{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1007/s11104-021-05261-9", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:15:19Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-01-30", "title": "Tracing hotspots of soil erosion in high mountain environments: how forensic science based on plant eDNA can lead the way. An opinion", "description": "High mountain environments are among the most fragile on Earth. Due to anthropogenic disturbances and the exposure to extreme weather events, the rates of soil erosion have recently been accelerating, resulting in ecological degradation and geological hazards. Ecological restoration of mountains and an improved understanding of nature-based solutions to mitigate land degradation is therefore of utmost urgency. Identifying hotspots of soil erosion is a first step towards improving mitigation strategies. A promising methodology to identify erosion hotspots is sediment source fingerprinting, that differentiates the properties of soil from different sources, using signatures such as elemental geochemistry or radionuclides. However, in areas with complex lithologies or shallow and poorly developed soils, geochemical fingerprints allow only a rough distinction between erosion hotspots. In this opinion paper, we explore the relevance of environmental DNA (eDNA) that originates from plant litter and fixes onto fine soil particles, as a targeted sediment fingerprinting method sensitive to vegetation that could potentially allow the identification of erosion hotspots and their relative importance from sedimentary deposits. Pioneering studies indicate that eDNA allows not only the detection of specific vegetation communities, but also the identification of individual plant species. Supported by the increasing availability and quality of vegetation maps and eDNA reference libraries, we argue that sediment source fingerprinting using eDNA from plant litter, will evolve into a valuable method to identify hotspots of soil erosion and allow stakeholders to prioritize areas where ecological restoration is necessary in high mountain environments.", "keywords": ["Soil and water bioengineering", "Vegetation", "[SDV.BID.SPT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics", "550", "Sediment source fingerprinting", "Phylogenetics and taxonomy", "[SDV.BV.BOT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology/Botanics", "15. Life on land", "Alpine", "01 natural sciences", "[SDV.BV.BOT] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology/Botanics", "[SDE.BE] Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology", "Landslide", "Erosion", "13. Climate action", "[SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology", "[SDV.BID.SPT] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics", " Phylogenetics and taxonomy", "[SDV.EE.ECO] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology", " environment/Ecosystems", "[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology", "environment/Ecosystems", "sedDNA", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11104-021-05261-9.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05261-9"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Plant%20and%20Soil", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s11104-021-05261-9", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s11104-021-05261-9", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s11104-021-05261-9"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-01-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107487", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:16:06Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-12-13", "title": "Comparative geotechnical analysis of slope stabilization through conventional, soil and water bioengineering, and combined solutions", "description": "The sustainable mitigation of hydrogeological hazard through the geotechnical stabilization of natural and artificial slopes is an ethical and technical goal of increasing global relevance. In this context, \u201cgray\u201d geotechnical stabilization solutions involving the use of inert materials, injections of cement mixtures and steel elements, have been prevalently used in the past decades and have thus come to define the present \u201cconventional\u201d approach. These solutions may meet engineering performance criteria but are unable to attain desirable sustainability standards. The practice of Soil and Water BioEngineering (SWBE) draws from ancient empirical experience and is rapidly gaining new momentum due to the increased focus on environmental protection and requalification. SWBE and can be effectively conducted through the design and implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS) by using living plants, alone or in combination with locally available materials, to improve the engineering performance of ecosystems while fostering an increase in their biodiversity and environmental value. The domain of applicability of NBS is limited to quasi-surficial instability phenomena, since the root systems which provide resistance to destabilizing forces are found mainly at shallow depths from ground surface. Moreover, biological and physical processes intervening in NBS result in the temporal variation of their mechanical resistance and engineering performance. \u201cCombined\u201d solutions involving the presence of \u2013 and synergy between - gray and green solutions may ensure the simultaneous attainment of safety and sustainability. This paper describes the conceptual standpoints and operational framework used for the comparative assessment of the engineering design performance of conventional, NBS, and combined solutions for a slope stabilization intervention on a site located near Florence, Italy. Stability is assessed quantitatively through limit equilibrium methods for multiple scenarios defined in terms of technological solutions, temporal stage, and level of engineering conservatism in design parameters. Temporal trends of the factors of safety against sliding are defined statistically and assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. The comparative analysis suggests that the combined solution provides the best option at the Montisoni site as it ensures sufficient short-terms, post-stabilization stability as well as increased stability overtime due to the improvement in the mechanical contribution of NBS components. The paper brings innovative contributions with respect to the equivalent geomechanical modeling of NBS and combined solutions in limit-equilibrium analyses and to the discussion of criteria to be considered in the assignment of design values in stability analyses.", "keywords": ["Geotechnical engineering; Bio-geotechnics; Slope stability; Soil and water bioengineering; Nature-based solutions; Statistics"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://flore.unifi.it/bitstream/2158/1403973/1/Uzielli%20et%20al.%202024%20-%20Comparative%20geotechnical%20analysis%20of%20slope%20stabilization.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107487"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecological%20Engineering", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107487", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107487", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107487"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2025-02-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2158/1403973", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-25T16:25:41Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-12-13", "title": "Comparative geotechnical analysis of slope stabilization through conventional, soil and water bioengineering, and combined solutions", "description": "The sustainable mitigation of hydrogeological hazard through the geotechnical stabilization of natural and artificial slopes is an ethical and technical goal of increasing global relevance. In this context, \u201cgray\u201d geotechnical stabilization solutions involving the use of inert materials, injections of cement mixtures and steel elements, have been prevalently used in the past decades and have thus come to define the present \u201cconventional\u201d approach. These solutions may meet engineering performance criteria but are unable to attain desirable sustainability standards. The practice of Soil and Water BioEngineering (SWBE) draws from ancient empirical experience and is rapidly gaining new momentum due to the increased focus on environmental protection and requalification. SWBE and can be effectively conducted through the design and implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS) by using living plants, alone or in combination with locally available materials, to improve the engineering performance of ecosystems while fostering an increase in their biodiversity and environmental value. The domain of applicability of NBS is limited to quasi-surficial instability phenomena, since the root systems which provide resistance to destabilizing forces are found mainly at shallow depths from ground surface. Moreover, biological and physical processes intervening in NBS result in the temporal variation of their mechanical resistance and engineering performance. \u201cCombined\u201d solutions involving the presence of \u2013 and synergy between - gray and green solutions may ensure the simultaneous attainment of safety and sustainability. This paper describes the conceptual standpoints and operational framework used for the comparative assessment of the engineering design performance of conventional, NBS, and combined solutions for a slope stabilization intervention on a site located near Florence, Italy. Stability is assessed quantitatively through limit equilibrium methods for multiple scenarios defined in terms of technological solutions, temporal stage, and level of engineering conservatism in design parameters. Temporal trends of the factors of safety against sliding are defined statistically and assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. The comparative analysis suggests that the combined solution provides the best option at the Montisoni site as it ensures sufficient short-terms, post-stabilization stability as well as increased stability overtime due to the improvement in the mechanical contribution of NBS components. 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