Aplinkos valdymo laboratorija / Environmental Management Laboratory

Land degradation is a global ecological and environmental issue to which the drylands with vulnerable socio-ecological systems are particularly sensitive. Ecological restoration is regarded as a vital approach to halt, curb or reverse land degradation. However, the lack of accurate information on land degradation dynamics poses a significant barrier to developing effective restoration strategies. Here, we selected fourteen typical land degradation processes in China's drylands, employed a generalised additive model to identify degradation thresholds and classify degradation states, and analysed degradation trends using the Theil-Sen slope statistic and Mann-Kendall test. We then applied the convergence of evidence method to conduct a comprehensive, multidimensional assessment coupling degradation states and trends, ultimately identifying priority areas for ecological restoration. The results showed that aridification, loss of soil organic carbon, and soil alkalisation are the most widespread forms of land degradation facing China's drylands. 70.33 % of the area is affected by 1 to 7 types of land degradation (mildly degraded state), 25.63 % is affected by 8 to 14 types (severely degraded state), and 4.04 % shows no signs of degradation (non-degraded state). While land degradation across all three states generally exhibits a stable trend, mildly degraded areas showed signs of improvement, whereas severely degraded areas remain at risk of further degradation. Based on the states and trends of land degradation, China's drylands can be categorised into restoration-priority areas (6.79 %), conservation-priority areas (11.74 %), and management-priority areas (81.47 %), each with distinct focus and intervention needs. This study can help decision-makers understand the dynamics of land degradation and develop priority strategies for ecological restoration.

Urban expansion alters land surfaces and local climate. Therefore, it is essential to assess the impact of urbanisation on microclimate regulation. In this work, we assessed the land surface temperature (LST) in a neighbourhood located in Vilnius (Jeruzale), Lithuania, using a thermal unmanned aerial vehicle to map microclimate regulation using LST and a proxy. The thermal images were validated with ground temperature measurements of different land uses (urban, grassland, and forest). The results showed that the model validation was accurate (adjusted R2= 0.941; RMSE: 1.522) considering all the land uses. The validation was better in urban surfaces (adjusted R2= 0.992; RMSE: 0.409) than in forested areas (adjusted R2= 0.520; RMSE: 2.187). Urbanised areas had a reduced capacity to regulate the microclimate compared to forested areas. Also, it creates a heterogeneous mosaic in temperature distribution. There were significant differences between microclimate regulation among land uses. UAV and ground-measured temperatures were significantly higher in urban areas than in forested ones.

Although geography’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is widely recognised, a comprehensive quantitative synthesis of its intellectual contributions has been absent. This study fills that critical research gap through a large-scale bibliometric analysis. Drawing from 122 core geography journals (Web of Science, 2010–2024), we employed three-level search criteria (SDGs, sustainability and SDG indicators) to identify a final corpus of 70,122 relevant articles. We then combined publication trend analysis, co-citation and collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrence mapping to systematically delineate research foci, contributions, and future directions. Our findings reveal six major thematic research clusters: (1) climate change impacts and governance; (2) agricultural landscape and environmental sustainability; (3) resilience and adaptive capability in social-ecological systems; (4) land use change and metacoupling impacts; (5) urban growth and transport accessibility; and (6) biodiversity and ecosystem services. The SDG overlap analysis highlights strong linkages among environmental SDGs, while revealing that SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) are more isolated. Overall, geography supports the SDGs across four key dimensions: (1) providing spatial data analysis for assessment; (2) conducting regional studies for localisation; (3) applying human-environment interaction research to advance synergies; and (4) strengthening science-policy interface efforts for achievement. To maximise its future impact, this study calls for the geography community to develop a dedicated methodological framework for SDG analysis, proactively contribute to shaping the post-2030 agenda, advance holistic integrated approaches, and prudently harness the power of artificial intelligence to accelerate sustainability transitions.

Soil degradation on abandoned or poorly managed terraces in the Mediterranean region poses a significant threat to the resilience of agroecosystems, particularly in hillside olive groves where erosion and nutrient depletion accelerate land abandonment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short‐term effects of five different soil management practices (grass cover, organic mulch, herbicide application, pile burning and tillage) on soil physical and chemical properties, hydrological responses and nutrient and pollutant losses. A field trial with replicated microplots (five per treatment, 25 in total) on a Rendzic Leptosol was conducted on degraded terraces in southern Croatia. Natural rainfall events were monitored in 2024 (spring to autumn) to quantify runoff and sediment yield. Results showed that mulch and grass treatments significantly improved bulk density, water‐holding capacity and aggregate size while reducing runoff, sediment loss and nutrient export. In contrast, herbicide and fire treatments resulted in pronounced compaction, increased runoff and up to nine times higher losses of C, N, P, K and Cu compared to covered plots. Sediment was consistently enriched in nutrients and contaminants compared to soil, with element concentrations up to three times higher, especially under herbicide, fire and tillage. The study provides new insights into erosion‐induced chemical enrichment and degradation processes on Mediterranean terraces and emphasises the effectiveness of protective measures based on soil cover. The results highlight the disproportionate importance of exposed soils for the transport of fine, chemically enriched sediments and confirm that soil cover, particularly mulch or vegetation, provides substantial protection against both on‐site degradation and nutrient export from the site.

Urban lakes supply many ecosystem services and are very much appreciated for recreational activities. For this, water quality is a key aspect. In this work, we monitored water physical-chemical variables, including temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations in an urban lake located in Vilnius in Summer and Autumn. Per season, 20 samples were collected. The results showed that temperature, pH, EC, N, P and K were significantly higher in Summer than in Autumn, while the opposite was identified in TDS. pH and temperature were negatively associated with TDS, and pH, EC, N, P and K were negatively associated with the previous elements. Data variability was higher in the Summer than in the Autumn. Overall, the highest concentrations of nutrients combined with high temperatures can promote water eutrophication and reduce the lake's capacity for recreation.

Urbanisation and land-use change are among the main pressures on soil health in periurban areas, but the multifunctionality of grassland soils is still not sufficiently recognised. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of soils under grassland, forest and croplands in the periurban area of Zagreb were investigated in a two-year period. Grasslands consistently exhibited multifunctional benefits, including high organic matter content (4.68% vs. 2.24% in cropland), improved bulk density (1.14 vs. 1.24 g cm−3) and an active carbon cycle indicated by increased CO2 emissions (up to 1403 kg ha−1 day−1 in 2021). Forest soils showed the highest aggregate stability (91.4%) and infiltration (0.0006 cm s−1), while croplands showed signs of structural degradation with the highest bulk density and lowest water retention (39.9%). Temporal variation showed that grassland was particularly responsive to favourable climatic conditions, with soil porosity and water content improving yearly. Principal component analysis showed that soil structure, biological activity and moisture regulation were linked, with grassland plots favourably positioned along the axes of resilience. The absence of tillage and the presence of permanent vegetation cover contributed to their high capacity for climate and water regulation and carbon sequestration. These results emphasise the importance of protecting and managing grasslands as an important component of urban green areas. Practices such as mulching, minimal disturbance and continuous cover can maximise the ecosystem services of grassland soils. In addition, the results highlight the potential risk of trace metal accumulation in cropland and grassland soils located near urban and farming infrastructure, underlining the need for regular monitoring in periurban environments. Integrating grassland functions into urban planning and policy is essential for improving the sustainability and resilience of periurban landscapes.

MRU profesorius prof. dr. Paulo Alexandre da Silva Pereira, Aplinkos valdymo laboratorijos vadovas, žemės degradacijos, gaisrų poveikio ekosistemoms ir ekosistemų paslaugoms tyrėjas, bei Rūta Slidžiauskaitė-Maskoliūnė, MRU lektorė, aplinkosaugos teisės ekspertė laidoje „Ekocidas – kas tai?" dalinsis įžvalgomis apie karo Ukrainoje padarinius aplinkai. Kokį ilgalaikį poveikį šiandien daroma žala gamtai turės aplinkai ir žmonių kartoms ateityje? Aiškinsimės, kaip gamtos tyrimų mokslininkai padeda teisės specialistams suprasti kylančių problemų gylį ir mąstą, kaip teisė gali evolucionuoti, atsižvelgdama į realias aplinkosaugos problemas ir grėsmes. Diskutuosime apie galimybes priskirti ekocidą tarptautiniams nusikaltimams.

Amid ongoing global environmental change and the critical pursuit of sustainable development, human–environment systems are exhibiting increasingly complex dynamic evolutions and spatial relationships, underscoring an urgent need for innovative research frameworks. Integrated geography synthesizes physical geography, human geography, and geographic information science, providing key frameworks for understanding complex human–environment systems. This editorial proposes an emerging research framework for integrated geography—“Composite driving–System evolution–Coupling mechanism–Synergistic regulation (CSCS)”—based on key issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and social–ecological interactions, which have been highlighted in both recent critical literature on human–environment systems and UN assessment reports. The framework starts with diverse composite driving forces, extends to the evolution of human–environment system structures, processes, and functions that these drivers induce, explores couplings within human–environment systems, and calls for regulation aimed at sustainable development in synergies. Major research frontiers include understanding the cascading “evolution–coupling” effects of shocks; measuring system resilience, thresholds, and safe and just operating space boundaries; clarifying linkage mechanisms across scales; and achieving synergistic outcomes for multi-objective sustainability. This framework will help promote the interdisciplinary integration and development of integrated geography, and provide geographical solutions for the global sustainable development agenda.