La sfida nel 21esimo secolo è quella di fornire cibo e energia ad un mondo in continua crescita demografica e allo stesso tempo conservare l’ambiente. In questa tesi uno scenario alternativo di uso del suolo per la produzione di bioenergia è stato testato: le fasce tampone bioenergetiche. Considerate le problematiche ambientali legate al trilemma “cibo-energia-ambiente”, la struttura del Millennium Ecosystem Assessment sui servizi ecosistemici (SE) fornisce l’opportunità di esaminare l’impatto ambientale di questo nuovo scenario bioenergetico. In questa tesi ho mirato a determinare in che misura le colture bioenergetiche poliennali influenzino la fornitura multipla di SE quando coltivate come fasce tampone. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo, ho combinato una revisione sistematica della letteratura sui SE forniti da colture energetiche poliennali (CEP) con una prova sperimentale su fasce tampone bioenergetiche. Applicando una metodologia di attribuzione di punteggi agli impatti sui SE estratti dal materiale bibliografico raccolto, ho mostrato come coltivando le CEP lungo i margini dei campi coltivati esista una grande opportunità per sostenere la fornitura multipla di SE. La coltivazione delle CEP come fasce tampone adiacenti a campi agricoli può migliorare i SE di regolazione del clima, dell’acqua e della biodiversità, sostenere la salute del suolo e fornire biomassa dedicata alla produzione di bioenergia. Al contrario, la conversione di margini di campo di prati stabili ha mostrato un impatto netto negativo sulla fornitura multipla di SE. Tuttavia, due sono i principali svantaggi che sono stati individuati relativamente alla creazione e alla gestione delle fasce tampone bioenergetiche. Primo, diversi sono i fattori sito-specifici di tipo idro-pedologico lungo i margini dei campi che devono essere tenuti in considerazione poiché possono avere un impatto negativo sull’affrancamento delle colture e la loro produttività a medio-lungo termine. Secondo, riguardo la catena di approvvigionamento della biomassa, uno spazio di lavoro limitato per le macchine agricole è stato riconosciuto come principale inconveniente per le fasce tampone bioenergetiche rispetto alle CEP coltivate in pieno campo. Questo limite logistico di natura spaziale può inevitabilmente incrementare i tempi e le operazioni di taglio e raccolta della biomassa e quindi in ultima il consumo di combustili fossili. Grazie ad una prova sperimentale su fasce tampone bioenergetiche condotta in un terreno sabbioso-limoso con falda acquifera poco profonda contaminata da nitrati di origine agricola, si è dimostrato come fasce tampone coltivate con miscanto e salice siano in grado di intercettare e rimuovere i nitrati in falda (>60%) tanto quanto fasce tampone con specie avventizie. CEP come miscanto e salice, grazie ai loro apparati radicali profondi, hanno mostrato essere in grado di promuovere delle relazioni pianta-suolo-microorganismi lungo l’intero profilo del suolo utili ai fini ambientali delle fasce tampone bioenergetiche. Infatti, negli strati più profondi, una maggiore biomassa radicale ha portato le CEP a superare le specie avventizie in termini di rimozione biologica dei nitrati dal suolo e mitigazione potenziale dei gas serra. Inoltre, i risultati relativi alla produzione di biomassa e le asportazioni di N legata alla fase di raccolta hanno confermato ulteriormente come la coltivazione di CEP lungo i corsi d’acqua sia una strategia win-win: produzione di biomassa e protezione dell’ambiente. In conclusione, il potenziale rivelato dalle CEP in termini di fornitura multipla di SE suggerisce che la loro coltivazione, come elementi paesaggistici perenni in posizioni strategiche all'interno di paesaggio agricolo, è un'opzione promettente per promuovere l'intensificazione ecologicamente sostenibile degli agroecosistemi. / The 21st century will challenge agriculture to feed and fuel a growing world while conserving the environment. In this thesis an alternative bioenergy land use scenario to the conversion of marginal land has been tested: the bioenergy buffers. Given the environmental issues related to “food-energy-environment” trilemma, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework on ES provides an opportunity to examine the environmental impacts of this new bioenergy land use scenario. In this thesis I aimed to determine to what extent do the perennial bioenergy crops affect the delivery of multiple ES when cultivated as bioenergy buffers. To reach this aim, I combined a systematic revision of literature on ES provided by perennial bioenergy crops with a field experiment on bioenergy buffers. Applying an impact scoring methodology to the effects on ES extracted from literature, I showed that, cultivating perennial bioenergy crops along field margins of former croplands offer a great opportunity to sustain the provision of multiple ES. The cultivation of perennial bioenergy crops on field margins can improve climate, biodiversity and water regulation services, sustain soil health and provide biomass for energetic purposes. On the contrary, grassland conversion showed a net negative impact on multiple ES provision. Nevertheless, I found two main shortcomings related to bioenergy buffers establishment and management. First, several site-specific factors along field margins must be taken into account, because they can affect crop establishment and buffers long-term productivity. Second, regarding to biomass supply chain, a limited working space for the farm machinery operations has been recognized as the main disadvantages of bioenergy buffers compared to large-scale bioenergy plantations. This spatial logistics constraint may inevitably increase harvest and collection operation times and fossil fuel consumption. Conducting a field experiment with bioenergy buffers in a nitrate-enriched shallow groundwater, I showed that miscanthus and willow buffers are able to efficiently intercept and remove from groundwater the incoming NO3-N as much as buffer strips with spontaneous species. Yet, due to their deep rooting systems, bioenergy buffers promote significant plant-microbial linkages along the soil profile. At deeper soil layers, a higher fine root biomass led perennial bioenergy crops to outperform patches of adventitious vegetation in terms of biological N removal from soil and belowground GHG mitigation potential. The results on biomass production and N removal via harvesting further confirmed that the cultivation of perennial bioenergy crops along watercourses is an effective win-win strategy: biomass production and protection of the environment. In conclusion, the revealed potential of perennial bioenergy crops on multiple ES provision implies that their cultivation as perennial landscape elements in strategic locations within landscape is a promising option to promote the ecological sustainable intensification of agroecosystems.

La présence de plantes accélère la décomposition de la matière organique du sol (MOS) au travers de l’apport de composés riches en énergie (rhizodépôts et litières) stimulant les microorganismes ; un phénomène appelé « rhizosphere priming effect » (RPE). Une augmentation de la photosynthèse, activité pourvoyeuse d'énergie rhizodéposée, pourrait augmenter le RPE et l’offre du sol en nutriments. Récemment, le modèle SYMPHONY couplant activités photosynthétiques et microbiennes du sol suggère un ajustement de l'offre du sol en nutriments (delta minéralisation-immobilisation) à la demande des plantes. Cependant, le rôle clé de la photosynthèse sur cet ajustement offre-demande reste à étudier expérimentalement.L’objectif général de la thèse est d'étudier le rôle des interactions des activités photosynthétiques et microbiennes du sol dans les régulations des flux de carbone (C) et d'azote (N) des écosystèmes. Trois écosystèmes types ont été étudiés : la prairie, la monoculture de blé et un nouveau système de culture (NSC) associant blé et plantes pérennes de la prairie. Nous émettons l’hypothèse que les plantes pérennes, via une activité photosynthétique pourvoyant les microorganismes en énergie tout au long de l'année, sont essentielles à l'ajustement offre-demande en N. De nombreux défis techniques ont été relevés afin de construire une plateforme expérimentale de 40 mésocosmes sous éclairage et température naturels. Cette plateforme permet de coupler marquage 13C des plantes, mesures continues des échanges de CO2, du RPE, de la production végétale, du stockage de C du sol, le taux de minéralisation-immobilisation d'N et du lessivage d'N. Ce dispositif nous a permis de déterminer la contribution du RPE dans les flux de C des écosystèmes comprenant la production nette de l’écosystème (NEP), la production primaire brute (GPP) et la respiration de l’écosystème (RE) exprimées en g C m-2 24h-1. Nous avons montré une relation positive linéaire entre (1) RPE et GPP et (2) RPE et biomasse aérienne (AGB) (g C m-2). A partir de ces relations, le RPE peut être prédit en utilisant les équations suivantes : (...). Nous montrons un ajustement offre-demande de l’N au cours des saisons : une forte activité photosynthétique (printemps) est liée à un RPE et un delta minéralisation-immobilisation d’N élevés alors qu’une faible activité photosynthétique (automne) est liée à un RPE et un delta minéralisation-immobilisation d’N faibles. Cet ajustement était observé dans la prairie et dans le NSC mais pas en monoculture de blé. Logiquement, la lixiviation d’N était importante en monoculture de blé alors qu’elle était quasi nulle en prairie et dans le NSC. Après deux années de maintien des trois écosystèmes types, la production aérienne totale du NSC était équivalente à la prairie, tous deux étant supérieurs d’environ un facteur deux à la monoculture de blé. Ces résultats confirment l’importance des plantes pérennes dans la synchronisation offre-demande de l’N. L’ensemble de ces investigations souligne l’importance des activités des plantes et des processus rhizosphériques dans la régulation des cycles CN des écosystèmes. Ces régulations pourront être étudiées in situ et à l'échelle globale grâce aux proxys de ces processus rhizosphériques (RPE, ajustement offre-demande) déterminés dans la thèse. Des activités photosynthétiques et rhizosphériques tout au long de l'année sont essentielles à l'ajustement offre-demande en nutriments conduisant à une forte production primaire, à la fermeture des cycles des nutriments et au stockage de MOS. Ces découvertes offrent l'opportunité de construire de nouveaux systèmes de culture, à l'image de l’association blé-plantes pérennes étudiée, à hautes performances agro-environnementales. / The presence of plants accelerates the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) through the supply of energy-rich compounds (rhizodeposits and litter) stimulating microorganisms; a phenomenon called rhizosphere priming effect (RPE). An increase of photosynthesis, supplying soil with rhizodeposited energy, could increase the RPE and soil nutrients offer. Recently, the SYMPHONY model coupling photosynthesis and soil microbial activities suggested an adjustment of the soil nutrient offer (delta mineralization-immobilization) to plant demand. However, the key role of photosynthesis in this offer-demand adjustment needs to be investigated experimentally.The general objective of the thesis is to study the role of interactions between photosynthesis and soil microbial activities in the regulation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fluxes of ecosystems. Three ecosystem types were studied: grassland, wheat monoculture and a new cropping system (NSC) where wheat and perennial grassland species were intercropped. We hypothesize that perennial species, through a continuous photosynthetic activity supplying microorganisms with energy over the year, are essential for offer-demand adjustment.Many technical challenges were overcame to build an experimental platform of 40 mesocosms under natural light and temperature. This platform allows to couple 13C labeling of plants, continuous CO2-exchange measurements, RPE, plant production, soil C storage, N mineralization-immobilization turnover and N leaching.This experimental platform allowed us to determine the contribution of RPE to C fluxes of ecosystems including net ecosystem production (NEP), gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) expressed in g C m-2 24h-1. We found positive linear relationships between (1) RPE and GPP and (2) RPE and aboveground biomass (AGB) (g C m-2). Using these relationships, the RPE can be predicted with the following equations: (...).We show an adjustment of soil N-offer to plant N-demand across seasons: a high photosynthetic activity (spring) is linked to high RPE and delta mineralization-immobilization of N whereas a low photosynthetic activity (autumn) is linked to low RPE and delta mineralization-immobilization of N. This adjustment was observed in grassland and NSC but not in wheat monoculture. Consistently, N leaching was high in wheat monoculture while it was almost null in grassland and NSC. After two years of establishment of the three ecosystems, the total aboveground production of the NSC was equivalent to the grassland, each being about twice as high as the wheat monoculture. These results confirm the importance of perennial species in the offer-demand adjustment of N.Our findings underline the importance of plant activities and rhizosphere processes in the regulation of ecosystems C N cycles. Using the proxies of rhizosphere processes (RPE, offer-demand adjustment) provided in the thesis, further studies could investigate these regulations in situ and at the global scale. The presence of photosynthetic and rhizospheric activities over the year are essential for offer-demand adjustment of nutrients leading to high primary production, closing nutrient cycles and SOM storage. These findings offer the opportunity to build new cropping systems such as the wheat-perennial species studied, with high agro-environmental performances.

Vorliegende Arbeit zeigt die jüngsten Möglichkeiten hochauflösender Fernerkundung am Beispiel von Stadtbäumen in Berlin, Deutschland. Es wurden neuste methodische Ansätze eingesetzt, wie beispielsweise maschinelles Lernens und individuelle Baumdetektion. Sie erwiesen sich von großem Vorteil für die detaillierte Analyse urbaner Ökosystemdienstleistungen in einer heterogenen Umwelt. Neueste Fernerkundung von hoher zeitlicher Auflösung hat Möglichkeiten gezeigt, Veränderungen des Stadtwaldes präziser zu untersuchen. Diesbezüglich konnten Baumspezies klassifiziert werden auf Grundlage saisonaler Veränderungen, die mittels Fernerkundungsdaten aufgenommen wurden. Dies ist für den urbanen Bereich einmalig und über große Flächen noch nicht durchgeführt worden. Darüber hinaus haben diese Baumarten einzelnen Bäumen zugeordnet werden können, deren Abmessung fernerkundlich erfasst worden ist. Diese neu erzeugten Umweltinformationen einzelner Bäume können damit verbundene urbane Ökosystemdienstleistungen präzise aktualisieren. Zum Beispiel haben so Unsicherheiten in der Schätzung zur Kohlenstoffspeicherung städtischer Wälder reduziert werden können. Es ist zudem von Vorteil gewesen, den gegenwärtigen Mangel an räumlich expliziten dreidimensionalen Informationen über Stadtwälder anzusprechen. Allerdings ist die Rolle städtischen Wälder, das Treibhausgas CO2 langfristig auszugleichen, immer noch wenig untersucht. Gerade der Mangel an präzisen, konsistenten und aktuellen Details führt zu großen Unsicherheiten im Rahmen von Lebenszyklus-Analysen. Auf Grund des aktuellen Fortschritts in hochauflösender Fernerkundung könnten diese Unsicherheiten reduziert werden. Dazu werden Möglichkeiten ausgiebig kritisch bewertet und anhand einer Lebenszyklus-Analyse am Beispiel Berlin andiskutiert, inwieweit sie präzisere langfristige Prognosen zum Stadtwald als Kohlenstoffspeicher liefern. / This work shows recent options for implementing high resolution remote sensing in assessing urban trees in Berlin, Germany. State-of-the-art methodological approaches like machine learning and individual tree detection proved to be highly advantageous for analyzing details of urban ecosystem services within a heterogeneous urban environment. Recent remote sensing of high temporal resolution offers new options for more precisely addressing urban forest dynamics. This successfully shows that tree species could be identified from seasonal changes of remotely sensed imagery, though this has not yet been applied across cities. Furthermore, these tree species results could be combined with remotely sensed individual tree dimensions. This newly generated data can be suggested to update spatially explicit information on related urban ecosystem services. For example, this could reduce the uncertainties of such estimates as urban forest carbon storage, and also address the present lack of spatially explicit three-dimensional information on urban forests. However, few studies have considered the local scale of urban forests to effectively evaluate their potential long-term carbon offset. The lack of precise, consistent and up-to-date forest details is challenging within the scope of life cycle assessments. This can cause high uncertainties in urban forest carbon offset. Although, recent progress in high resolution remote sensing is promising to reduce these uncertainties. For this purpose, remote sensing options are extensively reviewed and briefly discussed using an example of life cycle assessment for Berlin, which allow more precise long-term prognoses of urban forest carbon offset.

Water quantity, availability and, particularly, quality of Brazilian freshwater is under progessive degradation due to Anthropocene\'s environmental changing conditions. Strategies of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) are essential to mitigate these impacts. This Ph.D. thesis proposes a new model of water resources management, thereby integrating selfpurification and ecohydrologic processes to evaluate ecosystem services from watershed under change. In Chapter 2, this thesis examinates the payment for hydrologic cosystem services (Water-PES) in Brazilian Atlantic Forest and points ecohydrologic variables useful for assessing and further valuing hydrologic services. In Chapter 3, this thesis discusses proposals for freshwater monitoring plan which integrate quali-quantitative aspects for EbA and Water-PES projects. Therefore, in Chapter 4 experimental quali-quantative freshwater data from in-situ field observations are investigated according land-use/land-cover (LULC) in headwaters of water supply systems. In Chapter 5, through simulated impacts on freshwater yield from scenarios of LULC change, the grey water footprint (greyWF) is assessed, as well as environmental sustainability of sub-basins is depicted from a new ecohydrologic index for assessing hydrologic services. The methodology is performed using through field sampling and lab-analysing of physico-chemical, biologic and hydraulic variables in nested sub-basins draining to the Cantareira Water Supply System, in Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais states, Brazil. These areas participate in the Water-PES projects Water Producer/PCJ and Water Conservator at headwaters of Piracicaba watershed, during recent severe drought conditions between years 2013-15. The greyWF is estimated from outputs of time series simulated through ecohydrologic model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Under assumption of continuity of Water-PES projects, and using the same series of hydrometorological records for a common period (2008-2014), freshwater quali-quantitative impacts are performed through three LULC scenarios: past situation \"S1\" (year 1990), current situation \"S2\" (year 2010) and future situation \"S2+EbA\" (year 2035). From these scenarios, flow and load duration curves, mean water yields, greyWF and seasonal variabilities, were simulated. Through this research, continuous-monitoring Data Collecting Stations were installed in public-private partnership encompassing EESC/USP, ANA, CPRM, CEMADEN, SMA, TNC, WWF and local mayors. This continuous monitoring is addressed to increase the system resilience, based on better decision-making for water security, in strategic headwaters not only for water supply, but also for environmental conservation. This doctoral thesis brings contributions to a better comprehension of anthropic impacts on water resources and for strategies of EbA in front of progressive rates of losses of ecosystem services. This PhD. thesis was part of three research initiatives which partly granted activities: (1) Thematic Project FAPESP 2008/58161-1 \"Assessment of Impacts and Vulnerability to Climate Change in Brazil and Strategies for Adaptation Options\"; (2) \"INCLINE - INterdisciplinary CLimate INvEstigation Center\" (NapMC/USP Núcleo de Apoio às Pesquisas em Mudanças Climáticas) and (3) \"Água Brasil\" Project, Banco do Brasil Foundation, WWF Brazil, ANA & FIPAI/EESC-USP. / A quantidade, a disponibilidade e, em particular, a qualidade da água doce está em degradação progressiva devido às mudanças ambientais no Antropoceno. Estratégias de adaptação baseadas em ecossistemas (EbA) são essenciais para reduzir estes impactos. Propõe-se um novo modelo de gerenciamento de recursos hídricos que integre a pegada hídrica cinza e processos ecohidrológicos para avaliação dos serviços hidrológicos em bacias hidrográficas sob mudanças. As etapas da pesquisa são: Capítulo 2 – análise dos projetos de pagamentos por serviços ambientais de proteção às bacias hidrográficas na Mata Atlântica brasileira e, no contexto de EbA, indicação de variáveis ecohidrológicas úteis na quantificação e futura valoração dos serviços hidrológicos; Capítulo 3 – desenvolvimento de plano de monitoramento ecohidrológico que integra aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos dos recursos hídricos para projetos de EbA; Capítulo 4 – provisão de dados experimentais de qualidade e quantidade da água, além de observações in-situ, para investigação das influências das mudanças de uso e ocupação do solo nas cabeceiras de mananciais, estratégicos para o abastecimento público e a conservação ambiental; Capítulo 5 – estimativas da pegada hídrica cinza para nitrato, fósforo total e sedimentos a partir do monitoramento de variáveis quali-quantitativas em bacias com diferentes condições de uso e ocupação de solo. Foi realizada a instalação de três Plataformas de Coleta de Dados, por meio de parceria entre EESC, ANA, CPRM, CEMADEN, SMA, TNC e WWF, visando aumentar a resiliência do sistema, decorrente de futuro aprimoramento da gestão, para a segurança hídrica. A metodologia incluiu coletas em seis diferentes períodos, durante dois anos, e análises das variáveis condutividade elétrica, cor, DQO, DBO5,20, nitrato, nitrito, nitrogênio amoniacal, fosfato, pH, turbidez, sólidos totais, coliformes termotolerantes, Escherichia coli, medidas de vazões e velocidades médias em seções transversais. O método foi aplicado em microbacias participantes dos projetos Produtor de Água/PCJ e Conservador das Águas, dentre outras, com áreas de drenagem entre 7 e 1.000 km2, que contribuem para a bacia do rio Piracicaba (12.530 km2). Dados primários, medidos em recente período de severa estiagem no Sistema Cantareira (2013-14), foram integrados aos bancos de dados de órgãos gestores federais e estaduais. A produção de água foi maior em sub-bacias menos florestadas. Foi possível aprimorar a regionalização de cargas poluidoras por área de drenagem na região do Cantareira. A pegada hídrica cinza (WF) foi estimada a partir de simulações no modelo ecohidrológico Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Curvas de permanência de vazões e carga poluidora por área de drenagem foram elaboradas. Supondo-se a continuidade dos projetos \"Produtor de Água/PCJ\" e \"Conservador das Águas\", foram investigados os impactos de cenário futuro de uso do solo. Finalmente, foi desenvolvido novo índice ecohidrológico para quantificação dos serviços hidrológicos e avaliação a sustentabilidade das sub-bacias, a partir da pegada hídrica cinza composta. Assim, usando ferramentas de vanguarda tecnológica (SWAT e WF), a tese fornece subsídios para uma melhor compreensão dos impactos antropogênicos sobre os recursos hídricos e novas estratégias de adaptação baseada em ecossistemas, frente às progressivas taxas de perda de serviços ambientais. Esta tese esteve vinculada a três projetos de pesquisa, dos quais obteve apoio financeiro: (1) Projeto Temático FAPESP 2008/58161-1 \"Assessment of Impacts and Vulnerability to Climate Change in Brazil & Strategies for Adaptation Options\"; (2) \"INCLINE - INterdisciplinary CLimate INvEstigation Center\" (NapMC/USP) e (3) Projeto \"Água Brasil\", Fundação Banco do Brasil, WWF Brasil, ANA e FIPAI/EESC-USP.

Water quantity, availability and, particularly, quality of Brazilian freshwater is under progessive degradation due to Anthropocene\'s environmental changing conditions. Strategies of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) are essential to mitigate these impacts. This Ph.D. thesis proposes a new model of water resources management, thereby integrating selfpurification and ecohydrologic processes to evaluate ecosystem services from watershed under change. In Chapter 2, this thesis examinates the payment for hydrologic cosystem services (Water-PES) in Brazilian Atlantic Forest and points ecohydrologic variables useful for assessing and further valuing hydrologic services. In Chapter 3, this thesis discusses proposals for freshwater monitoring plan which integrate quali-quantitative aspects for EbA and Water-PES projects. Therefore, in Chapter 4 experimental quali-quantative freshwater data from in-situ field observations are investigated according land-use/land-cover (LULC) in headwaters of water supply systems. In Chapter 5, through simulated impacts on freshwater yield from scenarios of LULC change, the grey water footprint (greyWF) is assessed, as well as environmental sustainability of sub-basins is depicted from a new ecohydrologic index for assessing hydrologic services. The methodology is performed using through field sampling and lab-analysing of physico-chemical, biologic and hydraulic variables in nested sub-basins draining to the Cantareira Water Supply System, in Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais states, Brazil. These areas participate in the Water-PES projects Water Producer/PCJ and Water Conservator at headwaters of Piracicaba watershed, during recent severe drought conditions between years 2013-15. The greyWF is estimated from outputs of time series simulated through ecohydrologic model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Under assumption of continuity of Water-PES projects, and using the same series of hydrometorological records for a common period (2008-2014), freshwater quali-quantitative impacts are performed through three LULC scenarios: past situation \"S1\" (year 1990), current situation \"S2\" (year 2010) and future situation \"S2+EbA\" (year 2035). From these scenarios, flow and load duration curves, mean water yields, greyWF and seasonal variabilities, were simulated. Through this research, continuous-monitoring Data Collecting Stations were installed in public-private partnership encompassing EESC/USP, ANA, CPRM, CEMADEN, SMA, TNC, WWF and local mayors. This continuous monitoring is addressed to increase the system resilience, based on better decision-making for water security, in strategic headwaters not only for water supply, but also for environmental conservation. This doctoral thesis brings contributions to a better comprehension of anthropic impacts on water resources and for strategies of EbA in front of progressive rates of losses of ecosystem services. This PhD. thesis was part of three research initiatives which partly granted activities: (1) Thematic Project FAPESP 2008/58161-1 \"Assessment of Impacts and Vulnerability to Climate Change in Brazil and Strategies for Adaptation Options\"; (2) \"INCLINE - INterdisciplinary CLimate INvEstigation Center\" (NapMC/USP Núcleo de Apoio às Pesquisas em Mudanças Climáticas) and (3) \"Água Brasil\" Project, Banco do Brasil Foundation, WWF Brazil, ANA & FIPAI/EESC-USP. / A quantidade, a disponibilidade e, em particular, a qualidade da água doce está em degradação progressiva devido às mudanças ambientais no Antropoceno. Estratégias de adaptação baseadas em ecossistemas (EbA) são essenciais para reduzir estes impactos. Propõe-se um novo modelo de gerenciamento de recursos hídricos que integre a pegada hídrica cinza e processos ecohidrológicos para avaliação dos serviços hidrológicos em bacias hidrográficas sob mudanças. As etapas da pesquisa são: Capítulo 2 – análise dos projetos de pagamentos por serviços ambientais de proteção às bacias hidrográficas na Mata Atlântica brasileira e, no contexto de EbA, indicação de variáveis ecohidrológicas úteis na quantificação e futura valoração dos serviços hidrológicos; Capítulo 3 – desenvolvimento de plano de monitoramento ecohidrológico que integra aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos dos recursos hídricos para projetos de EbA; Capítulo 4 – provisão de dados experimentais de qualidade e quantidade da água, além de observações in-situ, para investigação das influências das mudanças de uso e ocupação do solo nas cabeceiras de mananciais, estratégicos para o abastecimento público e a conservação ambiental; Capítulo 5 – estimativas da pegada hídrica cinza para nitrato, fósforo total e sedimentos a partir do monitoramento de variáveis quali-quantitativas em bacias com diferentes condições de uso e ocupação de solo. Foi realizada a instalação de três Plataformas de Coleta de Dados, por meio de parceria entre EESC, ANA, CPRM, CEMADEN, SMA, TNC e WWF, visando aumentar a resiliência do sistema, decorrente de futuro aprimoramento da gestão, para a segurança hídrica. A metodologia incluiu coletas em seis diferentes períodos, durante dois anos, e análises das variáveis condutividade elétrica, cor, DQO, DBO5,20, nitrato, nitrito, nitrogênio amoniacal, fosfato, pH, turbidez, sólidos totais, coliformes termotolerantes, Escherichia coli, medidas de vazões e velocidades médias em seções transversais. O método foi aplicado em microbacias participantes dos projetos Produtor de Água/PCJ e Conservador das Águas, dentre outras, com áreas de drenagem entre 7 e 1.000 km2, que contribuem para a bacia do rio Piracicaba (12.530 km2). Dados primários, medidos em recente período de severa estiagem no Sistema Cantareira (2013-14), foram integrados aos bancos de dados de órgãos gestores federais e estaduais. A produção de água foi maior em sub-bacias menos florestadas. Foi possível aprimorar a regionalização de cargas poluidoras por área de drenagem na região do Cantareira. A pegada hídrica cinza (WF) foi estimada a partir de simulações no modelo ecohidrológico Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Curvas de permanência de vazões e carga poluidora por área de drenagem foram elaboradas. Supondo-se a continuidade dos projetos \"Produtor de Água/PCJ\" e \"Conservador das Águas\", foram investigados os impactos de cenário futuro de uso do solo. Finalmente, foi desenvolvido novo índice ecohidrológico para quantificação dos serviços hidrológicos e avaliação a sustentabilidade das sub-bacias, a partir da pegada hídrica cinza composta. Assim, usando ferramentas de vanguarda tecnológica (SWAT e WF), a tese fornece subsídios para uma melhor compreensão dos impactos antropogênicos sobre os recursos hídricos e novas estratégias de adaptação baseada em ecossistemas, frente às progressivas taxas de perda de serviços ambientais. Esta tese esteve vinculada a três projetos de pesquisa, dos quais obteve apoio financeiro: (1) Projeto Temático FAPESP 2008/58161-1 \"Assessment of Impacts and Vulnerability to Climate Change in Brazil & Strategies for Adaptation Options\"; (2) \"INCLINE - INterdisciplinary CLimate INvEstigation Center\" (NapMC/USP) e (3) Projeto \"Água Brasil\", Fundação Banco do Brasil, WWF Brasil, ANA e FIPAI/EESC-USP.

This thesis focuses on park planning in Dubai, and how current differences in their socio-spatial access can be alleviated by using regional-vernacular design principles. The thesis uses a mixed method approach that begins with the analysis of parks across the entire city to understand their current access and distribution, and then narrows down to focusing on four micro-case studies,which will serve as sites where improvements could be made. These improvements are inspiredby vernacular design and planning and aim to improve current access. All work originates fromthe author unless otherwise cited.

The development of human societies rests on functioning ecosystems. This thesis builds on integrated theories of linked social-ecological systems and complex adaptive systems to increase the understanding of how to strengthen the capacity of ecosystems to generate services that sustain human well-being. In this work, I analyze such capacity in human-dominated production ecosystems in Tanzania and Madagascar, and how this capacity is related to local management practices. Resilience of social-ecological systems refers to the capacity to buffer change, to re-organize following disruption, and for adaptation and learning. In Papers I and II, qualitative interview methods are used for mapping and analyses of management practices in the agroecosystem of the Mbulu highlands, Northern Tanzania. Practices such as soil and water conservation, maintenance of habitats for pollinators and predators of pests, intercropping, and landscape diversification, act to buffer food production in a variable environment and sustain underlying ecological processes. The practices are embedded in a decentralized but nested system of institutions, such as communal land rights and social networks, that can buffer for localized disturbances such as temporary droughts. Paper II compares these findings with practices in a farming system in Sweden, and suggests that similar mechanisms for dealing with uncertainty and change can exist in spite of different biophysical conditions. In Papers III and IV, interviews are combined with GIS tools and vegetation sampling to study characteristics and dynamics of the dry forests of Androy, southern Madagascar. Paper III reports on a previously underestimated capacity of the dry forest of southern Madagascar to regenerate, showing areas of regeneration roughly equal areas of degenerated forest (18 700 ha). The pattern of forest regeneration, degradation, and stable cover during the period 1986-2000 was related to the enforcement of customary property rights (Paper III). Paper IV reports on a network of locally protected forest patches in Androy that is embedded in a landscape managed for agricultural or livestock production and contributes to the generation of ecosystem services and ecosystem resilience at a landscape scale. Forest protection is secured by local taboos that provide a well-functioning and legitimate sanctioning system related to religious beliefs. In Paper V, two spatial modeling tools are used to assess the generation of two services, crop pollination and seed dispersal, by the protected forest patches in southern Androy. The functioning of these services is dependent on the spatial configuration of protected patches in the fragmented landscape and can be highly vulnerable to even small changes in landscape forest cover. In conclusion, many of the identified practices are found to make ecological sense in the context of complex systems and contribute to the resilience of social-ecological systems. The thesis illustrates that the capacity of human-dominated production ecosystems to sustain a flow of desired ecosystem services is strongly associated with local management practices and the governance system that they are embedded in, and that, contrary to what is often assumed, local management can and does add resilience for desired ecosystem services. These findings have substantial policy implications, as insufficient recognition of the dynamics of social-ecological interactions is likely to lead to failure of schemes for human development and biodiversity conservation.

During last century rising populations and changed market preferences have led to large structuralchanges in agriculture in the developed world. Most conventional cultivation methods involve theproduction of few monoculture crops within a homogenous landscape, where pesticides and inorganicfertilizers are used to increase yields. The cereal aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) is a pest in cerealsresulting in large economic losses for farmers throughout Europe, and are currently removed withchemical pest control. However, the pesticides also affect existing ecosystem services like potentiallypest-controlling insects as well as the surrounding environment negatively. According to previousstudies higher landscape diversity leads to a higher diversity of natural enemies to pest insects, but nostudy has investigated if the pest control is enhanced around non-crop remnants such as midfield islets(MI). This thesis investigates (i) if MI will reduce the number of aphids in crop field, (ii) if larger MIwill be more effective than smaller MI by having higher aphid predation rate, and (iii) if larger MI willprovide a more effective reduction of pest insects over a longer distance from edge. To assess thepotential for pest control, aphids were glued on papers and placed at ground level in crop fields andaround MI in nine fields. The collected data was processed statistically, and the result demonstratesthat MI play an important role by providing habitats for natural enemies to pests. The increased size ofMI have a positive effect of number of aphids consumed around MI, however the distance from edgewas not significance. This study highlights the value of MI in crop fields as an existing ecosystemservice in biological pest control. The naturally occurring predators are able to reduce R.padi andthereby minimize the need for insecticide applications. / Ökat befolkningstryck och större efterfrågan av jordbruksprodukter på marknaden har det senasteseklet lett till stora förändringar i västvärldens jordbrukslandskap. Odlingslandskapet är idaghomogent och monokulturellt där besprutningsmedel används för att ge större avkastning iproduktionen. Skadeinsekten havrebladlus (Rhopalosiphum padi) angriper vårgrödor vilket leder tillstora ekonomiska förluster för bönder runtom i Europa. Pesticider används för att reducera angreppenmen påverkar även miljön negativt samt existerande ekosystemtjänster, såsom naturliga fiender sombiologiskt kan begränsa skadeinsekters angrepp. Tidigare studier visar att heterogena landskap har enhög biologisk mångfald, men ingen studie har undersökt åkerholmars (ÅH) eventuella potential förbiologisk bekämpning av skadeinsekter i säd. Denna studie undersöker därför (i) om ÅH leder tillökad reducering av havrebladlöss i säd, (ii) om större ÅH är mer effektiva än mindre i frågan ompestreducering, samt (iii) om större ÅH begränsar lusangrepp längre ut i fält från ÅH:s kant än mindreholmar. Studiens hypoteser testades genom experiment utförda i nio fält med vårgrödor där lössklistrades på etiketter som placerades ut i omgivande fält. Dessa samlades in efter tjugo fyra timmarför att studera antal löss konsumerade i relation till ÅH. Det insamlade materialet är bearbetatstatistiskt och resultatet visar att ÅH spelar en betydande ekologisk roll för naturliga fiender tillskadeinsekten havrebladlus. Fler löss konsumerades runt större ÅH än de med mindre yta eller i de fältutan ÅH. Däremot har avståndet från ÅH en mindre betydelse, vilket indikerar att pestreduceringen ärmest effektiv nära stora ÅH. Denna studie synliggör värdet av existerande ÅH som inhysernyttoinsekter i jordbrukslandskapet, samt att heterogena landskap har högre potential för en mernaturlig skadedjursbekämpning. Naturliga fiender är därmed en existerande ekosystemtjänst som kanbegränsa bladlusangreppen (R.padi), som i sin tur ger möjligheten att reducera användandet avbekämpningsmedel, vilket för oss närmare miljömålet ”en giftfri miljö”.

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