Restoring and Engineering Multifunctional Riparian Ecosystems to Mitigate Nutrient Pollution in Agricultural and Urban Landscapes
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 1675
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Phosphorus and nitrogen are both essential plant nutrients and substances that can degrade water quality. Many biological functions at the cellular level depend on these elements. At the same time, they are implicated in the eutrophication of water resources. There are thus trade-offs in the management of two important aspects of the sustainability of our food system: sustained crop production and sustained environmental quality.
Forested riparian buffers are ecotones located between agroecosystems or urban land and water courses where nutrients and other pollutants can be intercepted. However, they also harbor high biodiversity, support high biomass production, and provide food and other materials. Unfortunately, these ecosystems are often too degraded or inadequately managed to perform many of their ecosystem functions. This Special Issue seeks reports on how multifunctional riparian areas can be engineered or restored to help mitigate non-point source pollution while simultaneously addressing other environmental and social issues.
This Special Issue welcomes research reports, literature surveys, and position papers on leveraging aboveground and belowground processes that support the nutrient mitigation and multi-functionality of riparian ecosystems similar to Rubin et al. (2023) or Stutter et al. (2012). These processes may be associated with the promotion of microbial communities, e.g., mycorrhizae or denitrifying bacteria; the restoration of ecosystem functions with specifically designed plant communities; the removal of invasive species; alternative management options; community involvement; or the restoration of hydrological processes. The focus of this Special Issue is on the mitigation of nutrient pollution while also considering other ecosystem services, e.g., the provision of wildlife and pollinator habitats, the protection of aquatic habitats, land access to indigenous communities, and biomass for economic and cultural uses. However, papers on policy and the alternative management of riparian forest buffers to enhance ecosystem services and functions are also welcome.
Dr. Josef H. Görres
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- nitrogen and phosphorus pollution
- restoration
- mitigation
- agricultural engineering
- sustainability
- ecosystem services
- biodiversity
- multifunctional riparian ecosystems
- policy
