The Upper Silesian Coal Basin faces ongoing challenges with self-heating in coal waste dumps, a problem that leads to dangerous and unpredictable subsurface fires. This study investigates the thermal dynamics and vegetation response in a coal waste dump, expanding on previous research that links waste temperatures with plant health and distribution. The study area-a small, old coal waste dump located in a highly urbanized area-was subjected to comprehensive environmental monitoring focused on various fire determinants. The findings confirm that coal waste dumps, regardless of size and complexity, experience similar fire determinants, with vegetation colonization progressing in bands starting with pioneer species in less heat-affected areas. As the distance from the fire zone increases, plant density and diversity improve, indicating a recovery in thermally stabilized zones. The study also demonstrates the repeatability of relationships between subsurface temperatures and vegetation status across different coal waste dumps, supporting the use of plants as indicators of underground fires. Elevated subsurface temperatures in thermally active zones lead to clear 'dying' and 'death' zones, where excessive heat damages plant roots, causing die-offs. In contrast, areas with moderate temperatures allow vegetation growth, even in winter, due to favourable root-zone conditions. The study highlights the need for improved monitoring and fire mitigation strategies to address thermal activity in reclaimed sites, especially those with limited historical data. These insights are crucial for preventing similar issues in the future and minimizing the long-term impacts on surrounding communities and ecosystems.

Background and aimsMining causes severe damage to forest ecosystems, and the restoration of these environments in Amazonia remains a challenge. The first step is restoring the quality of the Technosol for plant establishment. This study evaluated the effects of pit size on the chemical properties of Technosol and the performance of selected tree species. MethodsThree different pit sizes were tested: Small Pit or Control (CTR), Medium Pit (MP), and Large Pit (LP) in an area degraded by kaolin mining. Four tree species were used for each pit size. After 24 months of planting, the chemical properties of Technosol, survival, periodic annual increment (PAI) for total height (PAIHt) and diameter at soil height (PAIDSH), canopy area (CA), and aboveground biomass (AGB) were evaluated. ResultsThe study found no significant differences in the chemical properties of Technosol across pit sizes (CTR, MP and LP). Survival rates were consistently high for all treatments. MP and LP provided the best increases in PAIHt of Tapirira guianensis. Average CA values ranged from 0.41 +/- 0.19 to 1.82 +/- 0.31 m2 between species, and LP provided the highest average CA for Terminalia argentea. Furthermore, pit size influenced AGB in Moquilea tomentosa, Terminalia argentea, and Tapirira guianensis. ConclusionThe restoration technique significantly impacted Technosol properties and species performance, highlighting its role in ecological recovery. These findings offer valuable insights for enhancing forest restoration techniques in tropical regions impacted by mining.

Phytoremediation, the practice of removing heavy metals from contaminated sites using plants, has emerged as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly green technology to restore damaged ecosystems. Mosses, in particular, demonstrate high phytoremediation potential due to their ability to accumulate heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper, chromium, cadmium, and iron from contaminated soil and water. This review systematically examines 37 research articles published from 2000 to 2022, focusing on the on the use of mosses for phytoremediation. Moss species, such as Funaria hygrometrica Hedw, Scopelophila cataractae (Mitten) Brotherus, Dicranum scoparium Hedw, Dicranum polysetum Sw. ex anon, Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw, Physcomitrium cyathicarpum Mitt, Barbula constricta Mitt, and Leptodictyum riparium (Hedw.) Warnst. have been identified as ideal candidates for phytoremediation efforts. Specific species of mosses, such as Dicranum species, are noted for their excellent bioaccumulation capabilities of elements like vanadium, manganese, and rubidium, serving as indicators of air pollution. Additionally, Hypnum cupressiforme has proven to be a reliable indicator of sulfur dioxide in natural and anthropogenic sources. This comprehensive review highlights the significant phytoremediation potential of mosses, emphasizing their role as valuable bioaccumulators and indicators of heavy metals and pollutants. The findings highlight the necessity of further research to enhance the application of mosses in environmental management and remediation strategies, ultimately contributing to the development of sustainable and effective solutions for pollution control.

The degree of soil salinization is still on the rise. In saline environments, NaCl is the main substance that causes plant salt damage, with the toxicity of ions under salt stress primarily involving sodium (Na+) or chloride (Cl-). However, fewer studies have focused on Cl- stress. This study investigated the differences in the growth and physiology of five blueberry varieties under Cl- stress, aiming to understand the mechanisms of Cl- tolerance and the physiological responses to Cl- stress in these varieties. Five blueberry varieties ('Northland', 'PL19', 'Duke', 'Reka', and 'Bonnie') were used as test materials. This study examined the changes in growth and physiological indices of blueberry plants under different concentrations of Cl- (A1-A6: 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mmol/L) treatments. A control treatment (CK) was included to serve as a baseline for comparison. We comprehensively evaluated the Cl- tolerance of these five varieties to screen for chlorine-tolerant varieties. This study examined the concentration-dependent changes in growth and physiological indices of blueberry plants, including plant height, leaf area, chlorophyll content, electrical conductivity, levels of soluble sugar (SS), malondialdehyde (MDA), proline (Pro), and soluble protein (SP), as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). The results revealed that as the Cl- concentration increased, the growth of all blueberry varieties was inhibited; plant height, leaf area, and chlorophyll content consistently declined, whereas electrical conductivity showed a steady increase. SS and MDA content exhibited a biphasic response, with an increase at lower Cl- concentrations followed by a decrease at higher concentrations. The activities of SOD and CAT in 'Duke' consistently increased with rising Cl- levels. In 'PL19' and 'Reka', chlorophyll content decreased with increasing Cl-, while their proline content rose initially and then declined. In contrast, the other varieties generally showed an increasing trend in proline content. Similarly, the soluble protein content of 'Northland' and 'PL19' increased at lower Cl- levels and decreased at higher concentrations, whereas 'Bonnie', 'Duke', and 'Reka' displayed an overall declining trend. Principal component analysis indicated that the Cl- tolerance of the blueberry varieties ranked as follows: 'Duke' > 'Bonnie' > 'Reka' > 'PL19' > 'Northland'. These findings lay a foundation for blueberry cultivation in saline-alkaline soils and support the selection and development of new, chlorine-tolerant varieties.

Relevance. The increasing recreational load on the ecosystems of the Lake Teletskoe basin, its related obvious damage and the necessity to quantify the ongoing transformations. Aim. To assess the current state of a soil cover of the adjacent territory of Lake Teletskoe in terms of tourism and recreation impact. Methods. Comparative geographical and chemical as well as soil-ecological monitoring of studied indicators of early, short- and long-term diagnostics. Results and conclusions. Because of the tourist activities in the coastal zone of the mountain-forest belt of Lake Teletskoe, a developed path network transforming its natural ecosystems appeared. Some parameters of soil properties and composition on this path and in the sites not affected by recreation differed significantly. The analysis of water extract showed the decrease in acidity, the reduced content of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen, phosphates, a change in the concentration of calcium cations, potassium and magnesium in the top soil layer on the path, as compared to the undisturbed places. Soil trampling by recreants has damaged litter, decreased its thickness or completely destructed the promenade area. Reduction in litter reserves on the moderately developed paths exceeded by more than 2.7-4.0 times, whereas on the well-defined ones (as in the Altai State Biosphere Reserve with the established systemized movement across the territory), litter was absent at all on a few or even single paths. On weakly developed (fresh) paths, litter reserves turned out to be even higher than on the undisturbed areas or on the paths located next to a gravel site. Recreational loads were responsible for the 1.2-1.7 times increase in soil density of the upper (0-5 cm) layer, accompanied by a decrease in soil porosity and air supply. The hardness of soil was 1.3-1.5 times higher on the path than around it. The tourist effect on general physical properties of soil was traced to a depth of 20-30 cm, but maximum changes were noted in its upper (0-5 cm) layer. Recreational loads did not impact essentially on the aggregate soil composition. No significant changes, caused by tourist and recreational activities, were found in the elemental chemical composition of soils. The content of nutrients and lead were within the background and did not exceed the standardized values. The detected high concentrations of arsenic were not associated with the influence of tourist and recreational activities.

The deformations revealed by us in the ancient buildings of the village of Tsymyti indicate very strong seismic oscillations. The displacement of a block weighing 25 t against the slope of the relief indicates very strong accelerations of the soil-more than 1 g. Thus, the local intensity of seismic oscillations is at least Il = IX-X. In the walls of ancestral towers and burial crypts, it is possible to identify a significant number of extended interblock cracks, tilts, and collapses of walls and their parts. Rotations of building elements and deformations of window openings are also revealed. The distribution of the tilts of the walls shows their general declination to the west. According to the same azimuth, the abovementioned multiton block was ejected. The deformation of the window openings also took place in the walls of the sublatitudinal orientation, i.e., possibly from the western direction. The age of the towers in Tsymyti has two periods: 15th-16th centuries (use in the construction of dry masonry without cement) and 16th-17th centuries (use of masonry with cement mortar). It is possible that the change in the type of construction was caused by a seismic event. The same earthquake, apparently, damaged the Dzivgis fortress, located lower down the valley of the Fiagdon River. The trend of the outer wall of the fortress coincided with the direction of seismic oscillations (along the east-northeast-west-southwest axis), which approximately coincides with the sublatitudinal direction of seismic oscillation in Tsymyti. The first earthquake probably also damaged the Gutnov family tower in Dzivgis, built in the 15th-16th centuries. The tower was mostly repaired, and the cracks visible in the walls of the tower to this day appeared in it during the second earthquake, which apparently caused the destruction of buildings in the village of Dzivgis. The age of these buildings dates back to the 18th-19th centuries. The age of the necropolis in Tsymyti was determined by archaeologists as the 17th-18th centuries. Heavily destroyed crypts are apparently a consequence of the second earthquake in the region. The crypts that received minor damage are probably the result of the third earthquake. In Dzivgis, in the 19th century, the third earthquake led to a rockfall that deformed the metal cemetery fences; this seismic event occurred after 1878. Additional field and desk studies are necessary for a more complete parameterization of ancient seismic events, as well as the localization of ancient epicentral zones in certain structures of the crust of the region.

Our archaeoseismological studies of the ruins of a medieval Christian temple located at the foot of Kilisa-Kaya Mountain in the southeast of the Crimean Peninsula have shown that the building structures have obvious traces of significant seismic damages: tilts, shifts, and rotations of both entire building elements and individual stone blocks or their packages. Extended subvertical interblock cracks break the walls of the temple to their entire residual height. Oblique cracks that occur under conditions of longitudinal compression cut elongated building blocks. The stone pavement of the temple is also damaged: there are depressions in it. Judging by the fact that the temple was repaired, and sections of the repaired walls were also deformed, the structure was affected by two seismic events. The last of them left traces in the apse and the northern portal. Seismic oscillations spread in the sublatitudinal direction. The damage caused by this earthquake apparently includes shifts and tilts of brickwork in the submeridionally oriented walls, as well as the loss of domed and arched parts of the building. The first earthquake led to the appearance of deformations (shifts) in the walls of the sublatitudinal strike, after which the temple was repaired. The second seismic event, apparently, led to the formation of a landslide in the upper reaches of the dry creek in the valley of which the temple was located. The lake formed above the dam once broke through the barrier, and a mudslide passed down the valley. The mudflow material filled the interior of the temple and formed sediments around the building. Mudslide deposits covered and preserved the walls of the temple, as well as deformations in them for hundreds of years. Judging by the severity of the damage to the religious building, built with special quality, the intensity of seismic oscillations during both seismic events was at least VIII points. The exact dates of the construction of the temple and the earthquakes still need to be clarified, for which further research of the monument is necessary. Since its construction is tentatively dated from the second half of the 12th century to the first half of the 13th century, the first earthquake occurred after the specified date. It is known that the temple was almost completely buried under a layer of soil by the end of the 18th century. Accordingly, the second seismic event can be dated to this time.

Soil erosion by water is a serious problem in Ethiopia, contributing to diminishing crop yields and food shortages. Apart from understanding the magnitude, risk, and spatial distribution of the problem, identifying erosion hotspot areas is essential for effectively reversing the problem. This study aims to identify erosion hotspots in the Gotu watershed, in northeastern Ethiopia, using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) and incorporating local farmers' perspectives to prioritize conservation efforts. The RUSLE model reveals that 29,744.3 metric tons of soil is lost annually from the Gotu watershed, with an average loss of 65.3 to t ha(-)1 year(-)1. The main contributing factors to soil erosion in the watershed include undulating topography, loss of plant cover, and continuous cultivation. The highest soil loss rates (> 80 t ha(-)1 year(-)1) were found in the western, northern, and southern parts of the watershed, where cultivation occurs on moderate to steep slopes with sparse vegetation cover. These areas should be prioritized for conservation interventions. Farmers identified poor crop yields and damaged conservation structures as key indicators of soil erosion prevalence in the watershed. Increasing farmer's understanding of soil erosion and the importance of soil and water conservation is essential for effectively controlling soil erosion and improving food security in the area.

Cropping systems depend on external nitrogen (N) to produce food. However, we lack metrics to account for society's fertilizer dependency, although excessive increases in N application damage human and environmental health. The objective of this study is to propose a novel indicator, N fertilizer dependency, calculated as the ratio between human-controllable external inputs and total N inputs. Nitrogen fertilizer dependency has a solid mathematical base being derived from closing the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) equation. This study also tests the value of the N fertilizer dependency concept at the cropping system (plant-soil) scale and at different spatial scales, from field to country, as a complementary indicator to promote sustainable production. The field experiments conducted with grain cereals as a main crop showed that when replacing the barley precedent crop with a legume, N fertilizer dependency accounted for soil legacy and was reduced by 15% in fertilized treatments. In a farm population, N fertilizer dependency ranged from 47 to 95% and accounted for the relevance of biological fixation and irrigation water N inputs, adding pertinent information to performance indicators (i.e., NUE). At the country scale, N fertilizer dependency showed different temporal patterns, depending mainly on the relevance of biological atmospheric N fixation. Nitrogen fertilizer dependency of global cropping systems has risen to approximate to 83% in the last five decades, even though the N exchange among regions has increased. Nitrogen fertilizer dependency has great potential to monitor the achievements of efforts aiming to boost system autonomy, and within similar agricultural systems, it can be used to identify practices that lead to a reduction of fertilizer needs. In summary, N fertilizer dependency is a new indicator to evaluate the agroenvironmental sustainability of cropping systems across the scales and provides a complementary dimension to the traditional indicators such as NUE, N output, and N surplus.

The distribution of integral indicators of the soil-plant system components contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the urban area has been considered. An anthropogenically modified natural complex of the RUDN University campus and the adjacent South-Western Forest Park (Moscow) was the object of study. Soils (Albic Retisols (Ochric)) and common plant species were studied. Traffic load was the main pollution source. Emissions from five sections of roads, around and across the territory, formed a specific pattern of pollutants, which was demonstrated by the example of marker compounds, namely, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Background concentrations of individual polyarenes in the environment, determined by the method of dynamic phase portraits, have been calculated as an approximate safe level of contamination of soils and vegetation. A local redistribution of contamination zones was revealed owing to the migration of polyarenes from snow into soils, and then into root systems, and the above-ground parts of plants distribution. The proposed methodological approach, based on the use of integral indicators, allows us to assess the degree of damage to ecosystems caused by a complex of priority pollutants.