O solo é um recurso vital para os ecossistemas e para a agricultura, mas enfrenta sérios problemas de degradação, amplificados por práticas agrícolas intensivas. Entre as soluções para mitigar esses impactos destaca-se o uso de culturas de cobertura, que protegem o solo, melhoram a biodiversidade e potenciam funções ecológicas. A Diretiva (UE) 2025/2360, relativa à monitorização e resiliência do solo, evidencia a preocupação crescente com a melhoria da saúde dos solos e o método QBS-ar é apresentado nesta proposta como um indicador da sua qualidade. Assim, é importante procurar metodologias de monitorização da qualidade do solo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o impacto da implementação de culturas de cobertura na qualidade biológica do solo em sistemas hortícolas, recorrendo ao índice biológico QBS-ar, que utiliza microartrópodes como bioindicadores, tendo sido realizado no âmbito do projeto Soilife 1st (PRR-C05- i03-I-000006): Adaptação de sistemas produtivos em contexto de alterações climáticas - Conservação e fertilidade do solo. Os ensaios decorreram em dois campos experimentais um em Torres Vedras (Emergosol) e outro no Brejão (Campotec), tendo sido comparadas duas modalidades em cada local: i) mistura biodiversa de gramíneas e leguminosas; ii) testemunha, onde foram seguidas as práticas habituais do agricultor. Utilizaram-se dois métodos de amostragem de solo, com pá e com sonda. As amostras foram recolhidas em diferentes momentos do ciclo cultural e transportadas para laboratório. Os microartrópodes foram extraídos através do método de Berlese-Tüllgren e classificados com base em índices eco-morfológicos (EMI) segundo o seu nível de adaptação ao solo. O índice QBS-ar foi posteriormente calculado e os resultados comparados estatisticamente. De forma geral, evidenciaram-se valores mais elevados de QBS-ar nas modalidades com culturas de cobertura face às testemunhas, confirmando o efeito positivo desta prática na promoção da atividade biológica do solo, em concordância com estudos prévios. Na Emergosol, a tendência de índices superiores na consociação foi mais evidente nas amostragens com sonda, embora sem diferenças estatisticamente significativas, possivelmente devido ao reduzido número de repetições. Na Campotec, verificou-se um padrão semelhante, com diferenças mais acentuadas após a instalação da cultura principal, sugerindo sensibilidade dos microartrópodes a outras práticas agrícolas, como a aplicação de herbicidas. Quanto aos métodos de amostragem, na colheita com pá obtiveram-se, em média, valores mais elevados, mas sem evidência suficiente para recomendar um método definitivo. Conclui-se que o QBS-ar é uma ferramenta útil para monitorizar a qualidade biológica do solo e sensível a variações nas práticas culturais

Atualmente enfrentamos grandes ameaças agroambientais devido à atividade agrícola. Práticas como a mobilização dos solos, o excesso de fertilizantes, a monocultura e o uso de pesticidas estão na origem da degradação da matéria orgânica, erosão, salinização, compactação e perda de biodiversidade. As culturas de cobertura (CC) e a mobilização mínima favorecem as comunidades biológicas do solo e são vitais para o equilíbrio e a saúde das funções do ecossistema. Este estudo realizou-se em dois campos experimentais com sistemas agrários intensivos, com cultura da batata e milho, na região do Ribatejo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da introdução de culturas de cobertura, de outono-inverno, nos sistemas culturais do Ribatejo. Testaram-se quatro modalidades, três semeadas (Raphanus sativus L., Consociação de leguminosas e gramíneas, e Azevém) e Testemunha com vegetação espontânea. As culturas principais foram instaladas cerca de três meses depois. Aplicaram-se dois métodos de captura de artrópodes, em quatro datas de amostragem, tanto nas culturas de cobertura como nas culturas principais. Recorrendo a armadilhas “pitfall” fez-se a análise da composição dos grupos funcionais, da abundância e riqueza de morfotipos para quantificar o efeito das modalidades testadas através de bioindicadores e do Índice de Shannon. A amostragem do solo com sonda de profundidade serviu para aplicação do índice QBS-ar (Quality Biological Soil-ar). Obtiveram-se médias mais elevadas para os bioindicadores na Consociação (Carabidae 29,25±9,3; Formicidae 6,75±2,56) e em Raphanus sativus. (Araneae 4,25±0,47), sem significado estatístico. O Índice de Shannon teve a média mais elevada em Raphanus sativus (2,22). O valor de QBS-ar foi mais elevado no Azevém (41,25±10,98) nas quatro datas de amostragem, revelando valores baixos para a escala considerada. A análise de variância revelou diferenças significativas em três ocasiões com a Testemunha a mostrar-se maior abundância de artrópodes e riqueza de morfotipos do que Raphanus sativus e Azevém. Os resultados foram favoráveis às CC, com estas a apresentarem as médias mais elevadas, principalmente na Consociação, para muitas das variáveis testadas, embora sem significado estatístico, podendo contribuir para validar e promover estas práticas na atividade agrícola como estratégias de conservação.

Riparian ecosystems located in Mediterranean regions are highly biodiverse and provide valuable Ecosystem Services (ES). The ecological response of riparian ecosystems to distinct human and environmental effects has been widely studied, but there has been a lack of robust methods capable of predicting their potential in supporting biodiversity and related ES. In this thesis, riparian quality and connectivity metrics were used as surrogates of the potential of riparian ecosystems to support biodiversity and related ES in three Mediterranean human-dominated landscapes: Intensive agriculture (IA), Extensive agriculture (EA) and Forest production (FP). Riparian quality was assessed through the development of a novel proxy-based index, integrating metrics related to the structure, management and floristic composition of REs with their suitability in supporting biological groups with distinct dispersal abilities: short-range, medium-range and long-range dispersers. Riparian connectivity was calculated using a structural and functional approach, where the area of riparian ecosystems was used as representative of the available habitat. The main conclusions showed that riparian ecosystems located in the FP and IA landscapes exhibited the highest and lowest riparian quality, mainly due to their inaccessibility and the surrounding pressures of the agricultural matrix, respectively. Additionally, riparian ecosystems located in the EA landscape seemed to be particularly relevant for long-range dispersers, despite providing less available habitat as a result of specific management actions. Regarding riparian connectivity, results showed a tendency of reduced connectivity in the Mediterranean region, due to land-use intensification, hydromorphological alterations and the dryness of the Mediterranean climate. Furthermore, riparian ecosystems dominated by woody vegetation seemed to have a higher potential for biological dispersal. This thesis was developed to study the underlying processes that link riparian quality to connectivity. In the end, the maintenance and improvement of riparian ecosystems, especially when dominated by woody vegetation, proved to be crucial to attain ecological quality and connectivity in Mediterranean human-dominated landscapes

Soil invertebrate fauna plays a major role in several environmental processes, and its absence can negatively impact ecosystem health. This study aimed to assess the recovery of epigeal and edaphic invertebrate faunal communities following an environmental disaster, with landslides, mudflow, and river floods, in sites under different management systems, the effects of cover crops on invertebrate fauna, and their relationship with soil physical and chemical properties in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The following sites were evaluated: CF, a site under conventional farming without any record of natural hazard events; LS, a site impacted by an intense landslide event that left the area buried by mudflow; RO1, a site affected by river overflow and treated with NPK fertilizer and poultry litter; RO2, a site affected by river overflow and subjected to liming and heavy fertilization with NPK; and RO3, a site affected by a less intense river overflow and subjected to fertilization with poultry litter and NPK fertilizer. At each site, epigeal and edaphic fauna were sampled using pitfall traps and a monolith sampler, respectively. Physical (soil temperature, moisture, aggregate stability, and density) and chemical (pH in water, Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Al 3+ , K + , P, cation-exchange capacity, and total organic carbon) properties were determined in the 0.00-0.05 and 0.00-0.10 m layers. The predominant epigeal faunal groups were Entomobryomorpha, Poduromorpha, Diptera, and Coleoptera; and the predominant edaphic faunal groups, Coleoptera and Oligochaeta. There was a positive correlation between Coleoptera larvae, Hymenoptera, and species richness with total organic carbon. Coleoptera larvae were positively associated with biogenic aggregate stability, whereas Coleoptera was positively associated with physicogenic aggregate stability. Oligochaeta showed a positive correlation with soil moisture. Cover crops favored the development of epigeal and edaphic faunal groups that enhance soil properties through organic matter fragmentation and decomposition, and structural engineering. The strong correlation between soil chemical, physical, and biological properties demonstrate the importance of monitoring these components to assess the recovery of disaster-affected areas.

Extracellular soil enzymes are fundamental for the functioning of ecosystems. Several processes in the soil depend on the activity of these enzymes, including plant decomposition, soil organic matter formation/mineralization, and nutrient cycling. Moreover, extracellular enzyme activity occurs in the soil and is therefore influenced by environmental factors. Due to the high sensitivity to these factors, extracellular enzymes are used for monitoring soil quality. This review aimed to present the main contributions of soil enzymes to agriculture, emphasizing the dynamics of elements in the soil and the environmental factors that modulate enzyme activity. With this knowledge, the relationship of extracellular enzymes to soil quality is demonstrated and their use as a tool for soil monitoring. Finally, the evolution of research on soil enzymes in Brazil is presented, and the perspectives of basic and applied studies necessary to expand the knowledge and use of enzymes in soil management are pointed out. Soil enzymes play a key role in numerous soil processes, thereby making them useful indicators of productive capacity and soil quality. Research on enzymes in soil has developed significantly in the last two decades, which has made it possible for farmers to analyze and interpret enzyme activity in the soil in the laboratory.

This work analyzes theoccurrenceof the mollusk Corbicula fluminea (Muller, 1774), in a 78 km stretch of the lower São Francisco river. C.fluminea is an exotic invading species that hás become dominant among benthic macroinvertebrates in the São Francisco river. The work aimed to assess its occurrence and the perceptions of local communities with the invasive species. A survey of the occurrence of C.fluminea was performed in two periods, winter and summer, at ten sampling points. A marginal village was chosen to make interviews about the relationship between the community and the bivalve. The study demonstrated that the occurrence of C.fluminea is not regular and presents density values above what is reported in the literature, which indicates that the bivalve reached or is close to reaching its occupational peak.The invasion caused an increase in the number of shells in riverbed, bad smell and attraction of birds when water level decreases, due to death and decomposition of mollusks, and may be related to the increase in the density of macrophytes in the studied river stretch. Local communities did not assimilate the presence of the shellfish, which does not yet have a local popular name nor was incorporated into their fishing or food habits.The study also evaluated the use of C.fluminea as a bioindicator of water quality, evaluatedthe quality of the water consumed by the population of a marginal village, and the perception of the residents of this village on the water they consume. The water distributed in the village showed to be inadequate for human consumption. The villagers do not have the habit to disinfect the water, which may be associated with diarrhea cases occurring in the community. It wasfoundthatinter-relationshipbetween the density occursof C.fluminea with the concentrations of total and fecal coliforms over eight months of monitoring, which involved both the rainy and dry seasons. Therefore, the use of C.fluminea as bioindicator of water quality in the lower São Francisco proved feasible,can reduce the costs of monitoring and provide more immediate answers to protect public health. This work analyzes theoccurrenceof the mollusk Corbicula fluminea (Muller, 1774), in a 78 km stretch of the lower São Francisco river. C.fluminea is an exotic invading species that hás become dominant among benthic macroinvertebrates in the São Francisco river. The work aimed to assess its occurrence and the perceptions of local communities with the invasive species. A survey of the occurrence of C.fluminea was performed in two periods, winter and summer, at ten sampling points. A marginal village was chosen to make interviews about the relationship between the community and the bivalve. The study demonstrated that the occurrence of C.fluminea is not regular and presents density values above what is reported in the literature, which indicates that the bivalve reached or is close to reaching its occupational peak.The invasion caused an increase in the number of shells in riverbed, bad smell and attraction of birds when water level decreases, due to death and decomposition of mollusks, and may be related to the increase in the density of macrophytes in the studied river stretch. Local communities did not assimilate the presence of the shellfish, which does not yet have a local popular name nor was incorporated into their fishing or food habits.The study also evaluated the use of C.fluminea as a bioindicator of water quality, evaluatedthe quality of the water consumed by the population of a marginal village, and the perception of the residents of this village on the water they consume. The water distributed in the village showed to be inadequate for human consumption. The villagers do not have the habit to disinfect the water, which may be associated with diarrhea cases occurring in the community. It wasfoundthatinter-relationshipbetween the density occursof C.fluminea with the concentrations of total and fecal coliforms over eight months of monitoring, which involved both the rainy and dry seasons. Therefore, the use of C.fluminea as bioindicator of water quality in the lower São Francisco proved feasible,can reduce the costs of monitoring and provide more immediate answers to protect public health.

ABSTRACTDestabilisation of blood cell lysosomes in Mediterranean green crabCarcinus aestuarii was investigated using Neutral Red Retention Assay (NRRA). Crabs collected in Narta Lagoon, Vlora (Albania) during May 2014 were exposed in the laboratory to sub-lethal, environmentally realistic concentrations of copper. Neutral Red Retention Time (NRRT) and glucose concentration in haemolymph of animals were measured. The mean NRRT showed a significant reduction for the animals of the treatment group compared to the control one (from 118.6 ± 28.4 to 36.4 ± 10.48 min, p<0.05), indicating damage of lysosomal membrane. Haemolymph glucose concentration was significantly higher in the treatment group (from 37.8 ± 2.7 to 137.8.4 ± 16.2 mg/dL, p<0.05) than in control group, demonstrating the presence of stress on the animals. These results showed thatC. aestuarii could be used as a successful and reliable bioindicator for evaluating the exposure to contaminants in laboratory conditions. NRRA provides a successful tool for rapid assessment of heavy metal pollution effects on marine biota.

The aim of this work was to study the possible utilization of Thermocyclops decipiens as indicator of the trophic degree and water quality of some watersheds of the state of Minas Gerais. From the beginning of the decade of 90, T. decipiens was recorded in several water collections of the state, including the basins of the rivers Paranaíba, São Francisco, Doce and Grande, within environments mainly of meso and eutrophics characteristics. Of the 28 places of occurrence of the species and according to the water quality index (WQI) used by Environmental Foundation of Minas Gerais (FEAM), 7 of these environments presented WQI good, 16 medium, 4 bad and one very bad. This classification corroborated the hypothesis that T. decipiens could be used as indicator species of eutrophic environments and of low water quality thus constituting an important tool for the biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems.

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is currently reduced to about 12% of its original range. Among the components that make up its great diversity, there are species with the potential to be bioindicators, which can be very important for conservation-oriented studies. This study compares the species composition, abundance and sex ratio of terrestrial isopods in sites that show different anthropogenic disturbance histories and are located within four reserves in the Atlantic Forest of southwestern Brazil. Our study explores these crustaceans as indicators of anthropogenic disturbance. The influence of one of the following factors was explored in each protected area: 1) history of vegetation harvesting, 2) trail management, 3) Eucalyptus planting, and 4) edge effect. A total of 2,217 individuals of six species (Atlantoscia sp., Benthana werneri Lemos de Castro, 1958, Pseudodiploexochus tabularis (Barnard, 1932), Pudeoniscus obscures Lemos de Castro, 1973, Styloniscus spinosus (Patience, 1907), and Trichorhina sp.) were captured in pitfall traps. The composition of isopod species was different between most of the contrasting sites within reserves, and was similar among the less disturbed sites of different reserves. The total number of isopod individuals and the sex ratio were not different between the contrasting sites within most of the reserves and only the sex ratio of Atlantoscia sp. differed between contrasting sites of one protected area. Upon an individual analysis of each species, S. spinosus (an exotic species) was most abundant in more disturbed sites. The distributions of B. werneri and Atlantoscia sp. over time were relatively synchronous, except where S. spinosus was abundant. Our results also indicate that the exotic species S. spinosus may benefit from the vegetation mosaic produced by disturbance, so differences in abundance of this species may be useful for bioindication. A change in the spatial and temporal structure of Oniscidea communities caused by anthropogenic disturbance may have a cascade effect on ecological cycles because terrestrial isopods play a fundamental role in nutrient cycling.

Honey is a substance that contains a variety of macro and micro minerals present in the range between 0.02-1.03%. The main objective of this study was to determine the concentration of elements inorganic in 15 honey samples collected in various regions of Maranhão (Northeast Brazil), using highly sensitive analytical techniques, such as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), in addition to applying multivariate statistical tools, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) in the treatment of data. The method presented detection limits between 0.4 to 2.8 mg kg-1. Fifteen samples and 19 metals were analyzed, and two of these samples had high levels of lead, exceeding the limits allowed by Brazilian legislation. Thus, it can be concluded that the presence of potentially toxic metals in honey is an indication that the production areas may be contaminated by different external sources. The chemometric analysis of the data by PCA and HCA allowed to classify honey in two main groups: honey produced in urban areas and honey produced in rural areas with PCA explaining 73% of the data variance with the sum of the first 3 components.