Percorrer por autor "Sady, Wade Nogaye"
A mostrar 1 - 1 de 1
Resultados por página
Opções de ordenação
- Assessing Performance of Organic Amendments in Soil Regeneration Strategies for Semi-Arid Regions: a case study in Lagos do Sabor, NE PortugalPublication . Sady, Wade Nogaye; Figueiredo, Tomás de; Fonseca, FelíciaSoil degradation is a major global problem, particularly acute in semi-arid regions such as Lagos do Sabor in north-eastern Portugal. These areas are characterised by intense erosion, loss of organic matter and degradation of soil structure. Soil regeneration is the key to recovering degraded ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity. It is also a sustainable development strategy that can reduce pressure on natural forests and possibly conserve them, reduce the scarcity of wood products and combat soil erosion and desertification. With this in mind, our study focused on evaluating the performance of different substrates for regenerating soil and supporting plant growth in the semi-arid conditions of Lagos do Sabor, in north-eastern Portugal, with a view to reforestation with native trees. The substrates tested included sand, compost and a commercial substrate. The main aim of the study was to assess the influence of these substrates on water retention, plant growth and the reduction of soil erosion. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the influence of these substrates on water retention, plant growth and the reduction of soil erosion. The study includes various greenhouse experiments to measure the water-holding capacity of substrates and to observe the growth of four native tree species: Quercus suber, Quercus rotundifolia, Juniperus oxycedrus and Arbutus unedo. Erosion control devices were also installed in the field to measure soil erosion under different experimental conditions. The results show that the commercial substrate has the best water retention capacity, followed by compost, while sand has the lowest capacity. This improved water retention has a direct positive impact on plant growth, with substrate and compost plants showing better vegetative growth and greater resistance to water stress. In terms of erosion, soil loss was greater in the olive zone than in the shrub zone, due to the steep slopes. In conclusion, the use of substrates rich in organic matter is strongly recommended for soil regeneration in semi-arid regions. Practical recommendations are also provided for applying these results to other semi-arid regions, including the regular use of compost and organic substrates, the selection of native plant species and the installation of erosion control devices.