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Studies on the impact of human agricultural activities on the soil microbiome and soil quality are extremely important, but such studies on floodplains in river valleys are lacking. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine the impact of blackcurrant cultivation on Fluvisols located in the Vistula River valley (Poland). The dehydrogenases (DHa) and phosphatases (acid-AcP, and alkaline-AlP) activities, carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) contents of the microbial biomass, the metabolic potential of the microbial community (EcoPlate™ Biolog) and taxonomic diversity of the soil microbiome were determined (next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the 16S rRNA gene). Enzymatic activity and metabolic potential and diversity (EcoPlate™) were higher in the soils from meadows, but MBC and MBN and biodiversity indices derived from NGS were higher in the cultivated soils. It can be confirmed that human activities affect the physicochemical, biological and microbiological parameters of Fluvisols. This may indicate that microorganisms are numerically more abundant and taxonomically more diverse in the cultivated soils, but are more active in the soils from meadows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City riverbanks usually have great landscape value and are iconic public spaces. However, there are many cities with large abandoned industrial buildings, such as power plants, on their riverbanks. Such buildings run the risk of being demolished in order to recover the surrounding natural landscape, despite having an important presence in the collective memory of the citizens and in the history of the city. This article seeks to analyse the reuse and refurbishment of industrial power plants on riversides from a modern artistic/recreational approach in order to restore and enhance the landscape value of the site by regenerating the environs and turning them into hubs of activity. Two case studies from different locations are considered in order to extract the information. A methodology is used that allows us to analyse and study a complex reality in a straightforward, concise and direct way. That means it can be used by many agents currently involved in those reuse processes to compare and to monitor the different cases over time. This research has sought to highlight the power plant typology, its relationship with the riverside, and subsequently, to extrapolate the criteria used to study other industrial buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to derive the optimal solution for well locations based on the allowable withdrawal. To demonstrate the proposed technique, a numerical model of a typical well field at the Qinbei Power Plant was constructed and 20 possible drawdown scenarios were simulated for each of three different arrangements of pumping wells. The concept of the Unit Increased Drawdown Value (UIDV) was used as a basis to select the location of pumping wells, where the UIDV is defined as the increase in drawdown associated with the addition of a unit of extraction. Results showed that for modeled well fields with the same number of wells and rates of exploitation, drawdown will reach the maximum and minimum when the well field is located in the recharge zone and discharge zone, respectively, because of the specific relationships between groundwater and surface water. This paper considered a pumping program with maximum exploitation and minimum costs corresponding to allowable withdrawals of 2.44 m3/s and 1.07 m3/s, respectively, and the relationship between groundwater and surface water was elucidated. The study results provide a theoretical basis for the layout of wells. The solution takes economic factors into consideration and describes the best solution for well locations to meet drawdown limitations during pumping applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying and managing carbon (C) storage in urban green space (UGS) soils is associated with the ecosystem services necessary for human well-being and the national C inventory report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Here, the soil C stocks at 30-cm depths in different types of UGS's (roadside, park, school forest, and riverside) were studied in three major South Korean cities that have experienced recent, rapid development. The total C of 666 soil samples was analyzed, and these results were combined with the available UGS inventory data. Overall, the mean soil bulk density, C concentration, and C density at 30-cm depths were 1.22 g·cm–3, 7.31 g·C· kg–1, and 2.13 kg·C·m–2, respectively. The UGS soil C stock (Gg· C) at 30-cm depths was 105.6 for Seoul, 43.6 for Daegu, and 26.4 for Daejeon. The lower C storage of Korean UGS soils than those of other countries is due to the low soil C concentration and the smaller land area under UGS. Strategic management practices that augment the organic matter supply in soil are expected to enhance C storage in South Korean UGS soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a post-industrial world one of the foci of urbanism has been on the regeneration of former industrial sites along urban rivers. This is a contemporary urban design issue that needs further attention, especially in relation to urban forms and design interventions. This paper sets out to contribute to research in design by reviewing past theories and practices in order to inform the formation of conceptual ideas. These are of importance to inform practice and ensure responsive and responsible processes in planning and design. Such a review has hitherto been lacking, but with a renewed interest in urban densification, research in the design of cities is required. Thus, this paper provides a critical assessment of theories, which are identified and categorised in relation to urban riverside regeneration. For this study, urban design is considered as a craft requiring 'savoir faire' to ensure the functionality and quality of urban spaces. Transferable principles and ideas are identified in relation to the specific characteristics of riverside locations contributing to the definition of a 'riverside urbanity'. It provides a theoretical framework identifying types of riverside landscapes, including the relationship between urban forms and river corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]