Browsing by Author "Nunes, Leonel J.R."
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- Dynamics of Soil Carbon Average Content at Different Depths: Insights from a Global Approach to Climate Change MitigationPublication . Rodrigues, Cristina I. Dias; Brito, Luís Miguel; Nunes, Leonel J.R.This study provides an in-depth examination of the average values of gravimetric carbon content, measured in grams per kilogram (g/kg), and the organic Carbon (OC) content, quantified in kilograms per square meter (kg/m2), within various soil classifications and depths. Highlighting the relevance of such research, it delves into the intricacies of soil OC dynamics across diverse depth strata and offers a comparative analysis of different soil types, each with distinct carbon sequestration capacities. Utilizing the latest version of the world soil database, the research integrates three interconnected data sets: soil classification, density, and OC. In total, the study includes 51,507 soil profile layers to calculate the average gravimetric OC content in the fineearth fraction. In parallel, the average OC content in the fine-earth fraction was determined across 6,197 soil profile layers. This comprehensive data is organized into 34 separate soil units, each dissected across four depth categories: 0–30 cm, 0–100 cm, 0–200 cm and 0–2590 cm. The findings from this analysis reveal a consistent pattern: as depth increases, both the gravimetric content and average OC content tend to decrease. However, it is noteworthy that this trend is not universal. Certain soil units demonstrate an opposing behavior, with an increase in average OC content observed at greater depths, contradicting the prevailing trend. This divergence underscores the complexity of soil OC dynamics and the inherent variability across different soil units.
- Modern animal traction to enhance the supply chain of residual biomassPublication . Nunes, Leonel J.R.; Nogueira, Joana; Rodrigues, João B.; Azevedo, João; Oliveira, Emanuel; Figueiredo, Tomás de; Picos, JuanThroughout history, the use of animals for agricultural and forestry work has been closely associated with human societies, with multiple references to animal power being utilized for various tasks since the Neolithic period. However, the advent of industrialization has fundamentally transformed the reality of society, leading to a significant shift towards the mechanization of processes. Despite this, animal traction continues to play an important role as a workforce in many developing countries and developed nations, where there is a renewed interest in the use of animal traction, particularly for tasks intended to have a reduced environmental impact and a smaller carbon footprint. The present study conducted a SWOT analysis to examine the potential of animal traction as an alternative for the recovery processes of forest residual woody biomass, particularly when the use of mechanical equipment is not feasible. This can contribute to the creation of value chains for residual products, which can be harnessed for energy recovery. The utilization of modern animal traction can promote the sustainable development of projects at the local and regional level, with efficient utilization of endogenous resources and the creation of value for residual forest woody biomass. This approach can thus facilitate the optimization of supply chains, from biomass to energy.
- Soil carbon sequestration in the context of climate change mitigation: a reviewPublication . Rodrigues, Cristina I. Dias; Brito, Luís Miguel; Nunes, Leonel J.R.This review article aims to acknowledge the multifaceted functions of soil, and given its status as the largest terrestrial carbon store, to reaffirm its previously established importance in carbon sequestration. The article outlines the key variables that affect soil's ability to trap carbon and highlights the significance of soil in halting climate change. A bibliometric study of seven sets of keywords relating to the significance of soil in carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation laid the foundation for this review. The literature review that followed, which was based on the bibliometric analysis, concentrated on carbon sequestration and the impact of the key factors that affect the amount of organic carbon in soil, including (1) climatic conditions; (2) topography; (3) parent material; (4) organisms; and (5) soil qualities. The goal of this review article is to recognize the diverse roles of soil, while reasserting its well-documented significance in carbon sequestration. This is particularly important considering soil's position as the largest terrestrial storehouse of carbon.
- Soil Vertical Distribution of Organic Carbon and Sequestration Potential in Ponte de Lima (Alto Minho Region, Northern Portugal)Publication . Rodrigues, Cristina I. Dias; Brito, Luís Miguel; Nunes, Leonel J.R.Understanding the vertical distributions of organic carbon (OC) is crucial for predicting and simulating the influences of soil units on the terrestrial carbon cycle. The OC in the fine earth fraction was calculated for the soil units Anthrosols, Cambisols, Fluvisols, Leptosols, and Regosols in the municipality of Ponte de Lima, Portugal, at depths of 0–30 cm, 0–100 cm, 0–200 cm, and 0–2590 cm. In the study area, over 40% of the OC is concentrated in the Regosol unit, followed by the Anthrosols with over 23% OC at all depths, and the Leptosols with over 22% OC at all depths. The soil units Cambisols and Fluvisols have a lower representation in the territory, with values below 1.5% and 6.5% respectively at all depths. The obtained results contribute to assessing the potential of the soil units present in the municipality to sequester CO2, promoting the development of carbon inventories and analyzing the distribution of OC through accurate and reliable estimates of current C reserves as an essential tool for analyzing and modeling the effects of different factors involved in the potential of soil OC sequestration.