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Soil health- and functionality and air pollution mitigation in urban permaculture systems
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Resumo(s)
Urbanisation rapidly transforms natural ecosystems into predominantly surface sealed environments, reducing their provision of vital ecosystem services such as flood mitigation, climate regulation, erosion control and pollution reduction. In this context, urban green spaces such as parks, lawns, and gardens play an important role in maintaining ecosystem functions. Within these spaces, soil health is a key determinant of service provision, with degraded soils exhibiting reduced efficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate how permaculture-based agroforestry systems influence soil health, soil functionality, and the mitigation of anthropogenic air pollution compared to conventional green space management. Research was conducted in two small-scale permaculture agroforests and two conventional lawns on the campus of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, representing a gradient of structural complexity: a simple lawn, a lawn with trees, and agroforests established in 2016 and 2021, respectively. Soil samples were analysed for key health indicators including soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC) and bulk density (BD), while soil functionality was assessed via glyphosate degradation potential. Lichen transplants were used as bioindicators for air pollution, measuring photosynthetic performance, heavy metal accumulation and magnetic susceptibility. We hypothesised that (1) soil health indicators improve with structural complexity, (2) soils in more complex systems exhibit greater glyphosate degradation potential and (3) the vertical structure of agroforests reduces air pollution exposure. Results indicate that small-scale urban permaculture agroforests significantly enhance soil health, with higher SOM, reduced BD, and SOC gains of up to 57% relative to conventional management. Glyphosate degradation potential increased with structural complexity, and the vertical vegetation of agroforests acted as an effective barrier to anthropogenic pollutants. These findings highlight the potential of structurally complex green space management to yield relevant ecological benefits both above- and belowground, even when applied at small scales.
Descrição
Tese de mestrado, Biologia da Conservação, 2026, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências
Palavras-chave
Permaculture Urban green spaces Soil health Ecosystem services Air pollution