Hydrological drivers of surface runoff during high intensity rainfall experiments in Alpine ski regions

Knowledge sharing and adoption behaviour: An imperative to promote sustainable soil use and management

Summary In times of climate change and increasing societal needs, the pressure on land is unprecedented. Sustainable soil and land use management is only achievable if stakeholders from sectors concerned work together. The aim of the project INSPIRATION (Integrated spatial planning, land use, and soil management esearch action) was the integration of science and interdisciplinary research fields to develop a strategic research agenda (SRA) for sustainable land use and soil management in Europe. This article presents the Austrian perspective and contribution to the SRA, highlights the findings of the project, and identifies the most urgent research needs addressing key societal challenges. The project followed a bottom-up, multi-stakeholder approach to enable an evidence-based collation process of interdisciplinary research needs. Through expert interviews, reviews of state-of-the-art documents, and public involvement, six key research topics of the most pressing research needs in Austria were identified. This Austrian contribution to the SRA is characterized by the need for a communication frame and knowledge transfer among research, policy, and society. A compatible knowledge transfer is pivotal to establish an understanding of shared responsibilities among all stakeholders.

Biochar for sustainable soil management

Sustainable soil and land management which is vital for security of natural resources and food production is a complex task due to the wide range of parameters influencing soil quality and health (1,2). Various parameters, including climatic variables such as precipitation, evaporation, and, in coastal regions, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion (3), hydrogeological factors like groundwater table levels influencing evaporative fluxes (4), groundwater salinity, and soil properties as well as anthropogenic factors such as fertilization and land use, play important roles in sustainable soil management and health. In this study, we gathered diverse climatic, hydrogeological, and anthropogenic data within an intensive food production and natural preservation study area situated in North Sea adjacent northern Germany to explore the complex interplay of parameters affecting soil health and characterize the impact of these variables on sustainable soil management. The area is characterized by predominantly flat terrain with fertile soils utilized for agriculture and grazing. Additionally, it contains protected areas such as forests. Due to significant variations in land use and soil properties across the region, we categorized the area into subgroups for robust comparability. This involved dividing the region into agricultural, grassland, and forest areas, each identified by specific characteristics, such as crop production, meadow type, fertilization method, and soil nutrient holding capacity. Additional parameters including precipitation, evaporation, and leakage were factored into a groundwater recharge model for the area. Statistical analysis and machine learning algorithms were employed to assess the interrelations among these parameters affecting sustainable soil management. Recognizing these interrelations, we adapted our model to potential future scenarios and discussed how hypothetical alterations to parameters such as groundwater recharge and added fertilizer could impact land management in the study area. Our findings are applicable to areas employing similar land management practices, offering insights into the vulnerabilities and potentials of these regions in the face of a changing climate and are useful for implementing mitigation measures against land degradation and preventing the loss of fertile soil. 1. Hassani, A., Azapagic, A., Shokri, N. (2020). Predicting Long-term Dynamics of Soil Salinity and Sodicity on a Global Scale, Proc. Nat. Sci., 117(52), 33017-33027, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.20137711172. Hassani, A., Azapagic, A., Shokri, N. (2021). Global Predictions of Primary Soil Salinization Under Changing Climate in the 21st Century, Nat. , 12, 6663. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26907-33. Nevermann, H., Gomez, J.N.B., Fröhle, P., Shokri, N. (2023), Land loss implications of sea level rise along the coastline of Colombia under different climate change scenarios, Clim. Risk Manag., 39, 100470, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2022.100474. Sadeghi, M., Shokri, N., Jones, S.B. (2012). A novel analytical solution to steady-state evaporation from porous media. Water Resour. Res., 48, W09516, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012WR012

A central ski patrol-based registration of skiing and snowboarding injuries was performed by the Norwegian Ski Lift Association during the winter seasons 2000/2001 and 2001/2002. A control material of 3002 randomly sampled uninjured skiers was collected from the same ski resorts throughout the 2001–2002 season. 6138 injured skiers/snowboarders and 4 167 476 skier/snowboarder days were recorded during the two seasons, giving an injury rate of 1.5 injured per 1000 skier/snowboarder days. Most of the injuries occurred during alpine skiing (49%) and snowboarding (45%), whereas telemark skiing accounted for 6% of the injuries. The injury rate for snowboarders (2.3 injuries per 1000 skier days) was significantly higher than that of alpine skiers (1.1) and telemarkers (0.7) (P < 0.001). Wrist injuries were common among injured snowboarders (26%) compared to only 4% for alpine and telemark skiers (P < 0.001). Snowboarders also suffered more arm and back injuries than alpine skiers and telemarkers (P < 0.001). The knee was the main injury location in alpine skiers (28%) compared to 13% among telemarkers and only 6% among snowboarders (P < 0.001), but the percentage of knee injuries was almost twice as high for females compared to males in alpine skiers and snowboarders (P < 0.001). As percent of all injuries injured snowboarders suffered more fractures (33%) than alpine (20%) and telemark skiers (19%) (P < 0.001), but fracture of the lower leg was uncommon among snowboarders (1%) and telemarkers (3%) compared to alpine skiers (6%) (P < 0.001). Lower leg fractures accounted for 3% of the injured alpine skiers 20 years and older compared to 5% for adolescents aged 13–19 years and 17% for children 12 years and younger (P < 0.001). Beginners had an injury rate 3 times that of expert skiers/snowboarders (P < 0.001), and use of a protective helmet reduced the injury rate P < 0.001). In conclusion, snowboarders had a higher injury rate then alpine skiers and telemarkers. Beginners had an injury rate 3 times that of experts, and use of protective helmet reduced the injury rate. Injured alpine skiers were most prone to knee injuries, and lower leg fractures were still a common injury in children. Injured snowboarders were most prone to suffer wrist, arm, and back injuries. The percentage of knee injuries among females was almost twice that of males in alpine skiers and snowboarders.

Мета. Мета цієї роботи полягає в розкритті питань ефективності сільськогосподарських проєктів щодо сталого управління земельними (ґрунтовими) ресурсами на основі вдосконалення проєктного менеджменту з необхідними елементами нормативної грошової оцінки (НГО). Результати. У статті розглянуто сільськогосподарські проєкти та механізм формування їх економічного оцінювання. Проблема сталого управління землями та ґрунтами (СУЗіҐ) є досить гострою в світі, але для України вона одна із визначальних. В умовах низької зацікавленості аграрного бізнесу до питання сталого відтворення земельного потенціалу та екологізації виробництва потреба в точності оцінок розроблених проєктів стає все більш істотною. У країні відкритий ринок земель сільськогосподарського призначення з липня 2021 р., що лише посилює потребу в провадженні дієвих іструментів, які б ураховували наслідки змін щодо капіталізації земельних ресурсів у результаті впровадження проєктів. Розкрито необхідність ураховувати в землекористуванні не лише економічні результати, а також екологічний, технологічний та інші види ефектів. Приведено низку робіт з урахуванням цих видів ефектів у напрямі відтворення родючості ґрунтів та їх охорони. Ці дослідження й розробки охоплюють проблеми агромеліорації солонцевих ґрунтів, переробки пташинного посліду на якісні компости меліоративної дії, забруднення земель (ґрунтів) важкими металами, оптимального вибору агротехнологій та машино-тракторних агрегатів. У цілому успішність аграрного бізнесу тісно пов’язана з активністю в проєктних розробках і нововеденнях. Інноваційність і точність обчислення ефектів є фундаментальними основами сталого управління землями та ґрунтами (СУЗіҐ). Для цього наочно розроблено основну схему протікання процесу щодо забезпечення сталого управління землями та ґрунтами (СУЗіҐ), де на чисельних підходах пов’язується вплив на них сільськогосподарських проєктів. При цьому для розробки сільськогосподарського проєкту з високою ефективністю впровадження запропоновано доповнення до попередньої схеми, яке поєднує комплексну оцінку (КО) з корегуванням цілей сталого розвитку, а саме встановлення мети та цілей (УМіЦ). Завдяки формалізації алгоритму прийняття рішення щодо управління проєктом визначено блок (елемент) економічної оцінки змін об’єкта (ЕОЗО), що базується на методиці нормативної грошової оцінки (НГО). Аналіз деяких методик з обчислення НГО показує, які з них мають переваги і є більш точними. Наукова новизна. У цьому дослідженні вперше приведено й розглянуто основну схему забезпечення сталого управління землями та ґрунтами (СУЗіҐ), у якій виокремлено вплив сільськогосподарських проєктів, а також важливість грошової оцінки щодо їхньої ефективності. У ній наочно показано взаємозв’язок між комплексною оцінкою (КО) сільськогосподарських проєктів та формуванням сталого управління землями та ґрунтами (СУЗіҐ). Вона сформована за правилами алгоритму і вказує на послідовність дій у виробленні управлінського рішення із цієї проблеми. Практична цінність. Визначено, що основою змін в економічній оцінці земель і ґрунтів може виступати їх нормативна грошова оцінка (НГО). Відтак, сільськогосподарські проєкти з традиційним підходом щодо економічної оцінки ефектів мають ураховувати й непряму (опосередковану) дію на об’єкт впливу – землю (ґрунт). Запропонована схема оцінювання сільськогосподарських проєктів дозволяє своєчасно вносити корективи в поставлені цілі (УМіЦ) та достатньо повно реалізувати їх у напрямі сталого управління землями та ґрунтами (СУЗіҐ).

Soil and water are the essence of life and are essential for food production, and for urban, industrial and recreational infrastructures. It is a known fact that soils are degraded and desertified by natural and anthropogenic factors, and also due to abrupt climate changes. Thus, soil must be used in such a way as to protect, enhance and restore its functions. The survival of a projected 9.5 billion people by 2050 depends on sustainable management of world soils. Sustainability implies maintenance and enhancement of soil quality through judicious land use, recommended soil management practices and conservation‐effective measures. The strategy is to enhance net primary production and agronomic yields per unit area, input and time through sustainable intensification by conservation tillage, mulch farming, complex cropping/farming systems including cover cropping and agroforestry, integrated nutrient management, disease‐suppressive soils, drip irrigation or subirrigation, condensation irrigation, precision or soil‐specific farming, delivering plant nutrients and water directly to the roots and so on. These practices enhance soil quality and its ecosystem services, whereas increase in soil and ecosystem C pools also adapts to and mitigates climate change. As a win‐win strategy, it enhances the environment, advances food security and promotes sustainable development. Key Concepts: Sustainable intensification: It implies producing more from less while reducing the environmental foot print of agro ecosystems. The aim is to minimize losses of the inputs (fertilizers, water, and energy) and enhance use efficiency. Soil quality restoration: Term ‘soil quality’ refers to the productive capacity of soil. Quality of soil under agro ecosystems is prone to degradation by land misuse and soil mismanagement. Thus, achieving sustainable management necessitate restoration of soil quality to enhance ecosystem functions. Soil organic matter management: Soil organic matter is a key determinant of soil quality. The threshold or critical level of soil organic matter in the root zone of arable lands is 1.1–1.5% on weight basis. Yet, organic matter of most soils managed by extractive farming practices is as low as 0.1%. The goal of sustainable management is to enhance soil organic matter content to above the threshold level. Soil degradation processes: Decline in quality of soils under agro ecosystems is caused by a range of degradation processes. These include physical processes (e.g. decline in aggregation, crusting, compaction, and erosion), chemical processes (e.g. acidification, salinization, nutrient depletion, and elemental imbalance) and biological processes (e.g. depletion of soil organic matter, reduction in microbial biomass, and decline in soil biodiversity). Ecosystem services of soils: The term refers to economic and ecologic goods and services provided by the soil. Important among these are production of food, fiber, fuel etc.; purification of water, enhancement of bio diversity, sequestration of carbon, and moderation of climate among others. Soil management for adaptation to climate change: Judicious management of soil to restore its quality can enhance its resilience to extreme events (e.g. drought, heat wave, and inundation) and uncertain and variable climate. Adaptation is important to minimizing the risks of changing climate. Climate‐strategic agriculture: It refers to adoption of agricultural practices, which reduce the risks and avail of any new opportunities which may emerge from change in climate. Soils and global food security: Being the most basic resource, sustainable management of soils is essential to advancing global food security. Between 2005 and 2050, food production must be doubled to meet the needs of growing population and changing dietary preferences toward animal‐based over plant‐based foods.

The impact of land use- and climate change on the managed eco-geomorphic balance in the Alps

Current soil‐ and land degradation seriously challenge our societies; it contributes to climate change, loss of biodiversity and loss of agricultural productions. Yet, soils are also seen as a major part of the solution, if maintained or restored to provide ecosystem services. Climate‐smart sustainable management of soils can provide options for soil health maintenance and restoration. In the European Union, the resource management and sustainability challenge are addressed in the Green Deal that, among other goals, aspires towards a healthy climate‐resilient agricultural sector that will produce sufficient products without damaging ecosystems and contribute to better biodiversity and mitigate climate change. The European Joint Programme (EJP) SOIL was set up to contribute to these goals by developing knowledge, tools and an integrated research community to foster climate‐smart sustainable agricultural soil management that provides a diversity of ecosystem service, such as adapting to and mitigating climate change, allowing sustainable food production, and sustaining soil biodiversity. This paper provides an overview of the potential of climate‐smart sustainable soil management research to the targets of the Green Deal that are related to soils most directly. The EJP SOIL EU‐wide consultation (interviews and questionnaires) and literature analysis (national and international reports and papers) done in the first year (2020–2021) generated a wealth of data. This data showed that there are specific manners to do research that are essential for it to be effective and efficient and that can actively contribute to the Green Deal targets. We concluded that research needs to be: (i) interdisciplinary, (ii) long‐term, (iii) multi‐scaled, from plot to landscape, (iv) evaluating trade‐offs of selected management options for ecosystem services and (v) co‐constructed with key stakeholders. Research on climate‐smart sustainable soil management should be developed (1) on plot scale when mobilizing soil processes and on landscape scale when addressing sediment and water connectivity and biodiversity management; and (2) address the enabling conditions through good governance, social acceptance and viable economic conditions.

Reducing poverty and attaining zero hunger and adequate nourishment are critical concerns con-fronting agronomic planners globally. Enhancing various agronomic methods, which significantly impact crop growth and output, is urgently required to achieve this objective. Soil deterioration has transpired globally due to soil pollution, eroding, salinity, and acidity. The intense farming practices devoid of sustainable practices have resulted in deteriorating soil quality, destruction of land, and significant environmental issues. Future initiatives to feed the expanding population should focus on enhancing agricultural output within sustainable ecosystems. Creative measures are essential in this context since conventional policies are insufficient to address these difficulties. The work pro-posed Sustainable Soil and Crop Management Practices (SS-CMP) to boost Crop Productivity (CP) and Soil Properties (SP). This includes Nutritional Management (NM), Location-Specific Nutrient Management (LSNM), Comprehensive Nutrition Management (CNM), Comprehensive Fertility Management (CFM) for soil, Comprehensive Soil-Crop Governance (CSCG), Sustainable Water Use (SWU), Agricultural Conservation (AC), Sustainable Soil Management (SSM), vertical cultivation, combined CMP, breeding methods, and additional methodologies amalgamated with scientific and behavioral modifications. Minimizing the use of substances, including herbicides and pesticides, and enhancing the effectiveness of agricultural supply use might reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) and safeguard biodiversity. SS-CMP offers potential benefits for humanity and the World, and its success relies on the collaboration of both rich and developing countries to pursue a shared vision of producing more food with less ecological impact.

Panel based assessment of snow management operations in French ski resorts

We investigated species composition and characteristics of plant communities in plots at seven site types within a ski resort: forests, an abandoned ski slope, an area under the gondola lines, forest waterfronts, open waterfronts, edges of ski slopes, and an active ski slope. On the abandoned ski slope, under the gondola lines, at the edges of ski slopes, and on the ski slope, canopy closure was low, tall herbs were present, and species diversity was high. Some wetland species were present at waterfront plots. Differential species composition was caused by vegetation cutting, which was necessary to manage the ski resort. We found various plants, including herbs, some rarely seen because their habitats have decreased. Despite their negative effects, such as surface-soil erosion and magnification of plant size due to the use of ammonium sulfate, ski resorts can be important plant habitats with highly diverse species composition.

Intensive agricultural practices lead to a deterioration in soil quality, causing a decline in farm productivity and quality, and disturbing the ecosystem balance in command areas. To achieve sustainable production and implement effective soil management strategies, understanding the state and spatial variability of soil quality is essential. The study aims to enhance the understanding of soil quality variability and provide actionable insights for sustainable soil management. In this regard, principal component analysis (PCA) and digital soil mapping were used to assess and map the spatial variability of the soil quality index (SQI) in the Cauvery command area, Mandya district, Karnataka, India. A total of 145 georeferenced soil samples were drawn at 0–15 cm depth and analyzed for physico-chemical properties. PCA was used to reduce the dataset into a minimum dataset as eight important soil indicators and to determine relative weightage factors, which were used for assessing SQI with linear and non-linear scoring methods. For spatial assessment of SQI, the random forest algorithm with environmental covariates was used to map eight soil indicators selected in the minimum dataset. The soil property maps were subjected to linear and non-linear scoring, followed by multiplying with corresponding weightage factors and summation to produce SQI maps. Results reveal that values of SQI calculated using linear scoring, range from 0.10 to 0.64, with a mean of 0.39, while non-linear scoring exhibits a wider range of 0.12 to 0.78 and a mean of 0.48. With a slight higher sensitivity index of 6.5, non-linear scoring proved to be the better scoring method compared to linear scoring. Spatial assessment shows that the R2 and LCC between the calculated and predicted SQI were higher for non-linear scoring (0.66 and 0.66) compared to linear scoring (0.60 and 0.65). The SQI maps reveal high spatial variability with more than 40 percent of soils classified as moderate-to-low index. The soils with low SQI were distributed in eastern parts, whereas western parts exhibited high-to-very-high soil quality. To achieve production goals and improve soil quality in the eastern region, sustainable soil and crop management strategies must be developed, and their effects on soil quality should be assessed.

Climate change and increased skier density is increasing ski run reworking, use of artificial snow and snow grooming. Few studies are available on these engineering impacts on slope stability. Therefore, the soil properties, compaction and infiltration characteristics were investigated on ski slopes and compared to natural sites for three different ski resorts (Les Menuires, La Rosiere and Foppolo) in the French and Italian Alps. The results show that soil properties differ substantially, with lower nitrogen and carbon content and higher pH on ski runs. Soil compaction is up to three times higher and infiltration takes up to four times longer on ski slopes compared to natural sites. Some new ski slopes were even 100 % impermeable. This explains why ski slopes are more prone to landslides, sheet, rill and gully erosion and have a distinct vegetation cover.

Sustainable soil use and management: An interdisciplinary and systematic approach