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Applied Sciences
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Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
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Sustainable Use of Natural Resources

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Earth Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 23081

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Wojciech Zgłobicki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Maria Curie Sklodowska University, 20-718 Lublin, Poland
Interests: hillslope geomorphology; geochemistry; heavy metals; geotourism; geoheritage; landscape ecology; soil and gully erosion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Our planet has a certain amount of natural resources, such as space, minerals, water, soil, vegetation, and animals, which can be used by humans. A lot of attention has already been devoted to this issue in the scientific literature. However, there seems to be a need to present innovative methods for studying the state of the environment and the use of its resources. Studies in the field of Earth and environmental sciences play a special role here, as they can be directly applied in practice. By examining the functioning of geosystems and ecosystems on a global, regional and local scale, we identify new threats (e.g., microplastics) and recommend actions to prevent and counteract their negative effects (applied science). Excessive use of environmental resources and degradation of its state pose a direct threat to humans. Research is still needed to discover the scale of new threats and educational activities.

The thematic scope of the SI includes:

  • Environmental pollution, with particular emphasis on new threats;
  • Sustainable use of geographical space;
  • Tourism based on natural values (e.g., geotourism);
  • Innovative environmental education;
  • Non-renewable resources – their sustainable use;
  • Geohazards related to human activities (floods, soil erosion, etc.);
  • Innovative methods of obtaining data on environmental resources and their changes.

Prof. Dr. Wojciech Zgłobicki
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biodiversity
  • geodiversity geotourism
  • geoheritage
  • geohazards
  • ecotourism
  • environmental education
  • environmental pollution
  • floods
  • soil erosion
  • spatial planning
  • spatial management
  • sustainable development

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3390 KiB  
Article
Different Paths for Developing Terrestrial LiDAR Data for Comparative Analyses of Topographic Surface Changes
by Waldemar Kociuba
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7409; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10217409 - 22 Oct 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1883
Abstract
High resolution terrestrial laser scanning data (TLS; terrestrial LiDAR) provide an excellent background for quantitative resource estimation through the comparative analysis of topographic surface changes. However, unlike airborne LiDAR data, which is usually provided as classified and contains a class of ground points, [...] Read more.
High resolution terrestrial laser scanning data (TLS; terrestrial LiDAR) provide an excellent background for quantitative resource estimation through the comparative analysis of topographic surface changes. However, unlike airborne LiDAR data, which is usually provided as classified and contains a class of ground points, raw TLS data include all of the points of the scanned space within the specified scanner range. In effect, utilizing the latter data to estimate the volume of the resource by the differential analysis of digital elevation models (DEMs) requires the data to be specially prepared, i.e., separating from the point cloud only the data that represent the relevant class. In the case of natural resources, e.g., mineral resources, the class is represented by ground points. This paper presents the results that were obtained by differential analysis of high resolution DEMs (DEM of difference (DoD) method) using TLS data that were processed both manually (operator noise removal) and with the use of the automatic Cloth Simulation Filter (CSF) algorithm. Three different time pairs of DoD data were analyzed for a potential gravel-cobble deposit area of 45,444 m2, which was located at the bottom of the mouth section of the Scott River in south-east Svalbard. It was found that the applied method of ground point classification had very little influence on the errors in the range of estimating volumetric parameters of the mineral resources and measurement uncertainty. Moreover, it was shown that the point cloud density had an influence on the CSF filtering efficiency and spatial distribution of errors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Natural Resources)
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16 pages, 1247 KiB  
Article
Ecotoxicological Assessment of a Glyphosate-Based Herbicide in Cover Plants: Medicago sativa L. as a Model Species
by Beatriz Fernandes, Cristiano Soares, Cláudia Braga, Ana Rebotim, Rafael Ferreira, Joana Ferreira, Fernanda Fidalgo, Ruth Pereira and Anabela Cachada
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(15), 5098; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10155098 - 24 Jul 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4063
Abstract
Despite the several innovations that have been incorporated in agriculture, the use of herbicides, especially glyphosate (GLY), is still the major tool for weed control. Although this herbicide has a notable worldwide representation, concerns about its environmental safety were recently raised, with a [...] Read more.
Despite the several innovations that have been incorporated in agriculture, the use of herbicides, especially glyphosate (GLY), is still the major tool for weed control. Although this herbicide has a notable worldwide representation, concerns about its environmental safety were recently raised, with a lot of divergence between studies on its non-target toxicity. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand the risks of this herbicide to non-target plants, including cover crop species, which have a crucial role in maintaining agroecosystems functions and in preventing soil erosion. Thus, this work aims to evaluate the growth and physiological responses of a cover plant species (Medicago sativa L.) exposed to increasing concentrations of a GLY-based herbicide (GBH), particularly focusing on the oxidative metabolism. The growth of roots and shoots was affected, being this effect accompanied by a rise of lipid peroxidation, suggesting the occurrence of oxidative stress, and by an activation of the antioxidant (AOX) system. Indeed, the results showed that adverse effects are visible at active ingredient concentrations of 8.0 mg kg−1, with the lowest EC50 being 12 mg kg−1, showing that GBH-contaminated soils may pose a risk to the survival of non-target plants in the most contaminated areas. Overall, these findings proved that GBH greatly impairs the growth of a non-target plant, strengthening the need of additional studies to unravel the real risks associated with the over usage of this pesticide, since there is an evident lack of studies performed with contaminated soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Natural Resources)
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22 pages, 3491 KiB  
Article
A Study of an Algorithm for the Surface Temperature Forecast: From Road Ice Risk to Farmland Application
by Maria Chiara Del Vecchio, Alessandro Ceppi, Chiara Corbari, Giovanni Ravazzani, Marco Mancini, Francesco Spada, Enrico Maggioni, Alessandro Perotto and Raffaele Salerno
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(14), 4952; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10144952 - 18 Jul 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2336
Abstract
The presence of road ice has always been a key issue during winter months. A reliable forecast system capable of predicting the Land Surface Temperature (LST) and, consequently, its formation is one of the best strategies to operate towards reducing both vehicles accidents [...] Read more.
The presence of road ice has always been a key issue during winter months. A reliable forecast system capable of predicting the Land Surface Temperature (LST) and, consequently, its formation is one of the best strategies to operate towards reducing both vehicles accidents and waste of chemical solvents used for prevention which have a significant economic and environmental impact. Hence, the Meteo Expert Centre (MEC) has developed an algorithm for LST forecasts able to issue ice risk warnings as well. This algorithm operationally works every day in real-time and it is here tested, first, on a paved area of the Pedemontana Lombarda motorway and the Milano Linate airport airstrip, and, afterwards, since the LST plays a crucial role in understanding phenomena of energy exchange between soil, vegetation, and atmosphere, its knowledge and prediction becomes relevant also for other purposes such as agricultural management and irrigation system control, further experiments are carried out over two agricultural fields, one in the North and the other in the South of Italy during the SIM (Smart Irrigation Management) project. All LST analyses showed encouraging results with reasonable high values of statistical scores, in both applications on asphalted and different vegetated terrains, demonstrating that the developed algorithm has a high versatility even on completely different types of surfaces, and it can be applied as a valid tool for road ice risk warnings too. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Natural Resources)
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19 pages, 9437 KiB  
Article
Mapping Forest Fire Risk and Development of Early Warning System for NW Vietnam Using AHP and MCA/GIS Methods
by Thanh Van Hoang, Tien Yin Chou, Yao Min Fang, Ngoc Thach Nguyen, Quoc Huy Nguyen, Pham Xuan Canh, Dang Ngo Bao Toan, Xuan Linh Nguyen and Michael E. Meadows
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(12), 4348; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10124348 - 24 Jun 2020
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6858
Abstract
Forest fires constitute a major environmental problem in tropical countries, especially in the context of climate change and increasing human populations. This paper aims to identify the causes of frequent forest fires in Son La Province, a fire-prone and forested mountainous region in [...] Read more.
Forest fires constitute a major environmental problem in tropical countries, especially in the context of climate change and increasing human populations. This paper aims to identify the causes of frequent forest fires in Son La Province, a fire-prone and forested mountainous region in northwest Vietnam, with a view to constructing a forest fire-related database with multiple layers of natural, social and economic information, extracted largely on the basis of Landsat 7 images. The assessment followed an expert systems approach, applying multi-criteria analysis (MCA) with an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the weights of the individual parameters related to forest fires. A multi-indicator function with nine parameters was constructed to establish a forest fire risk map at a scale of 1:100,000 for use at the provincial level. The results were verified through regression analysis, yielding R2 = 0.86. A real-time early warning system for forest fire areas has been developed for practical use by the relevant government authorities to provide more effective forest fire prevention planning for Son La Province. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Natural Resources)
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13 pages, 309 KiB  
Article
Exploring Mediterranean and Arctic Environments as a Novel Source of Bacteria Producing Antibacterial Compounds to be Applied in Aquaculture
by Carmen Rizzo, Concetta Gugliandolo and Angelina Lo Giudice
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(11), 4006; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10114006 - 09 Jun 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2084
Abstract
The need to discover new natural compounds has become urgent as a possible alternative solution to contrast the spread of antibiotic resistance, also in the aquaculture field. Bacterium–bacterium inhibitory activity against bacterial pathogens relevant in aquaculture was evaluated on agar plates for bacteria [...] Read more.
The need to discover new natural compounds has become urgent as a possible alternative solution to contrast the spread of antibiotic resistance, also in the aquaculture field. Bacterium–bacterium inhibitory activity against bacterial pathogens relevant in aquaculture was evaluated on agar plates for bacteria isolated from cold Arctic (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard Islands; i.e., seawater and sediment samples) and temperate Mediterranean (Lake Faro in Messina and the Straits of Messina, Italy; i.e., brackish water and benthic filter-feeding organisms) environments. Cell-free supernatants (both pure and concentrated 10-fold) were further assayed and, in the case of a positive response, crude extracts were obtained and tested. After the pre-screening procedures, about 30% of the bacterial isolates inhibited the growth of at least one pathogen used as a target. The 10-fold concentrated supernatants of two Arctic Salinibacterium spp. strains and the Mediterranean Bacillus sp. PS62 (associated with the pennatulacean Pteroeides spinosum Ellis, 1764) resulted in being active against P. damselae subsp. piscicida. The crude extracts obtained from Bacillus sp. PS62 also showed inhibitory activity against the same pathogen. Our findings suggest that tested bacteria could represent a novel source of compounds to be applied to overcome pathogenesis in the aquaculture field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Natural Resources)
21 pages, 4246 KiB  
Article
Intensity and Driving Forces of Land Abandonment in Eastern Poland
by Wojciech Zgłobicki, Kamil Karczmarczuk and Bogusława Baran-Zgłobicka
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(10), 3500; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10103500 - 19 May 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2341
Abstract
Agricultural land is an important natural resource and forms the basis for food production. Global and local socio-economic and environmental changes are often the driving forces of changes in land cover and land use. Land abandonment in rural areas is one of the [...] Read more.
Agricultural land is an important natural resource and forms the basis for food production. Global and local socio-economic and environmental changes are often the driving forces of changes in land cover and land use. Land abandonment in rural areas is one of the processes observed in Europe today and usually leads to increased afforestation. The intensity of this process in Central Europe is linked to the political and economic changes that took place at the end of the 20th century. The study objective was to identify the natural and socio-economic factors of this process in Lublin Province—a major region of agricultural production in Poland. From 1990 to 2018, over 130,000 ha were excluded from agricultural use, which represents 7% of the arable land in 1990. Land abandonment showed considerable spatial differences when comparing different counties: its magnitude ranged from 4% to 13% of the county area. At the same time, due to the specific type of land use in the province (small farm holdings divided into several fields), the intensity of land abandonment was underestimated when based on overview data (CORINE). It was observed that the intensity of this process was correlated with the natural conditions (topography, soils) for agricultural production and the socio-economic characteristics (area of arable land, forest cover changes, farm size) of the counties as well as the absorption of Common Agricultural Policy funds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Natural Resources)
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29 pages, 9425 KiB  
Article
Ecological Suitability Evaluation for Conservation and Development in Bac Kan Province, Vietnam
by Trong Dai Ly and Suwit Ongsomwang
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(24), 5351; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9245351 - 07 Dec 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2840
Abstract
Ecological suitability assessment is an effective approach to identify and locate the most suitable territories for future development in order to reduce the negative impacts of human activities on the ecosystem for ensuring sustainable development. The study aimed to propose a future direction [...] Read more.
Ecological suitability assessment is an effective approach to identify and locate the most suitable territories for future development in order to reduce the negative impacts of human activities on the ecosystem for ensuring sustainable development. The study aimed to propose a future direction for sustainable use of natural resources at the district level in Bac Kan province based on the ecological suitability evaluation approach and the trade-off technique. This study firstly applied the Delphi method to identify significant ecological resistance indicators for assessing ecological elements, importance, and resilience, which characterize the resistance of ecological structures, ecological functions, and ecological dynamics to construction and development, respectively. Then, an integrated ecological resistance model was applied to classify ecological suitability for construction and development. Moreover, spatial analysis and trade-off technique were applied to assign a development zone and propose future directions at provincial and district levels in Bac Kan province. The results revealed that the most dominant ecological suitability class for construction and development is the moderately suitable class, and it accounts for about 1948 km2 or 40.30% of the total area. In addition, five development zones were assigned at the provincial level, whereas three future directions for sustainable use of natural resources were proposed at the district level. In a nutshell, the research methodology framework in this study can be used as a guideline to land managers and planners for ecological suitability assessment in Vietnam. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Use of Natural Resources)
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