A new quality index based on soil-vegetation networks to determine the recovery of functionality in abandoned agrosystems
The development of indices of ecosystem quality makes it possible to obtain robust information with less human and material effort. These indices are especially useful for assessing the quality of ecosystems disturbed by anthropogenic impact since they can inform management decisions designed to rec...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23016084 |
| _version_ | 1797378746104152064 |
|---|---|
| author | Juan Pedro Martín-Sanz Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo Miguel Ángel Casermeiro José Antonio Molina José Ramón Quintana |
| author_facet | Juan Pedro Martín-Sanz Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo Miguel Ángel Casermeiro José Antonio Molina José Ramón Quintana |
| author_sort | Juan Pedro Martín-Sanz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The development of indices of ecosystem quality makes it possible to obtain robust information with less human and material effort. These indices are especially useful for assessing the quality of ecosystems disturbed by anthropogenic impact since they can inform management decisions designed to recover their functionality. The abandonment of agricultural activity is a major environmental challenge, and it is important to understand its consequences on ecosystem functioning. The main objective of this work was to develop a robust quality index of abandoned agrosystems based on detailed information on soil properties and structure and the composition of the vegetation. A chronosequence was built of abandoned vineyards over the last 60 years. Seventeen soil physical-chemical properties and ten enzymatic activities related to the cycles of C, N, P and S were determined in 21 plots along the chronosequence. Total vegetation cover, cover of cryptograms and phanerogams and cover of plant functional groups was also recorded. The main factors involved in the quality of the ecosystem were detected by means of network analyses based on these variables. Models were then developed to calculate ecosystem quality indices. Our results showed how the evolution of soil properties occurred simultaneously with variations in the composition and structure of the vegetation. The major factors that determined the functionality of abandoned agrosystems were the quantity and quality of soil organic matter (high TOC and WHN) and the lesser abundance of sulphur accumulator plants. The ecosystem quality index model found to be the most robust was the index with integration by weights and non-linear scores, which followed a sigmoid pattern throughout the chronosequence. Our results highlight the importance of developing robust quality indices based on an interdisciplinary approach. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:12:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-80d09600069c45f28ca7091681690f56 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:12:09Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-80d09600069c45f28ca7091681690f562023-12-23T05:20:19ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2024-01-01158111466A new quality index based on soil-vegetation networks to determine the recovery of functionality in abandoned agrosystemsJuan Pedro Martín-Sanz0Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo1Miguel Ángel Casermeiro2José Antonio Molina3José Ramón Quintana4Department of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, Madrid 28040, SpainDepartment of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, Madrid 28040, SpainDepartment of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, Madrid 28040, SpainDepartment of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, c/José Antonio Novais 12, Madrid 28040, SpainDepartment of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain; Corresponding author.The development of indices of ecosystem quality makes it possible to obtain robust information with less human and material effort. These indices are especially useful for assessing the quality of ecosystems disturbed by anthropogenic impact since they can inform management decisions designed to recover their functionality. The abandonment of agricultural activity is a major environmental challenge, and it is important to understand its consequences on ecosystem functioning. The main objective of this work was to develop a robust quality index of abandoned agrosystems based on detailed information on soil properties and structure and the composition of the vegetation. A chronosequence was built of abandoned vineyards over the last 60 years. Seventeen soil physical-chemical properties and ten enzymatic activities related to the cycles of C, N, P and S were determined in 21 plots along the chronosequence. Total vegetation cover, cover of cryptograms and phanerogams and cover of plant functional groups was also recorded. The main factors involved in the quality of the ecosystem were detected by means of network analyses based on these variables. Models were then developed to calculate ecosystem quality indices. Our results showed how the evolution of soil properties occurred simultaneously with variations in the composition and structure of the vegetation. The major factors that determined the functionality of abandoned agrosystems were the quantity and quality of soil organic matter (high TOC and WHN) and the lesser abundance of sulphur accumulator plants. The ecosystem quality index model found to be the most robust was the index with integration by weights and non-linear scores, which followed a sigmoid pattern throughout the chronosequence. Our results highlight the importance of developing robust quality indices based on an interdisciplinary approach.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23016084Ecosystem quality indexLand abandonmentMediterranean grasslandsSecondary successionSoil organic matterSulphur-plant accumulators |
| spellingShingle | Juan Pedro Martín-Sanz Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo Miguel Ángel Casermeiro José Antonio Molina José Ramón Quintana A new quality index based on soil-vegetation networks to determine the recovery of functionality in abandoned agrosystems Ecological Indicators Ecosystem quality index Land abandonment Mediterranean grasslands Secondary succession Soil organic matter Sulphur-plant accumulators |
| title | A new quality index based on soil-vegetation networks to determine the recovery of functionality in abandoned agrosystems |
| title_full | A new quality index based on soil-vegetation networks to determine the recovery of functionality in abandoned agrosystems |
| title_fullStr | A new quality index based on soil-vegetation networks to determine the recovery of functionality in abandoned agrosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | A new quality index based on soil-vegetation networks to determine the recovery of functionality in abandoned agrosystems |
| title_short | A new quality index based on soil-vegetation networks to determine the recovery of functionality in abandoned agrosystems |
| title_sort | new quality index based on soil vegetation networks to determine the recovery of functionality in abandoned agrosystems |
| topic | Ecosystem quality index Land abandonment Mediterranean grasslands Secondary succession Soil organic matter Sulphur-plant accumulators |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23016084 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT juanpedromartinsanz anewqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems AT inmaculadavalverdeasenjo anewqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems AT miguelangelcasermeiro anewqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems AT joseantoniomolina anewqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems AT joseramonquintana anewqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems AT juanpedromartinsanz newqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems AT inmaculadavalverdeasenjo newqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems AT miguelangelcasermeiro newqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems AT joseantoniomolina newqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems AT joseramonquintana newqualityindexbasedonsoilvegetationnetworkstodeterminetherecoveryoffunctionalityinabandonedagrosystems |