http://hdl.handle.net/10174/169 2026-07-04T00:03:34Z 2026-07-04T00:03:34Z Horta Marques, J. Carreira, E. Lloberas, D. Martins, M. Ribeiro, H. Serrano, João http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42294 2026-07-03T15:23:28Z 2026-05-31T23:00:00Z

Title: Within-field soil variability in agro-silvo-pastoral systems: a baseline for Precision Agriculture adoption Authors: Horta Marques, J.; Carreira, E.; Lloberas, D.; Martins, M.; Ribeiro, H.; Serrano, João Abstract: The Montado represents a dominant agro-silvo-pastoral system across the Mediterranean basin. It integrates pastures, trees (cork oak and/or holm oak), and livestock (ruminants or swine), While Precision Agriculture is more commonly applied to purely agricultural systems, it offers significant potential to optimize Montado management, thereby increasing economic, environmental, social, and cultural sustainability. This study aims to quantify spatial soil variability within Montado plots to identify which essential nutrients for plant production exhibit the greatest distribution range. This study was conducted on two permanent applied research plots, grazed by cattle under a rotational grazing system (total area = 20 ha; location: Mitra/University of Évora, Portugal, Figure 1). Sampling’s carried out at 24 points: 12 under the tree canopy influence and 12 outside the canopy influence. The methodology’s described in Serrano et al (2023) and Horta Marques (2026). Results indicate high within-field variability (Coefficient of Variation around 40% or higher) in the levels of K2O, Mg, P2O5, Ca and all studied micronutrients except for Fe. The findings demonstrate that the observed within-field variability, alongside agronomic expertise and economic and environmental sustainability goals, justifies the implementation of Precision Agriculture in Mediterranean agro-silvo-pastoral systems.

2026-05-31T23:00:00Z Serrano, João Carreira, Emanuel Shahidian, S. Paniagua, L. Moral, F. Pereira, A. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42289 2026-07-03T15:20:16Z 2026-05-31T23:00:00Z

Title: Impact of Sheep Stocking Rates in Soil Compaction: Case Study in Montado Mediterranean Ecosystem Authors: Serrano, João; Carreira, Emanuel; Shahidian, S.; Paniagua, L.; Moral, F.; Pereira, A. Abstract: The economic return on extensive sheep farming (pasture-based systems) of the Southern of Portugal is low, as it occupies degraded soils. Therefore, the environmental perspective prevails, with the recovery of soil functionality and the preservation of the Montado as an ecosystem of high nature value. This study assesses the impact of two grazing management systems and stocking rates (SR), continuous grazing (CG) with low SR versus deferred grazing (DG) with high SR, on soil compaction. The study was carried out between December 2023 and June 2025 on a 4-ha pasture. This area of natu-ral grassland was divided into four grazing parks of 1 ha each, two under DG management and two under CG management. During the study, the cone index (CI, in kPa) was measured in the topsoil layer (0–30 cm) on eight dates, with an electronic cone penetrometer at 48 georeferenced areas. The results of CI measurement showed no significant differences between treat-ments in all depths measured (0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm). These findings are encouraging from the point of view of soil conservation and sustainabil-ity, revealing good prospects for the possible intensification of extensive livestock production.

2026-05-31T23:00:00Z Serrano, João Shahidian, S. Charneca, R. Paniagua, L. Moral, F. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42281 2026-07-03T15:17:37Z 2026-05-31T23:00:00Z

Title: Rising Plate Meter as a Tool for Pasture Dry Matter Estimation: Case Study in Mediterranean Dryland Pastures Authors: Serrano, João; Shahidian, S.; Charneca, R.; Paniagua, L.; Moral, F. Abstract: In ruminant-based extensive livestock systems, pastures are one of the main components and the main feeding source given that they are the most eco-nomical resource. Accurate information about pasture dry matter (DM, in kg ha-1) availability is a key parameter in the manager’s decision, particularly when calculating stocking rates and supplementation needs. This study evaluates an electronic sensor (rising plate meter, RPM) to estimate DM in biodiverse dryland pastures. The study was carried out between December 2023 and December 2025 on three pasture fields, two located in Portuguese Alentejo region (Southern Portugal), “Mitra” and “Tapada dos Números”, and one located in Spanish Extremadura region (Cubillos). The experimental work consisted of sensor measurements, followed by the collection of more than 200 pasture samples, distributed between different dates of the pasture vegetative cycles of 2023/2024 and 2024/2025. The best estimation models for DM were obtained based on measurements carried out in Autumn and Winter (R2 > 0.70) and decreased significantly when based on measurements carried out in Spring. These results show the potential for the research and development of proximal and remote sensing tools to support pasture moni-toring and animal production management.

2026-05-31T23:00:00Z Holzman, Samuel Noll, Dominik http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42194 2026-06-16T09:02:20Z 2025-02-24T00:00:00Z

Title: The legacies of construction waste on Samothrace from ­ antiquity to the present - A case study between archaeology and social metabolism Authors: Holzman, Samuel; Noll, Dominik Abstract: The Greek island of Samothrace, located in the northern Aegean Sea, has been continuously inhabited since about 5500 BC. Samothracian builders, however, imported non-biodegradable building materials in large quantities only during two historical periods, the first during the early Hellenistic period (c. 350–150 BC) and the second during the modern period (c. 1970–2021). Samothrace’s insularity limits the flow of materials: it increases the cost of imports, prevents most waste exports and limits options for local waste management and recycling. The artificial harbors, which were built on the island in antiquity and in the 20th century, have significantly changed the building and reuse patterns on the island. A broad historical outline of building on Samothrace, comparing the last 5000 and 100 years, draws attention to the secondary uses of building materials. By quantifying ancient imports of marble and modern imports of concrete, brick, asphalt, steel and plastics, it is possible to compare the scale of the imprint these materials leave on the landscape. A point of alignment between the historical data collected from archaeological excavations and the modern statistics produced by Sociometabolic Research reveals a striking contrast: the estimated average amount of construction and demolition waste produced each year in Samothrace today (10,000 tones) is roughly equal to the total estimate of all marble imported to the island for construction purposes in antiquity.

2025-02-24T00:00:00Z