesthetic value, biodiversity conservation, noise, air pollution, and "heat island" effect reduction, ultimately promoting energy efficiency and the reduction of CO2, and other greenhouse gas emissions. However, although the widespread implementation of green infrastructure in urban spaces is foreseen in European (e.g. European Green Deal) and global (e.g. Sustainable Development Goals - United Nations Agenda 2030) policies and strategies, there are still difficulties for large-scale implementation. These difficulties are in part due to the fact that the concept of green infrastructure is relatively new and complex, nor sufficient quantitative analysis and indicators. As a result, it is very difficult for policy makers to integrate it into various policies. On the other hand, there is still a widespread lack of knowledge by the public and private sectors, as well as the general public, of the high potential contribution of this natural engineering tool for water and energy management in urban areas, which, together with the need for the intervention of professionals from different disciplines, hinders a greater implementation of these infrastructures in urban areas. Therefore, the aims of the present communication are: 1) Presenting the project "Exploring the functioning and functions of green roofs in water management: A prototype for experimental and interactive activities", winner of the 1st prize in the environment category of the ideas contest “Ideias Hidrodinâmic@s” promoted by Ciência Viva, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, and Águas do Tejo Atlântico, that will be implemented in IPB; 2) Discussing the state of the art of green roofs in Portugal; 3) Introducing some approaches on green roofs that are being developed by the team, namely in Master’s degree theses.
- Bio Ilhas Project: Blending Research with scientific and educational disseminationPublication . Ferreira, Nathália Borges Bartoli; Sá, Isabel; Fachada, Ivone; Pereira, Ana I.; Calheiros, Cristina; Geraldes, Ana MariaFreshwater ecosystems provide humanity with a wide range of services, particularly water supply and purification. However, many of these ecosystems and their associated biodiversity are threatened significantly. Therefore, the introduction of nature-based solutions, such as floating wetland islands, in these ecosystems can contribute to the improvement of water quality and habitat provision and, when integrated with an environmental education context, can be used as powerful tools to engage students, tourists, and the general public in interactive experiences, allowing them to become more familiar with the function of freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. Both the Fervença and Côa rivers are located in the Douro basin. The Fervença is an urban river, about 25 km long, which flows through Bragança. Along its course, it encounters non-point and point sources of pollution. In the urban core, the riverbed has been regulated, an artificial riverbank has been created, and the riparian forest has been partially removed. In this area, algal blooms occur, especially in summer, which negatively affect the water and visual quality of the area. The Côa is about 140 km long and flows through an agricultural and natural landscape. Nevertheless, the longitudinal connectivity of the river is reduced by several weirs, and the coffer dam has never been removed, even after a dam construction project was abandoned due to the discovery of important archaeological heritage. The Bio ilhas project, led by the Bragança Ciência Viva Science Center, aims to place floating islands in the urban core of Fervença and the lentic area influenced by the Côa coffer dam, the river areas affected by human activity at different levels. Therefore, the present communication aims to present the Bio ilhas project and the related activities conciliating research with scientific and educational dissemination to ultimately contribute to freshwater ecosystem conservation.
- Bio ilhas project: blending research with scientific and educational disseminationPublication . Ferreira, Nathália Borges Bartoli; Sá, Isabel; Fachada, Ivone; Pereira, Ana; Calheiros, Cristina; Geraldes, Ana MariaFreshwater ecosystems provide humanity with a wide range of services, particularly water supply and purification. However, many of these ecosystems and their associated biodiversity are threatened significantly. Therefore, the introduction of nature-based solutions, such as floating wetland islands, in these ecosystems can contribute to the improvement of water quality and habitat provision and, when integrated with an environmental education context, can be used as powerful tools to engage students, tourists, and the general public in interactive experiences, allowing them to become more familiar with the function of freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. Both the Fervença and Côa rivers are located in the Douro basin. The Fervença is an urban river, about 25 km long, which flows through Bragança. Along its course, it encounters non-point and point sources of pollution. In the urban core, the riverbed has been regulated, an artificial riverbank has been created, and the riparian forest has been partially removed. In this area, algal blooms occur, especially in summer, which negatively affect the water and visual quality of the area. The Côa is about 140 km long and flows through an agricultural and natural landscape. Nevertheless, the longitudinal connectivity of the river is reduced by several weirs, and the coffer dam has never been removed, even after a dam construction project was abandoned due to the discovery of important archaeological heritage. The Bio ilhas project, led by the Bragança Ciência Viva Science Center, aims to place floating islands in the urban core of Fervença and the lentic area influenced by the Côa coffer dam, the river areas affected by human activity at different levels. Therefore, the present communication aims to present the Bio ilhas project and the related activities conciliating research with scientific and educational dissemination to ultimately contribute to freshwater ecosystem conservation.
- Bio ilhas project: science, education, and awareness for river conservationPublication . Ferreira, Nathália Borges Bartoli; Sá, Isabel; Nogueira, Clotilde; Fachada, Ivone; Calheiros, Cristina; Geraldes, Ana MariaFloating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) are nature-based solutions(NbS) that have gained increasing attention over the past decades for their effectiveness, low cost, and minimal maintenance requirements in improving water quality across diverse aquatic environments. One of the key ecosystem services provided by FTWs is the promotion of biodiversity, especially in environments degraded by human activity, creating habitats, refuges and nursery areas for diverse aquatic and terrestrial organisms. In this context, the present project aims to implement innovative natural engineering solutions to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic pressure and promote greater biodiversity within aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, it demand to enhance the valorization of local ecosystems and ensure equitable access to scientific knowledge.Two vegetated floating islands (4m² each) were installed in the Fervença River (Bragança, Portugal). The islands were constructed using cork agglomerate and recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) as buoyant materials and vegetated with three plants species to enhance ecological performance.
- Explorando o funcionamento e a biodiversidade dos ecossistemas aquáticos dulçaquícolas: três exemplos de atividades experimentaisPublication . Geraldes, Ana Maria; Carecho, João; Calheiros, CristinaApenas 1% da água doce está disponível para ser utilizada pela humanidade. No entanto, as atividades da nossa espécie são as principais causas da degradação da qualidade deste recurso e dos ecossistemas aquáticos dulçaquícolas. Assim, é crucial a sensibilização dos cidadãos para que sejam adquiridas atitudes que despertem uma cultura que promova o uso sustentável da água, dos rios e dos lagos. Nesta comunicação apresentam-se três atividades experimentais, realizadas com materiais baratos e utilizados no dia-a-dia, cujo objetivo é sensibilizar para: (1) a importância da conservação do coberto vegetal terrestre para a manutenção da qualidade da água. Com esta experiência, inspirada em Fredericks (1997), também é possível realçar a importância da manutenção da conectividade lateral entre os sistemas aquáticos e a paisagem terrestre circundante; (2) os efeitos da substituição das espécies autóctones da mata ribeirinha por espécies exóticas, como acácias e eucaliptos, nos processos ecológicos que ocorrem cursos de água (e.g. Graça et al.2002). Estes efeitos serão avaliados experimentalmente através da comparação das taxas de decomposição das folhas das espécies de árvores autóctones e exóticas. Esta atividade experimental também dará a conhecer as comunidades de macroinvertebrados bentónicos e a sua importância para a manutenção dos serviços ecossistémicos providenciados pelos ecossistemas aquáticos e (3) sensibilizar para o papel importante das plantas aquáticas na purificação da água de rios e lagos, que será observado através da construção de um pequeno protótipo de uma zona húmida (ZHAW s/data). Estas atividades podem ser desenvolvidas por diferentes grupos etários e níveis de ensino, desde que devidamente adaptadas.
- Explorando o funcionamento e a biodiversidade dos ecossistemas aquáticos dulçaquícolas: três exemplos de atividades experimentaisPublication . Geraldes, Ana Maria; Carecho, João; Calheiros, CristinaApenas 1% da água doce está disponível para ser utilizada pela humanidade. No entanto, as atividades da nossa espécie são as principais causas de degradação da qualidade deste recurso e dos ecossistemas aquáticos dulçaquícolas que, apesar de serem essenciais para a sobrevivência da humanidade, são considerados como sendo dos ecossistemas mais ameaçados do Planeta. Assim, é crucial a sensibilização dos cidadãos para que sejam adquiridas atitudes que despertem uma cultura que promova o uso sustentável da água, dos rios e dos lagos. Apresentam-se e descrevem-se três atividades experimentais, realizadas com materiais de fácil aquisição e utilizados no dia-a-dia, cujo objetivo é sensibilizar para: (1) a importância da conservação do coberto vegetal terrestre para a manutenção da qualidade da água, sendo possível realçar a importância da manutenção da conectividade lateral entre os sistemas aquáticos e a paisagem terrestre circundante; (2) os efeitos da substituição das espécies autóctones da mata ribeirinha por espécies exóticas, como acácias e eucaliptos, nos processos ecológicos que ocorrem nos cursos de água. Estes efeitos são avaliados, experimentalmente, através da comparação das taxas de decomposição das folhas das espécies de árvores autóctones e exóticas. Esta atividade experimental também dá a conhecer as comunidades de macroinvertebrados bentónicos e a sua importância para a manutenção dos serviços ecossistémicos providenciados pelos ecossistemas aquáticos e (3) sensibilizar para o importante papel das plantas aquáticas na purificação da água de rios e lagos, que será observado através da construção de um pequeno protótipo de uma ilha flutuante como solução baseada na natureza. Estas atividades podem ser desenvolvidas por diferentes grupos etários e níveis de ensino, desde que devidamente adaptadas.
- Floating islands, a nature-based solution for the ecological integrity promotion in rivers? - The case of Fervença river (NE Portugal)Publication . Geraldes, Ana Maria; Calheiros-Nogueira, Bruno; Calheiros, CristinaDespite the existence of the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60 / EC of 23 October, modified in 2019) and a set of “satellite legislation” advocating that water quality depends not only on the good physical-chemical state, but also on the good ecological status of freshwater ecosystems, these continue to be subjected of accelerated ecological degradation. Indeed, freshwater ecosystems are considered to be the most threatened ecosystems on the planet (Dudgeon et al., 2006). Urban rivers and streams are crucial to cities, because they provide environmental services that are essential to maintaining urban environmental quality (Hua & Chen, 2019). Nevertheless, many of the so called “urban river rehabilitation actions”, carried out either the past, either recently, promoted the regularization of the riverbeds and the riverbanks leading to riparian wood degradation and consequently to the entire riverine structure collapse.
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